Good ways to kill a thread

It might also help if everyone remembers to go through the unanswered posts once in a while, and respond to anything that catches your fancy. I think this is incredibly important for the Original Writing forum. Many new members put up their work for some serious commentary, and they get ignored or buried in a sea of other topics. Get out there and read, folks! We have some real talent here.

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Contrary to what Phoenix posted, I like arcane stuff, tho, as long as its within my field of interest.

nimh- So do I. One of the things that I love, is delving into a subject of which I know little. To me, it is like exploring.

What I was talking about, is probabilities. This thread is about subjects that will kill threads. When someone posts something that is of very narrow interest, statistically, the percent of people who are interested in that subject is limited. Therefore, there is less of a chance that there will be responses to it.

The subjects that seem to evoke the greatest responses, are those which strike a chord in most human beings.

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One time I started a thread on songpoem companies, the ones that want the housewives and naive young to send in their verses to be set to music for a fee. It was to me a very good idea, but it drew virtually no attention. I changed the name of the thread a few times and continued to add to it, but nothing ever came of it. If no one cares about a topic, it doesn't matter what you do. Just because you build it, don't mean they're gonna come. I can accept this. I went ahead and rounded out that thread anyway, on the premise that I'm not the only person in the world interested in it and eventually that other guy will discover what I've done.

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edgarblythe- Your example is exactly what I have been talking about. To me, it sounds like an interesting subject. If someone on A2K had become involved in one of those companies, or was interested in setting verses to music, or knew someone who had the experience, there would have been responses. There weren't, so the thread died.

Then, if someone had been taken in by one of the companies, the thread would have grown, because the other members would have responded to the plight of the person. Being taken in by a scam is an area that has more commonality than adding music to verses.

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This thread is about subjects that will kill threads.

There a very few threads that die as quickly as the dreaded "songpoem companies" threads. I recall someone kept trying to post those threads a while back. I forget who it was, but he was persistent.

One songpoem company thread after another. No responses.

Finally, mercifully, the songpoem company threads stopped.

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So - is threads dying a major problem around here?

(Sorry Letty - I had no idea this subject was such a serious one for you).

As I see it, they live, they die. Sometimes inexplicably, sometimes for obvious reasons. This is life. I know mine where I post what I see as a fascinating but long article, which I hope will stimulate discussion, die aborning - which is sad - to me, and me alone, probably! - as there are TWO long articles (academic ones) I would love to post now - but it is a waste of time, I think. People just don't want to read that much.

Ones which have lots of long posts seem to put off all but the people actively involved in them, cos they become too difficult to catch up with, if you arrive late.

Factual questions put me off if I have no idea of the answer - and don't know where to find it. There seems little point popping in just to say you don't know!

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Way to keep this one hopping, Gus.

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Factual questions put me off if I have no idea of the answer

dlowan- That is the kind of question that I LOVE. I am a pretty good "Googler", and 99.9%, I can find something for which I am looking.

To me, that sort of question is a great, big adventure. I really like to become aware of something that I never knew existed!

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Well, I'm just popping in to say I don't know.

Threads die in odd ways. Someone making the just the right closing statement is hardly the norm, more often I find at the end of a dead or dying thread a couple of retorts from two people aimed at each and then silence.

I tiptoe out.

I do know for a fact that Gus runs about four of those songpoem companies. He was written up two or three years ago by Scamming the Unwitting Literati Magazine as 'victim grinder of the century'. Several of the guys on the Enron tapes actually mention his name as being one of their heros, so we'll be rid of him soon.

That will kill a few threads.

Joe

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Good morning all.

I think I may have over reacted last night, and for that I apologize. The purpose of this thread was to simply get input from everyone about good discussions and exactly what they included, and that doesn't preclude fun and games.

Yes, Osso is right. We are a big family here with new ones added every day.

Thank you--all of you -- for your input, and I do hope that the newbies get the sense of what this forum is all about.

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Letty- Why the hell are you apologizing? I think that your subject is a valid one, and deserves exploration.

It might be interesting (I have done this from time to time) to go to "unanswered questions", and get a sense of the kind of thread that withers on the vine.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

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Factual questions put me off if I have no idea of the answer

dlowan- That is the kind of question that I LOVE. I am a pretty good "Googler", and 99.9%, I can find something for which I am looking.

To me, that sort of question is a great, big adventure. I really like to become aware of something that I never knew existed!

Yes - I am getting to be quite a good googler - and with the new Too ba - well...

Nemmind, Letty - it is sort of full moon.....

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Well, kids. I felt like I was taking myself too seriously and that an explanation by way of an apology was in order.

I think it was Mark Twain who cut his own throat when he allied with a woman who promised to start the laughter in one of his on stage presentations showcasing his particular brand of humor. Unfortunately, this one particular night, he was being quite serious, and when the audience didn't respond, the lady in the balcony started her slow, infectious chuckle and the audience followed suit. So much for his attempt at pathos. Smile

It's crossword puzzle day, courtesy of the New York Times, so I may be doing some goggling myself.

Later, folks.

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turn the on topic conversation, regardless how interesting, and intense it gets, into a "chat" session!

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dlowan wrote:

which is sad - to me, and me alone, probably! - as there are TWO long articles (academic ones) I would love to post now - but it is a waste of time, I think. People just don't want to read that much.

Instead of posting the full article, summarize in two or three paragraphs what you think the exciting new finding or insight is, why you think its provocative and how it will impact life in America, and state one or two concrete, specific questions or submissions for other posters to answer or react to. That should do the trick (that is, if you just happen to have the shitload of time that takes to do).

Alternatively, if that doesnt work (because it's too off-center a topic, for example), you can of course always add something like "proof Bush is a war criminal and Iraqi Al-Qaeda terrorism will lead to end of separation of church and state in US" to the thread's title.

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Lol!

They don't just affect America.

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And summarising would kill the discussion I would like to have.

nemmind

heehee - I'll post 'em for YOU, Nimh! You read long things!

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dlowan wrote:

Lol!

They don't just affect America.

Irrelevant. Nobody will react if it doesnt highlight the consequences for America / Americans.

Twisted Evil

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That's absolutely true. Try starting a thread with the phrase "not that it will matter to Americans, but...." and see how far it goes. We are the most myopic people on the planet and if we are not, we are still short-sighted enough to think so.

Joe

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nimh wrote:

dlowan wrote:
Lol!

They don't just affect America.

Irrelevant. Nobody will react if it doesnt highlight the consequences for America / Americans.

Yep!

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Good ways to kill a thread

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