Michael Laplante said:
Another Amen.
Subject should be a brief synopsis, or at least a key category name.
Besides the hopelessly generic "help", sometimes too people wrongly get
really cryptic. Subjects like "What I was thinking" or "I found this"
or (etc). Usually these are a result of poster not being thoughtful...
But there are occasions I get a suspicion that they go broad/vague to
try to hook a larger audience. That which is a mistake:
(1)Since those uninterested in the topic will merely be annoyed that they
had to download and unfold messages to learn the basic info that should have
been provided in the subject line.
(2)And since those interested in the actual topic within the message, those
who might well have had good assist to offer, they might well often bypass
messages without accurate or specific subject lines.
(When one's subscribed groups can offer up thousands of unread threads, one
gets selective on which threads to read...)
Also, when asking for a substitute that does the same thing as
"this-and-this" obscure program, tell us what the hell "this-and-this"
program does. People here don't have time to go off and research
"this-and-this" to find out what it does to then look for a substitute.
Besides, if you tell us what it is you are trying to accomplish we can
sometimes think of creative work arounds you haven't considered before.
Yours is a generous perspective. <rant> Myself, I get abruptly disgusted
when seeing a post naming a shareware program, then giving its URL, then
saying, "get me a freeware equivalent," all with no description of the
functionality.
As if freeware aficionados are supposed to go follow shareware links
and download shareware in order to help someone who is too lazy to type
out a brief description of what they are after. [!!]
My non-generous perspective, some of these times, is that such a user,
who clicked an advertisement on the web for a shareware, and who is too
lazy to write out a few sentences, this is precisely the type of user
who should just up and purchase the shareware that they saw, paying for
the hand-holding they need. After all, it takes someone with a wee bit
of native energy and curiosity to fully enjoy freeware.
There are occasions even when a message comes out looking just out-and-
out suspicious. As if it is just a sneaky way of shareware promo. Eg
"Where can I find a program so great as SomeShareware? Everyone, go visit
http://somesharewareURL.com/demo"
</rant>
Now, I have to say it is yours that is the better way of talking about the
problem. First, it is key advice for posters who honestly want their query
dealt with in a helpful well.
Better, secondly, because: Even for cases where the OP is indeed hopeless
(or too, even if they are indeed of ill intent & attempting shareware
promo)... it nevertheless holds that followups which wrench out the kinds
of functionality being brought up, from posters who then turn the discussion
to actual freeware usage, this makes for contributions which have the result
of benefiting the rest of us who read.
