Please Help Me . . . Advice Needed . . . How to Title a Post

leslie :-D · Feb 21, 2011

oh, the drama.

*snort*

leslie:lol2:

Black Jade, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

I agree with Ruby. Also, try first to do a "search" on the topic you are asking about and if you can't find it, post your question. There are plenty of questions that are related and if you take the time to read the threads by clicking on the categories above you will find your answer.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

Lol, I will now often avoid those threads that say "please help." Please use a title of some sort.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 21, 2011

I clicked on this one, Ruby, because it was from you. I usually read your stuff.

For those others ... I usually drag my mouse down a little and see the little blurb that includes the first sentence of the OP. Then I decide whether or not to open it.

But I agree: it's frustrating to not have a clue about a thread until you open it.

RNTOBE_1970 · Feb 21, 2011

Just like including the subject line in an email...

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

Hey I just clicked on this one because I know Ruby would never entitle a post this way.

(I wanted to ask her how many beers she's had so far this afternoon, and if Samual Adams, could I have one too)

rkitty198, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2011

Oh Thank you for posting this!!!

I was reading a "help me" thread last night and I got so frustrated. I wanted to hit the "report" button, but for what? other than being annoyed it wasn't really reportable.

I am not going to read any thread that is titled with that anymore...

systoly · Feb 21, 2011

I believe the "help me" titles are based on the fact that people in this forum have a desire to help others and others recognize this. Ergo, if I entitle my post in this fashion, I'll get hits. As far as I'm concerned, this is true, I'll click on the link. What you don't get is a response.

B52-H · Feb 21, 2011

did the title get your attention?

there are at least five threads floating around right now entitled "plz help me" or "advice needed" or "help please". none of them has any clue in the title what they're about. i don't know about everyone else, but i'm getting tired of clicking on these desparate requests for help and finding the thread to be about immigration -- something i know nothing about -- how, where or when to get a job or whether or not someone should be a nurse in the first place.

please -- when thinking up a title for your post, make it something that at least hints at the contents.

thank you.

i admire your strength and courage to get through these threads each day. you're an inspiration to us all.

to waste precious seconds clicking on a mysterious thread must be exhausting, let alone the energy required to complain and hit the back button.

keep fighting the good fight for all of us.

llerkl, ADN · Feb 21, 2011

I can see it from differing angles..........some folks like answering/offering advice, sharing information and welcome the opportunity offered by these "HELP" posts. Others are more logistically intense....... preferring that posts are named clearly and concisely......so they can read them or NOT!

It depends on my sleep dep issues, unbalanced estrogen, and recent M & M consumption whether I am annoyed or not ;? Most of the time it is all good fun.:jester:

Fribblet · Feb 21, 2011

It's a valiant attempt, Ruby. But, you're assuming the same thing many people assume about the general public: that they can, and do, read.

If you don't have enough sense to title a thread in a way that succinctly sums up the fist of it, you're probably not going to read a this thread, understand the concept, and take its advice.