How Do You Avoid Low-Content Posts?
- Thread starter Brownie80
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I make sure every post I write has at-least one line's worth of content, unless it's in Forum Games of course. Sometimes I've had to make a short quip a little longer than I'd liked but really, if you can't think of at-least a sentence to write then there's no point posting in that thread is there? It's worked for me so far, never had a low content warning yet.
I'll be honest here and say: I hate that rule.
I've never been hit with warnings for it, but that doesn't stop it from hindering my posting ability.
Many a time, I want to post a short reply to a thread, but I decide not to because I don't want to get a low content warning.
And I can't be the only one who does this.
They always like to say that "low content posts halt discussion", but I would argue that scaring people away from making short posts would do far more to halt discussion.
I've never been hit with warnings for it, but that doesn't stop it from hindering my posting ability.
Many a time, I want to post a short reply to a thread, but I decide not to because I don't want to get a low content warning.
And I can't be the only one who does this.
They always like to say that "low content posts halt discussion", but I would argue that scaring people away from making short posts would do far more to halt discussion.
Put some actual content into all your posts? It also helps to read over your post once you've written it - if it's only a sentence long or a single image, then you're doing something wrong. This has the added bonus of catching all your remarks that might be seen as inflammatory or just not worthy of posting, further reducing the risk of modwrath.
Also you should always post in white font to make it easier for people to read.
Also you should always post in white font to make it easier for people to read.
*Insert short answer and/or joke here*
OT: *Insert long answer here*
----
If I left my answer at that, it might be low content. As it stands (correct me if I'm wrong on any of the below points),
-One word answers anywhere beside forum games and user groups will get you a warning.
-Saying "First!" and nothing else, will get you a warning. (same as above), same with saying "I agree"
-Saying something short and snarky or referencing a meme and nothing else, might get you a warning.
-Quoting another user and saying nothing else or simple "I agree" or "this"
-Posting an image with no explanation beside "I'll just leave this here", will probably get you a warning.
-Posting an image with no explanation beside "I'll just leave this here", then adding something along the lines of (literally) "Extra fluff here to avoid low content bots", will make people face palm (the Escapist doesn't have low content bots)
-What Esotera said (before highlighting).
*Will edit as I think of more examples*
OT: *Insert long answer here*
----
If I left my answer at that, it might be low content. As it stands (correct me if I'm wrong on any of the below points),
-One word answers anywhere beside forum games and user groups will get you a warning.
-Saying "First!" and nothing else, will get you a warning. (same as above), same with saying "I agree"
-Saying something short and snarky or referencing a meme and nothing else, might get you a warning.
-Quoting another user and saying nothing else or simple "I agree" or "this"
-Posting an image with no explanation beside "I'll just leave this here", will probably get you a warning.
-Posting an image with no explanation beside "I'll just leave this here", then adding something along the lines of (literally) "Extra fluff here to avoid low content bots", will make people face palm (the Escapist doesn't have low content bots)
-What Esotera said (before highlighting).
*Will edit as I think of more examples*
Let me explain. The first time I got warned, I didn't know about it. Someone replied to a comment of mine saying "Alles Gut". He did not get warned. I sent a similar comment and I got warned, and when he replied to THAT comment with an even longer comment HE got a warning. The second warning I got was legitimately my fault. The third strike I got was when I was unsure of how to post pictures on the thread. So I linked a picture of Far Cry 3 on the "Far Cry 2 vs. Far Cry 3" thread to test and nothing else. That's where I tripped up. I always mean well when posting a thread but it's not having nothing to say on the thread that gets me.JoJo said:
As I understand it, the low content rule isn't exclusively for short posts, it's also for posts that don't add any discussion value. Videos, pics, and quoted posts do not count for anything.Brownie80 said:
I have a few mental checks for my own short posts to make sure I don't fall foul of it.
1. Make your posts at least two or three sentences long.
2. Make a decent point, don't just say 'watch this vid' or 'I agree with this post'. Add your opinion, the reason you agree, what the vid about, or what you think of it - something that has some discussion value.
3. Don't make a point of obviously padding your posts out with stuff like 'blah blah blah to avoid low content'. The mods don't seem to like it, and you aren't adding anything meaningful.
*cough*Esotera said:
This post is good advice, but please don't ever post in white text. It hurts peoples eyes, and also it appears as a blank pots in the reports queue (I know this because I just came from there).
Edit:
We don't like it because it's rude. It's like yelling "I'm not stealing it I'm just borrowing it!" When you're blatantly stealing it.OneCatch said:
...Sorry, my analogies suck.
Also it basically tells us that you know your post is Low Content, which means you really don't have an excuse for posting it.
If you can't think of anything to say, don't post.
If you want to post a one line joke or picture, do so but contribute an actual opinion too.
You just need to elaborate on what you say. It's really quite annoying seeing a thread ask 'What did you enjoy about [_____]?' and someone always replying with 'but I don't like [_____]!' and nothing else.
If you want to post a one line joke or picture, do so but contribute an actual opinion too.
You just need to elaborate on what you say. It's really quite annoying seeing a thread ask 'What did you enjoy about [_____]?' and someone always replying with 'but I don't like [_____]!' and nothing else.
Let me explain with one of your warning post. The movie-licensed thread. Great idea for a thread, but where you went wrong was when you put your favorites in the poll. You didn't explain why they were good, why you liked them. They were just up there. If you would have put them in your post and explained why you wouldn't have gotten that warning.
So pretty much just post why you think things, just don't say it. You have some good threads in your belt, I'd hate to see you go like TheSupremeGamer.
So pretty much just post why you think things, just don't say it. You have some good threads in your belt, I'd hate to see you go like TheSupremeGamer.
Dude, that was sarcasm, just FYI. I'm guessing the point of it was to look like there was no content in the post.sky14kemea said:
O.T.
Um I don't know, the mods seem to be good here so as long as the post isn't just a pic with no accompanying text
or something like 'first' then you should be good. Sometimes you just wanna be concise and that seems to fly. I think the rule is there to stop people artificially inflating there post count though why anyone would want to do that beats me.
Easy.
1. Use lengthier phrasing. If someone asks which manga's your favorite, the don't just write "Doraemon," write "If I have to pick just one, then my choice is gonna have to be Doraemon." I know that doesn't actually say more, but it does add character and personality to the post; I think that's why the mods are more okay with longer phrasings.
2. Add some motivation to the opinion you're expressing.
3. Make jokes.
1. Use lengthier phrasing. If someone asks which manga's your favorite, the don't just write "Doraemon," write "If I have to pick just one, then my choice is gonna have to be Doraemon." I know that doesn't actually say more, but it does add character and personality to the post; I think that's why the mods are more okay with longer phrasings.
2. Add some motivation to the opinion you're expressing.
3. Make jokes.
I'm aware that it was a joke. I was just warning him/her that it appears as a blank post in the queue, so he doesn't accidentally get wrath for it in the future.x EvilErmine x said:
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Ah, fair enough, those are understandable considering you only joined a month ago. Well now you know how the rule is applied, I can't imagine you having many more problems with itBrownie80 said:
Don't get me wrong, I completely agree - I like the low content rule. It stops the various low content crap that you get on youtube or whatever - like the 'first!' thing, which particularly peeves me.sky14kemea said:
And saying 'to avoid low content' thing is kind of in the same vein as saying 'I dare you to ban me'.
Out of interest, with the third example that Brownie gave (trying to work out how to post a picture and ending up not posting anything else) am I right in saying that he'd have avoided a warning if he'd put a sentence explaining that he was just testing the image function?
I remember someone ages ago saying that if you were newly working out how to do something you were semi-exempted from formatting related rules, but I don't know if it's right.
It's not really a formatting related rule. If he was simply trying to post an image as a reply anyway, even if it had worked he'd still have received wrath for only posting an image.OneCatch said:
If people want to post images with their replies, that's completely fine. But adding a sentence or two to explain what the image is about (yes, even when it's obvious) or why you're posting it would avoid the Low Content rule.
As for posting just to test BBCode... I've never actually encountered that. I'd have to ask the Community Manager for clarification, but I'm pretty sure the same rules would apply anyway.
I considered that but I didn't want anybody to say I had no interest in the thread. I'm new here and I haven't gotten anybody raging yet and I don't want there to be a first. In hindsight, I should've edited the post after I saw it didn't work but I figured out the correct way to post pictures right after that and it slipped my mind.OneCatch said:
Sky already commented on how simply posting an image is still low content, done correctly or incorrectly. And that's all Brownie's post was: a link to an image. If formatted correctly, it would have just been an image -- no text or explanation -- which is still low content.OneCatch said:
Testing out the BBCode can be done with the preview function; there's no need to post.