What makes a good thread?

[jockslap]

A little bit ago i made a rather massive fail. However through all this i had an epiphany. The perfect thread...a thread discussing how to make a good thread.

Perhaps this will be my last act on The Escapist's forums, but here goes. I wanna know what makes a good thread. If i wanted to make a thread that would stimulate decent conversation/debate and yet avoid flame war/trolling. Should it be full of emotion, or cold and calculated? Long winded and carefully worded, or short and sweet? This is sort of really open, and i made extra sure it wouldnt be offensive at all, but what typically makes up a good thread?

 

[rottenbutter]

Well, using the search button helps.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.76284#898063

Though I must say you, seem a lot more serious about it.

 

[jockslap]

whoops again, i keep forgetting all the good ideas are usually taken

 

[reaper_2k9]

Well every thread is going to have an opinion whether it be good or bad and take a shot but be sure to use the search feature first.

 

[rottenbutter]

Well, might as well actually try a real discussion this time (instead of talking about zombies, ducks, and crap).

A good thread is really a matter of preference, some people like heated debates, some people like huge flame wars, some people like total chaos. No matter what kind of thread you make, chances are that a least someone will like it, and someone will hate it. It's just a matter of knowing your fellow posters, in order to try to make a thread that most people will enjoy, and even then, it's up to the poster, where the thread will go.

 

[Clov3r]

this was done a few days ago. lol

 

[rottenbutter]

this was done a few days ago. lol

Except that thread was about zombies, ducks, and smearing crap on ones face. And the OP of that thread (and anyone who posted there) didn't take it seriously. But it seems like jockslap is taking this a bit more seriously and there might actually be a discussion on this.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

At the risk of self-aggrandisement, we also had this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.70127#681513], although it's not quite the same thing.

 

[jockslap]

well i sort of wanted to know what people like to see in a thread, personally i enjoy seeing someone convey pure opinion and damn the rules, cuz it actually gives me something to go on, it gives me something to think about, and then when i respond to the thread its not just me talking without having anything to say, talk is useless with no thought or emotion behind it

 

[Yassen]

I always noticed that a good thread, one where lots of people post, is a thread where people can talk about themselves. I'm not saying it's because people are self-obsessed but because that gives a chance for people to talk about what they know best and discuss those points with other people.

 

[ward.]

1 part controversy.
2 parts easily target-able straw man.
2 parts of insecurity.
1 part gaming reference (on this site anyway)
X parts seasoned to taste.

That's all you need to make a thread people will enjoy, if they can get up on a soap box it will probably go over 4 pages.

 

[hypothetical fact]

A good thread is one that incites the debates of two opposite sides of society who each vehemently defend their position, like liberals vs conservatives or christians vs Atheists.

 

[PurpleRain]

Get people to show pictures of themselves. It's how I earned this baby. (Pats Amazing Topic! badge)

 

[Nazulu]

A popular subject that relates to everybody, it can be on anything like games out today or something currently happening in the world. It is also good when you have something to discuss or debate about so you can get some decent reply's, and it even helps when the topic actually is personal or offensive to people, not saying that it is a good thing but it's true!

If you see most threads on religion and law just explode with reply's from people for and against, because it effects us all. You can ask them not to flame but no matter what, one of the reply's will tick someone off.

 

[jockslap]

well hypothetical, i would agree with you, but usually when u pit two sides agaisnt eachother that will defend their position to the last, there is often no end until the linguistic violence until one side gets ultimately beaten or it gets shut down by a mod, i beleive that in a well done debate of something, one side will inevitably learn something that will change they're perspective on the issue, and then everyone wins. One side gains victory, the other gains knowledge, and in the really good one it doesn't matter who wins, because everyone gets something from the debate.

 

[jockslap]

A popular subject that relates to everybody, it can be on anything like games out today or something currently happening in the world. It is also good when you have something to discuss or debate about so you can get some decent reply's, and it even helps when the topic actually is personal or offensive to people, not saying that it is a good thing but it's true!

If you see most threads on religion and law just explode with reply's from people for and against, because it effects us all. You can ask them not to flame but no matter what, one of the reply's will tick someone off.

I suppose your right, however the big fail mentioned in the heading was in regards to me posting a rather offensive bit about emos and asking people to share their views....all i got was a whole lot of talk of banhammers, so i asked a mod to kill it

 

[jockslap]

bump