Forum matter: Please begin your subject line with the category.

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I'm going to weigh in on this matter of there being too many threads to read.

I suggest that each of us begin the subject line of the thread he starts with its category (either the Yourdon-specified type or one the poster believes is more accurate).

You will note that the subject line of this post begins with "Forum matter:". I have categorized it as a "misc" thread.

I love reading the many threads, such as Old Git's, with tips from magazines and personal experience regarding life without modern conveniences. The subject line of such threads could begin with "Y2K prep:" or "Survivalist issue:", for example.

If everyone would categorize his post at the beginning of his subject line, I see three benefits:

1) The reader could easily find to read first those regarding the subjects of greatest interest to him.

2) The discipline to categorize one's post would encourage self-editing. If you don't know what category your post is relevant to, maybe it would be better left unsaid.

3) The categories are not about the forum participants. The categories are instead about the real world out there. If you are thinking about posting about an individual rather than an event, please don't.

-- GA Russell (garussell@russellga.com), May 05, 1999

Answers

Gadzooks, GA, you're talkin' to somebody whose tax file really IS a shoebox stuffed with coffee-stained bits of receipts and illegible notes to myself. Actually, it's a bootbox.

Since I quit working in an actual office (where they asked me to keep the door closed to prevent clutter from spilling into the hallway), I brought all those chaotic habits to my home office. I run with scissors, don't play well with others, and every day risk putting an eye out at least once. And there's a sign here that says, "A neat desk is a sign of a sick mind." (Plus the ever-popular, "To err is human, to really foul things up requires a computer. . .")

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 06, 1999.


Sounds like an excellent idea. One suggestion: Old Git should have her own category, as she is a class unto herself.

Suggestions for title:

Good Gouge (navy term for under-the-counter info)

Practical Living: self sufficiency gardening (speaks for itself)

Useful Info for Living Through Difficult Times (a good disguise)

Priceless gems of wisdom (OG, I know you're modest, but I call'em as I see' em).

If you like, maybe:

Garden wealth: your own back yard food supply.

Spindoc'

-- spindoctor (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), May 06, 1999.


Not that anyone will actually follow the above suggestion...to the top

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), May 08, 1999.

Including a header catagory works best for those who receive the forum postings via email. Those who do not, will probably not see a reason to go to the effort of adding those extra letters. It does help though and it would be kind for everyone to do so.

When email is downloaded after particular threads have been archived, it would be a big help to know where to look if you wished to post a response to any of them. IMHO it would also facilitate a lesser number of threads if the responder would know where to find the appropriate existing thread.

For many reasons, I would again suggest that readers of this forum use this email option, for the benefit of all. The email reader I use permits routing incoming posts to a y2k directory. It permits global searching for all occasions of a word or phrase within that directory. It marks read and unread messages. It locks to save messages you do not wish to delete. It can compress each thread of one or more posts into a single header for an easily read listing. All links mentioned in these posts are automatically formatted so that clicking on them brings up the browser and connects to the site. No need to html format any link in the forum input screen.

Over the months I have edited and saved approximately 2000 posts on all the subjects that interest me. It is an extremely worthwhile database with duplicate and extraneous posts excluded. It contains hundreds of links which are automatically formatted to use along with all the text of expert suggestions and information written on the subjects that interest me.

Email reception would also reduce the demand on the forum web site. There is only so bandwidth to go around and many times it is too congested to use and everyone has to wait.

With the email option, if you do want to respond to a particular post, simply click on the link to the forum that is included at the bottom of each email message.

Try it. You'll like it.

Me.

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), May 08, 1999.


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