Why do people write their headlines ...

I wish the titles wouldn’t be IN CAPITAL LETTERS, as some posters head them up.

Why? Do they think that makes us more likely to read them?

Allira

Your initial point - that I found it irritating

You may think it's irritating but you can't control what other posters write. Just skip past.

This
Why is it such a big deal how GNetters title a thread anyway? 🤔🙄

sassenach512

'Much ado about nothing' methinks 😏

Exactly
If you don’t like what people choose as their thread titles - don’t read on.

I remember phoenix’s thread titles were often a tease because they could be deliberately misleading but we always knew who was writing them. 😂

'Much ado about nothing' methinks 😏

That doesn't stop this method of writing titles being manipulative. Some will mind that, some won't care, and some indecisive just as always

I don’t see anything manipulative at all. These are not headlines, these are thread titles and if they catch our attention so much the better.
The forum should give the first clue as to what a thread is about - and while I am at it it is incredibly irritating how many people confuse threads with posts, but that’s bye the bye.
There have been moans in the past about too short titles eg AIBU under AIBU. Sometimes a title is 3 lines long and practically an essay in itself too.
If nobody chooses to read further tat is the fault of the OP.
Ideally you would hope a thread title gives an indication of what it’s about, whether or not a question is being asked or help/guidance sought, whether it is just an account of an amusing episode or (not infrequently) a bit of a vent.
This is a discussion site, the contributors are not journalists but ordinary people and anybody who doesn’t like it is perfectly free to do the other thing.

😁

There are no rules against clickbait though. People can write titles in any way they see fit. I suppose it is also true that people can write threads complaining about titles

If it's deceptive and entices someone to buy a newspaper or magazine but we're not paying and posters ignore or not.

It's only social media! Is it that important?

It’s clickbait, pure and simple. I used to do it but stopped and now always give a thread title ‘full disclosure’. Less irritating that way I now think.

That doesn't stop this method of writing titles being manipulative.

That may be your opinion, fair enough.

However, an alternative opinion might be that trying to control the way other posters write is manipulative and a way of trying to control threads?

There may be other opinions, because opinions do vary.

Me neither.

Oreo

Why do you find it manipulative?

I think it might be because it makes them look at the whole post instead of deciding they’re not interested just by reading the title.

If something that trivial really makes them feel manipulated I don’t know what to suggest.

Why do you find it manipulative?

Oreo

The only thread title on Active that I can’t tell what it’s about is this one.
How ironic.

We've done all that Oreo. How many times would you like me to apologise for not making what I meant, clear?

That doesn't stop this method of writing titles being manipulative. Some will mind that, some won't care, and some indecisive just as always.

Your initial point - that I found it irritating

You may think it's irritating but you can't control what other posters write. Just skip past.

The one about the huge tomato caught me out 🍅 because I thought it was going to be about fibs

But it also made me smile.

The only thread title on Active that I can’t tell what it’s about is this one.
How ironic.

I do think of them as post titles rather than headlines ...

Yes, me too.

The one about the huge tomato caught me out 🍅 because I thought it was going to be about fibs, but live and let live, I think. If that's how someone wants to write or to catch the eye of others and it's not against guidelines, why should complain?

Thank you to all who start threads, it keeps Gransnet going.

petra

PoliticsNerd

... as if they are MSM copy editors? Why not just say what you want to talk about?

Looking at the first 10 posts on N&P yours is the only one that doesn’t give a clue as to the subject 🤷‍♀️

That was deliberate Petra; an example of what I was talking about. However I do appreciate I shouldn't expect people to understand what I mean if I don't explain it clearly.

Casdon, not really. I just like to know the subject before I click onto it. I find this way of doing things rather manipulate/controlling.

I think some people deliberately write the headline to provoke disagreement PoliticsNerd, is that what you’re getting at? I don’t think that can be stopped though, it’s just like the different style of newspaper headlines, eg Freddie Starr ate my hamster! - Daily Star style. We probably all lean favourably towards headlines which echo our own politics?

PoliticsNerd

... as if they are MSM copy editors? Why not just say what you want to talk about?

Looking at the first 10 posts on N&P yours is the only one that doesn’t give a clue as to the subject 🤷‍♀️

I think they should be simple thread titles Maizie, that's part of my point.

It's the ones that start with a titillating phrase but the actual subject isn't mentioned until body of the OP. Why? Why not tell us what it's about in the title?

That said, it may well not bother anyone else and I seem to have made such a muddle that it's outstripped my initial point - that I found it irritating.

I've been up since 5 o'clock so maybe it's time for bed!

Why is it News and Politics how people write their thread titles?
Or do you mean just in those categories only?

I do think of them as post titles rather than headlines...

None of these are particularly obscure, but there have been really uninformative ones from time to time...

Or ones that are not only uninformative but the OP consists of one sentence about a news item that they clearly expect everyone has heard of...