Can we straighten out DU please?

[Betsy Ross]

Are we getting away from the guideline, rules, regarding posting on DU? There are SO many OPs which are just a quick one-liner or a look-at-this with no explanation. These can turn DU into frivolous chat room. PLEASE let's move the snarky jokes to the Lounge and post more substantive OPs in the appropriate forum.

I am as guilty as others in silly quick responses to some posts but I hope I have not initiated inappropriate posts.

[Az]

1. Agreed and recommended n/t

[EFerrari]

2. DU is DU and there are many styles of self expression here. n/t

[Fluffdaddy]

3. You know? I DU chat-room would be nice. btw.......I agree with you

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. Good thinking

This stuff with "n/t" in the subject line is the most worthless kind of post, as far as I'm concerned.

If you have a comment to make, make it, and make it cogent and worth reading. Otherwise, it's a crack, and what's the point?

[Bluebear]

5. Maybe the n/t lines are meant to kick an important subject?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. I don't really know what that means,

but you just did it, without the "n/t".

My guess is that people just don't have much to say on the subject, or else they're afraid no one will read the body of their posts, which speaks, alas, to a lack of confidence on their part that their thoughts and words have any value.

[Bluebear]

8. Oh for heavens sakes "you just did it" - - I was answering you.

Whatever.

n/t

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. Well, you did.

Didn't you realize that?

A subject line is a subject line, not a message line.

If it works for you, that's good. But I skip past the "n/t" stuff. That's just me.

[Bluebear]

12. Well, like, totally ignore my frivolous posts from now on! . . . n/t

[L. Coyote]

13. It means some peple make a short comment to, in effect, give a worthy read a kick.

In many ways, behavior is an adaptation to an environment, including cyberspace. On DU, threads and topics sink or float to some extent dependent on if thy et those comments. Kicking is an adaptation to the forum setup, a way to vote for your preferences. I'd like to see a sort by recommended feature, to allow a better way to place the favorited threads at the top.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. Ah. Thank you.

I didn't know that.

So those "K&R n/t" things I see are simply trying to get a good OP a better spot?

Thanks. That makes sense.

[pokerfan]

9. I think the OP was mainly talking about new threads

not messages within a thread but I'm a little rummy today. (Long day, not much sleep.)

[L. Coyote]

14. Start a thread if you cannot find a place to say it, good etiquette??

Seems reasonable, unless it is big news or something on a par.

[pokerfan]

23. I think the problem is that a 3 message thread takes up the

same space on the main page as a 300 message thread. And they wind up pushing threads off the first page. This makes it extremely difficult for would-be OPs to check for duplicates.

I just went looking for a McCain/The View thread. I found one on page 1, another one on page 2, etc. For five pages, it was one thread per page, none of them with more than half a dozen messages. Then I found the big thread buried on page 6, with 26 messages.

That tells me that OPs are actually being very diligent when looking for duplicates but not looking beyond the first page. Who does, when checking for duplicates?

I don't know what the solution is, but I think that might be what this OP is getting at.

My two cents...

[riverdeep]

10. But what about those who can operate with brevity? n/t

[cwydro]

6. Yes, except for the Lounge, I think the stupid

"HUGH" and "SERIES" posts should be retired.

Actually it is getting old in the Lounge too, but apparently no one cares there.

[FlyingSquirrel]

15. In what respect ,Charlie?

;)

[ColbertWatcher]

17. LOL! Winner! n/t

[WillyT]

16. Nope...

Sorry...

:shrug:

:evilgrin:

[Stinky The Clown]

19. Most substantive, laboriously written, detailed posts ......

... sink like stones.

This has been suggested any number of times. I've done the suggesting a time or two myownself.

It would be a good thing.

It will never happen.

[bemildred]

20. This is straight, you ought to see what messy looks like ... nt

[SalmonChantedEvening]

21. And sometimes, seven words can do the work of a thousand.

It's up to us to toss the chafe, as we see it, aside. And to find the wheat we feed our minds on.

I love the joy of sorting... ;)

[RagAss]

22. Ok.....sorry

[riverdeep]

24. A way to recommend replies maybe?

A lot of times really great replies lie buried in sinking OPs. A lot of great research or links or just perspectives go into the ether. Ultimately, the solution is probably an evolution of software for the MyDU feature. No one is going to agree on what's really important, anyway.

But you're NEVER going to be able to keep up with everything, no way.