What makes a thread attractive?

[XzarTheMad]

Being new to the The Escapist forums (although I've been lurking on your people for a while) I wonder, what attracts you to a thread? I suppose the title is a big factor, but do you also go for threads made by posters you know/recognize? Does having a poll intice you more? And are there subjects you deliberately avoid?
Also, how likely are you to respond to a thread if you
a) Don't know/care very much about it?
b) Dislike the type of thread (religious debates, ethic debates, etc.)?

I'd write my own personal oppinion but so far I've just been looking through every thread in the top ten newest posted-in of the Off-topic and Gaming discussion board and replying to what I thought I had something to say about.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Intelligence of those within.

Interest of the topic at hand.

Familiarity (for RP's)

 

[MarcusStrout]

If it is off topic, and has to do with something I am interested in, I will post regardless of the literacy of the OP. I may just make fun of the people writing it, but it's all in good fun.

 

[Sayvara]

People will come to a thread if it's an interresting read.

People will return to a thread if they feel they can contribute to it.

Things that are a matter of opinion and that are vague and up for discussion lead to high return rates. If on the other hand it's a thread that speaks of irrefutable fact, then you get very few returns because either poeple cannot add to it because what needs to be said has already been done, or they cannot argue against what has been said because it is, well, fact and not an opinion.

I have debated many times over the years and the trend is clear: whenever my arguments are sound and what I say cannot be refuted on account of being solid verifiable fact, the articles/threads die in no time at all. But whenever I post something that is a bit more vague and challengable, then I get plenty of interrest because then people flock to agree or to tell me how wrong I am.

If you want to get interrest for your thread: write on a "fuzzy" subject... one that has no clear answers. Take a clear side in a controversial subject.

Oh... and hinting to sex works really well too.

/S

 

[Lt. Sera]

- Interesting / Catchy title.
- Decent OP, meaning more then 1 sentence followed by a /discuss.
- Non flammatory writing style.
- Readable text, doesn't need to be perfect.
- Discussable subject, not every subject makes for a good discussion.

The thing that is beyond your control:

- The first few replies.

 

[Amnestic]

a) Don't know/care very much about it?
b) Dislike the type of thread (religious debates, ethic debates, etc.)?

a) If I don't know, I might, if I know and don't care then I may give it a casual read, draft up a joke/sarcastic respone which I then trash and go about my way.
b) I enjoy debates, some I find more difficult then others, but if nothing else I enjoy reading them. I'll likely read most debate threads if the subject is of even mediocre interest to me.

As for interesting threads...
Something which it's likely people feel strongly for or against. See: Religion, Politics, Vegetarianism as recent cases. Also the status of one's relationships seems to attract a number of participants as well.

Spoiler: Also

Tits

Spoiler: Clarification

The birds you fool.

 

[XzarTheMad]

To quote a fictive, handicapped boy:

This is all very interesting. P-please tell me more!

 

[Lord Krunk]

*takes notes*

Thanks for making this thread. My threads never survive for long, and I want to remedy that.

(The last thread I made was shamelessly copied, and it got more posts! Grr.)

 

[Hey Joe]

Title the thread "tell us how awesome you are".

I guarantee that fucker'll take off like wildfire.

 

[XzarTheMad]

Hey Joe, I might try that.. Just for the hell of it

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Hey Joe, I might try that.. Just for the hell of it

Ironic considering the banhammer/locksword shall smite you into hell

I judge by the title of the thread then see if Ultrajoe, Rain, Larenxis etc. has posted in it, then I post my thoughts in it, if there is an overuse of lolspeak or mispellings in the posts or title then I move on

 

[XzarTheMad]

Hey Joe, I might try that.. Just for the hell of it

Ironic considering the banhammer/locksword shall smite you into hell

I figured it would. What's ironic about it, though? That I just joined? :3

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Hey Joe, I might try that.. Just for the hell of it

Ironic considering the banhammer/locksword shall smite you into hell

I figured it would. What's ironic about it, though? That I just joined? :3

Just for the hell of it
Smited into hell
Ahahaahahha *pompous laugh*

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

Hey Joe, I might try that.. Just for the hell of it

Ironic considering the banhammer/locksword shall smite you into hell

I judge by the title of the thread then see if Ultrajoe, Rain, Larenxis etc. has posted in it, then I post my thoughts in it, if there is an overuse of lolspeak or mispellings in the posts or title then I move on

By that concept, if I made a really catchy title, and asked that Larenxis/Rain/ULTRA/otherawesomepeople to post something in it, although nothing of content, then would you automatically jump in?

EDIT
Ignore the OP? Me? Naaaaw.

To me, I'll first base it off of the title. If it's got me curious enough, then I'll probably click it, or if the discussion looks to be good from the title. From there, it's the opening post. From there, I'll look at the number of pages. If it's 2 or less, I'll probably read them before replying, if it's more, I'll say screw it, and address the OP directly, ignoring most the discussion in-between. No offense to the previous posters, but sometimes going through 8 pages is a chore. (Notable exceptions include RPs, "Post your ____" thread if I'm interested, and discussions about LEGOs.)

From then on out, I'm usually in if I'm in, but will sometimes post just to reply to some statements, maybe to joke or build on it... Not too unlike what I did here in-fact. Whoops.

From then, it's how much I enjoy a thread. I was really active in the "Presenting the Ultras" thread for a while, until I just kinda stopped caring. That kinda thing for future value of a thread.

There's no real equation for it, and it tends to change with my whimsy. If you want me to stalk a thread, though, ask me to make it. I'm crazy about threads that I make, too focused on questions and stuff. Look at my RP thread for an example, you'll see how loopy I am.

Or the 'Cockney' thread, but most polite company won't bring it up around me.

EDIT[sup]2[/sup]
Also, a good way for me to see it is to put it in Off-Topic. I'm not in the other forums very often. Usually when I leave here, it's a quick glance over User Reviews, RP section, then back here. So yeah, Off-Topic.

EDIT[sup]3[/sup]
Or just quote a bunch of people for not reason. Inbox spamming, and the power thereof.

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

I made a thread about badges and it's got 891 views so far. Only about a 100 more....

But back on topic: you should make a thread that people will want to post in. In the forum games section, all you need to do is make a reasonably good thread in that subforum and you're on your way to getting that Hot Topic badge.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

@NewClassic: No, I always consider content too

 

[PurpleRain]

Me. Yeah, no that's basically it.

No, I kid I kid, there's more to it than that. I generally only make a thread that can create a certain disscussion point or other. I try not to post useless topics like 'What's better: Apple juice or Orange juice?'
Though that is an interesting thought.

 

[Novajam]

I'll usually leave it if it's just flame-bait. There are some threads that you just know the only things that will be posted in them will be "Reported" and "In b4 lock".

If it's original that helps too. If there's a similar thread from a few weeks back but it's died, sure, a new thread about it is fine, but if there are twelve others on the forum index then it's a no-touchy.

And of course you're going to get more replies if you're a big name around here. People being people and all that.

Also, Polls=BIIIG turn away.

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

I try not to post useless topics like 'What's better: Apple juice or Orange juice?'
Though that is an interesting thought.

Apple. By a long shot.

@NewClassic: No, I always consider content too

I thought I saw you avoiding my topics. That explains why. =P

You should make a thread that people will want to post in. In the forum games section, all you need to do is make a reasonably good thread in that subforum and you're on your way to getting that Hot Topic badge.

I think if you're making a thread for badges rather than discussion, you're doing it for the wrong reason. The only reason I got the Hot Topic (Oh jeez, I hate that store) is because I had a poll about the different spellings of the English language (color vs colour, aluminum vs aluminium, that kinda thing), and got a lot of British/Australian/Canadian/and other English speakers pretty miffed at me for labeling them under "English English," but there was good discussion from it. Feel free to look it up, if you're curious. Just hit up "platinium" in the search and you'll find the thread.

I just rambled myself off of topic, didn't I? Making a thread designed for discussion is good, giving it enough discussable content is better, and following it along it's life without de-railing it is best.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

I try not to post useless topics like 'What's better: Apple juice or Orange juice?'
Though that is an interesting thought.

Apple. By a long shot.

@NewClassic: No, I always consider content too

I thought I saw you avoiding my topics. That explains why. =P

Agreed about the apple juice, and I post in your topics NewClassic, I post in them and even if I don't I read them