"Bait and Switch" and "Social Experiment" thread titles

[nursel56]

Over the past few days I've noticed several more threads than usual mentioning less than direct and honest New Thread topics.

1. The OP will use provocative language in a title, and long about 4 pages into the general mayhem (OK I exaggerate) disclose that they did that purposefully to "get people to read my thread", "grab your attention" (and it worked! see! you're reading this, aren't you?)

This is extremely irritating to me, just as it is when a supermarket tabloid does the same thing. True, I'm reading your thread now, but anything beyond that is not going to get a heartwarming response.

2. A few occasions when a user name is intentionally chosen to stir up strife. About 9 pages into the general mayhem, the author lets on as to how "I/we just wanted to try an experiment and see what happens".

We're not your personal human behavior laboratory, and personally, I don't like to be manipulated. Please respect your fellow nurses/students/others enough to let us decide if we are interested in your issue presented in a respectful, professional way.

Thanks.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Nursel56, I just love the posters that get way over-the-top offended and huffy.

Looooove it when they announce that they are going to END their Allnurses membership NEVER to post again!!! I sit here and think, REALLY? Does that mean you intend to take your fabulousness and leave us all here with nothing

:rotfl:

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

When a post goes unanswered, there are generally good reasons.

No one has the answer.

No one wants to answer.

There are a couple thousand posts all over the place on the topic and we are tired of it.

Or to answer would probably get one booted by TOS violation.

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

. Noyesno- I don't include you in this at all - you apologized and said you went a little too far with it. :) Being able to do that is what we're about here I hope! I'm amazed that so few people get upset with some of the not-well-thought out stuff I post!

Thanks for the clarification. I appreciated it.

I totally thought you were directing this at me. In your OP you said, "1. The OP will use provocative language in a title, and long about 4 pages into the general mayhem (OK I exaggerate) disclose that they did that purposefully to "get people to read my thread", "grab your attention" (and it worked! see! you're reading this, aren't you?) :D" and I misread the 4 pages part.

You meant the OP was 4 pages long not that 4 pages into the thread, the OP reveals it was an attention getter. By miss reading this part, I thought it was me because 4 pages in the B.O.A.T.I. thread, I posted a follow up post saying, "My thread title is irritating people. Part of the reason I choose it was as an attention getter so people would read the thread. I am sorry. I went over board."

When I read your thread, I was thinking, "yikes, I'll never live this one down."

Back to the topic of your thread, social experiments via allnurses is completely uncalled for. Experimenting without consent is a total "no-no." What can you expect from the trolls though. Trolls will be trolls. I like it when people say hey, "this might be a troll" because many times I follow along and don't realize it myself.

I personally like the more descriptive thread titles and gravitate to those types. I always try and come up with something interesting myself I start a thread so people will read it. I also try and make my OP's interesting and easy to read. Baiting and switching, however, is not nice. Thumbs down to that.

[nursel56]

Thanks noyesno (love that username btw) :) I try to give what appear to be trolls the benefit of the doubt at first, because it's possible that their outlandish stories are true, and I wouldn't want to attack a person who was telling the truth. This happened once when someone posted a question about her boyfriend being uncomfortable with her "seeing naked men" that ended with a ridicule party with several people calling both the OP and her boyfriend morons.

Since many times I am on here at 3 or 4 am Pacific, I see the trolls wanting to link to (usually) online pharmacies like little elves busily posting their stuff. They usually post a quasi-legitimate question -- a true example recently was "does being obese affect your sex life?" It seemed a little off to me - but people tried to answer honestly, and the person responded with a link to their online pharmacy. They can get very tricky in their approaches.

I didn't mention anyone specifically - because I didn't want to seem to be targeting any individual, but there are several recent examples- but yours was not one I was thinking of.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

I am pretty selective about what I read on here due to time constraints. But the part that cracks me up is when someone asks a question and I have to go "what?" That cannot actually be a nurse that is asking that question.