Elexar proudly presents: how to make a good thread! - General

:siren:[b]Disclaimer:[/b] This thread is not for you to start a flamewar, nor is this thread meant as a big fuck-you to every shitbrain that manages to post a 2-line thread in GD and wonders why he gets banned (or is it?). It's meant as an advisory thread, it should help you on the way to make a [u]F[i]a[/u][highlight]BU[b]lO[u]u[/i]s[/highlight][/u][/b] :sissies: thread that everyone will enjoy, and won't get your ass shunned to your moms shoulder and back. Enjoy! [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/divider_large.png[/img] [b]Index[/b] This thread is devided into 3 categories: [list] [*]Thread Title [*]Thread Content [*]Thread Deliverance [/list] I'll be going through each category in great detail, Content spanning most of the information in this thread. Read each category as if it's a guide to free 1080p BluRay HD porn, and use the information you gain as an opportunity to make Facepunch a better place! If this is your first time reading this thread, please read it from top to bottom. Category 2 follows up on 1, and 3 on 2. If you have a thread with amazing content, but your title and deliverance is absolute crap, nobody will be interested in clicking your nice little creation. Such a shame. [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/divider_small.png[/img] [b]Introduction[/b] Like the little scumbag you are, you must probably think really high of your pimpleface and the only thing going through your head must be "who is dolphin-tits, and why should I, [u][i]The [highlight]BeST[/highlight] Poster [b]@[/b] FP[/i][/u], listen to him?". It's because there's a fat chance you suck at making threads (if not, [b]probably not[/b], this is still a good read!). [i]The quality of Facepunch has degraded immensely, i see threads with 4 lines of content most of the time. It's like GD went FT and FT went CT (so now we have a FT and 2 CT's). I know we can't go back to pre '09, but we can at least make this all a better place![/i] Hi, I'm Elexar, and you should read this because I say so. [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/divider_small.png[/img] [b]Thread Title[/b] The title of your thread is it's most valuable asset. Without a proper title, your thread means nothing. Nobody is going to click the little title having words in it nobody knows about. Nobody is going to click the title trying too hard to be funny. Per example: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/thread/bad_title.png[/img] A terrible thread title. [i]What the fuck[/i] is the Barnum Effect, and why should I give a shit? It's something I don't know, never heard of. Something that's unknown to me must attract my attention somehow, and that won't work by having it's unknown name stamped in the title. That aside, what's up with the subtitle? "Fhat the wuck", seriously? A big, red [highlight]NO[/highlight] for you! Don't you ever put a childish joke like that in your thread title, it'll result in a definite failure. Look at this instead: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/thread/good_title.png[/img] It doesn't only supply every information we need, but it refrained from a shitty subtitle as well! Thank you, OP! This thread title quickly informs you of the content; a mobile facepunch viewer. Not only that, but it's [i]temporary[/i]. This little word quickly lets you know that it's probably a replacement until Hexxeh's facepunch app goes live. Take this thread title as an example! It's informative, it's easy to read, it doesn't have childish jokes. 8/10 points for you! Thread titles are comparable to faces. You wouldn't go to that shy girl in the corner if she's as ugly as a blobfish, but you would if she looks like Christina Aguilera. Then again, you wouldn't be the only guy to annoy the shy girl if she looks like Christina. Blobfish thread: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/thread/blobfish_thread.png[/img] Christina thread: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/thread/christina_thread.png[/img] [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/divider_small.png[/img] [b]Thread Content[/b] This is probably the most vital part of your entire thread. You might have an incredible thread title, but as soon as people click on it and see a shitty 5-line OP you're going to get raped in the ass. And you'll deserve it, too. Thread content is probably the most difficult to achieve, and the most difficult to deliver. If you have a shitload of information, but you don't know how to put it in terms for viewers to understand, you're fucked. Remember: [highlight]Content [b]=/=[/b] much information[/highlight]!! Take this thread as an example, I'm writing this on the go and it's probably easy to read for you as well. I've divided the categories with divider-images, and made good use of text-markup tags. Most important to achieving a good OP, is to take your time. Don't make a thread in a jiffy (lmao yiff), actually take your time to put down something that's worth remembering, and worth staying on the first page of a big forum. Another part of content is hilarity. If something is amusing to read, it gets read more often or [i]actually read[/i]. If your thread is 100% serious business, you might as well post this on kotaku or something. As you can see in this thread, and a couple of other threads in any given subforum, there's witty remarks and cursing. The young audience of FP is attracted to cursing. Some people may take offense to this (it's just a joke!!), some won't. The ones who do, start a discussion. That brings us to the next point [i]Don't[/i] write a thread about something you [i]can't discuss[/i] (as said by Craptasket himself). This is a forum, on forums there's discussing. There's no point in you writing something about your morning breakfast, as nobody cares and nobody can discuss about it. If you have a big question about something, don't just ask it but also give information [i]why[/i] you're asking this question. What lead you to it? What's the subject? What's it about? How did you get in contact with the subject? A thread with a question and a load of backing information is up for discussion, just the question alone isn't (and probably gets your stupid ass banned as well, hooray!). Images aren't necessary. They're a nice addition, but don't make the mistake that images make or break a thread. Sometimes I encounter threads with an image completely unrelated, or extremely unfunny, just sitting there as a filler. That's fucking stupid. If you make a thread about a relatively unknown phenomenon, try and add some images in to really steal the show. If it's relatively known, though, add some hilarious and [i]related[/i] images in the mix. If you have a big image, mediatag it. If it's small (under 650x650, there are still people with small monitors on this planet), img-tag it. Threads about events in your own life are a risky business. It's got to be thrilling, amusing, sad, and most of all, well written. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, gives a shit about you losing your shoe and then you had to stay home. EVERYONE wants to read about you losing your shoe, deciding to go on faggy sandals, getting completely ridiculed at your school, stepping into dog shit when you walk home right when that pretty girl rides by and then crying yourself to sleep because even your mom laughed at your gay sandals. That'd be some hilarious shit! [b]BUT[/b], and this is a BIG but, never [i]ever[/i] make shit up just for [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/funny2.png[/img], [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/winner.png[/img] or [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/zing.png[/img]. If you do, go you. You should be proud of yourself. Really. :golfclap: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6573388/facepunch/divider_small.png[/img] [b]Thread Deliverance[/b] This is the third and last part. It's also the smallest, but very important. I'm just banging rocks together here and assuming you want people to read your thread. If that's the case, submitting it at the right time is pretty important. You'll usually want to do this between after-dinner and pre-midnight GMT-6 or GMT. Picking the right Post Icon isn't [i]that[/i] important, but don't pick [img]http://cdn.fpcontent.net/fp/posticons/icon-24-computers.gif[/img] when it's more about [img]http://cdn.fpcontent.net/fp/posticons/icon-26-politics.gif[/img]. If you do, it'll quickly be classified as a [img]http://cdn.fpcontent.net/fp/posticons/shitpost_new.jpg[/img]! - Oh, and, if you put titties in, [b]always[/b] go for the [img]http://cdn.fpcontent.net/fp/posticons/nsfw_2.png[/img]. If none of them are really relevant, just go for Shitpost or Stupid, because that's what it'll probably be. Hehehe.

good thread

GD sucks, this guide wont even chip the ice burg of poop posting that is GD

cool thread, the problem is that most of the users are children thus post stupid shit.

How to make a good thread for the common user: don't make a thread

actually this thread could serve a good purpose other than the op's content ignorelist people who rate the op dumb/disagree cuz they are idiot shit posters mraus, plokoon and assburgers thanks for being our first contestants

except the thread where that kid found his dads collection of tranny porn among his sons childhood memories, that was good.

lol OP needs to get that stick out of his ass; wtf do you think this thread is going to accomplish other than show others you are looking for a little ego cred. or something?

[QUOTE=Kontradaz;29532092]lol OP needs to get that stick out of his ass; wtf do you think this thread is going to accomplish other than show others you are looking for a little ego cred. or something?[/QUOTE] 10er blue who thinks he knows shit about posting

[QUOTE=Kinglah Crab;29532116]10er blue who thinks he knows shit about posting[/QUOTE] Sure is moronic join date elitism in here. Edit: (though it was a terrible post, admittedly)

[QUOTE=Kinglah Crab;29532116]10er blue who thinks he knows shit about posting[/QUOTE] Join date elitist who thinks he knows about shit posting

The best advice ever is [b]you don't have to make threads[/b] Seriously, I have no interesting conversations to start so I don't make threads often, simple as that It's easier to make a good post than a good thread

What's up with the hate?

[QUOTE=Assburgers;29532153]Join date elitist who thinks he knows about shit posting[/QUOTE] yeah i know about shit posting, there's one right there in quotes

[QUOTE=Swebonny;29532212]What's up with the hate?[/QUOTE] bad thread makers butthurt that someone told them their threads are bad

[QUOTE=Assburgers;29532153]Join date elitist who thinks he knows about shit posting[/QUOTE] Read your post history!

[QUOTE=BlkDucky;29532144]Sure is moronic join date elitism in here. Edit: (though it was a terrible post, admittedly)[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Assburgers;29532153]Join date elitist who thinks he knows about shit posting[/QUOTE] Planning on contributing, or are you two just going to flame?

There are no good threads, ever.

You can always make a boring topic into a good topic Floor Napping

GD posting quality has degraded to the point where i'd consider 4chan, the birthplace of every single socially awkward retard in existence and their safehaven, to have a better ratio of good posts compared to bad posts.

Wow, a guy goes to some effort to make a friendly tutorial to help people out and he gets flamed? This General Discussion problem is worse than I had previously anticipated! A little constructive critisism if I may, the capitalisation in the thread title could do with some work. I'm afraid I have self diagnosed autism and obsessive compulsive disorder though so perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill on this one! Otherwise this is a fantastic thread and I thank you for it!

[QUOTE=Kinglah Crab;29532116]10er blue who thinks he knows shit about posting[/QUOTE] sorry for speaking the truth dear. seriously, only idiots think that posting a thread about how to post is a good idea when there are already rules and shit about what and how to post. most of it is common sense, and if somebody doesn't know it then who the hell cares? it's either a ban or some dumb ratings.

sorry elexar but this thread will get the GD no where we appreciate your effort though

I don't see how "The Barnum effect" is a bad title, it has everything you need to know. And the only thing that makes a thread is its content, all the rest focus on whether people will or will not see the content. It's like saying an article is bad if the title got cut in the printer and was distributed at 6 AM.

[QUOTE=Kontradaz;29532419]sorry for speaking the truth dear.[/QUOTE] Why are you complaining about a really good thread that gives a helpful guide to making threads appropriately?

[QUOTE=FoxMeister;29532417]Wow, a guy goes to some effort to make a friendly tutorial to help people out and he gets flamed? This General Discussion problem is worse than I had previously anticipated! A little constructive critisism if I may, the capitalisation in the thread title could do with some work. I'm afraid I have self diagnosed autism and obsessive compulsive disorder though so perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill on this one! Otherwise this is a fantastic thread and I thank you for it![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Kontradaz;29532419]sorry for speaking the truth dear. seriously, only idiots think that posting a thread about how to post is a good idea when there are already rules and shit about what and how to post. most of it is common sense, and if somebody doesn't know it then who the hell cares? it's either a ban or some dumb ratings.[/QUOTE] hi, my name is kontradaz maybe i'll disregard this really good and informative thread and proceed to keep shitposting

[QUOTE=MountainWatcher;29532481]I don't see how "The Barnum effect" is a bad title, it has everything you need to know.[/QUOTE] What the fuck is the Barnum effect Is the thread going to tell me what it is? It doesn't seem to indicate that I don't know what it is, I don't know if the thread will tell me what it is, doesn't even sound interesting No click

[QUOTE=I Broke The Sun!;29532482]Why are you complaining about a really good thread that gives a helpful guide to making threads appropriately?[/QUOTE] because this thread is unnecessary and, to be honest, is most likely some type of egotistic circle-jerk for somebody who thinks that they must educate the forum as to how to post. there are rules and guidelines already, making a thread is just looking for some damn attention.

[QUOTE=Kontradaz;29532548]because this thread is unnecessary and, to be honest, is most likely some type of egotistic circle-jerk for somebody who thinks that they must educate the forum as to how to post. there are rules and guidelines already, making a thread is just looking for some damn attention.[/QUOTE] This thread is about going above and beyond what is bannable and what is not, and into the realm of what is a good, entertaining thread. Just because a thread isn't bannable does not make it high quality or fun to read.