What Makes a Good Post?

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

What Makes a Good Post?

What makes a good post? By that I mean what is it about a post which makes you want to read it?

I’m not talking here about topic. We all have preferred interests along with topics we avoid. I’m asking about things like writing style and appearance, words and layout, links and pictures - the look and feel and readability of a post. What (apart from the topic) makes a post interesting?

Are there also posting styles which tend to turn you off after the first few words or posts you automatically avoid based on appearance?

What makes a good post?

OB

(it’s probably unnecessary but I’ll say it anyway. This thread is not about criticising individual posters.)

Sabertooth · Mar 25, 2022

Occams Barber said:
What makes a good post?

Redwood.

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

Sabertooth said:
Redwood.

Touche

After a few years spent stringing fences I should have seen that coming.

OB

jacks · Mar 25, 2022

A post that isn't too long. Brevity is the soul of wit.

d taylor · Mar 25, 2022

-

One that can get the message across, with the simplest and most accurate words, expressing the posters thoughts. Simplicity is always king.

dzheremi · Mar 25, 2022

jacks said:
A post that isn't too long. Brevity is the soul of wit.

This.

jacks · Mar 25, 2022

dzheremi said:
This.

Very witty!

Sketcher · Mar 25, 2022

A solid beam of wood, a hole 6 inches or deeper, and preferably a little concrete in the hole around it to help keep it up. The rest is aesthetics.

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

jacks said:
A post that isn't too long. Brevity is the soul of wit.

If "Brevity is the soul of wit" why is it that "Small things amuse small minds"?

OB

Bradskii · Mar 25, 2022

One that doesn't make corny puns from the op (but I'm guilty as charged in some cases).

I like ones that prompt me to do some research. It's one of the big benefits for me of being on a forum. There's a wide range of topics and I'm expert in none of them. A post about the concept of a 'just war' (obviously re Russia) ellicited a quick personal opinion in response from me a few days ago but I then spent a couple of hours reading about the subject. And just this past week or so I've spent a lot of time reading about mRNA technology, oil leases, pipeline construction, the original inhabitants of Mexico, Cherokee Indians, the rate of gender dysphoria in the US, Ukraine and the Mongol Empire and plenty more as well.

Then again, they do say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

But as to the format of a post, I prefer ones that make a point or a claim, in reasonably concise English, in relatively short paragraphs, with a brief argument to back it up. With a link (and perhaps quote) from some webpage or paper or report that backs up the argument.

What I dislike are huge blocks of word salad text, multiple quotes from scripture to back up a secular argument and a scattergun approach where multiple arguments are made in one single post. I like to think that the discussion (or argument if you will) is being done face to face in a bar. So I try not to say anything that I wouldn't say personally and I don't expect the other guy to run through a dozen points without me being able to interupt and deal with them one by one.

mama2one · Mar 25, 2022

agree with @jacks

rarely ever read long posts

if a topic interests me, I'll go to it
do look at married & parenting posts

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

mama2one said:
agree with @jacks

rarely ever read long posts

if a topic interests me, I'll go to it
do look at married & parenting posts

I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'long'. From my point of view long can be dead boring or very interesting - it all depends on the topic and the author's style of argument.

'Long' can also be made digestible if the sentences and paragraphs are kept concise. I've seen sentences in excess of 100 words (yes - I actually counted them).There is also a common CF poster habit of the 'wall of text' (all text without white space to break it up). Many posters underestimate the value of white (blank) space in improving readability.

OB

mama2one · Mar 25, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'long'.

for example, didn't read post above mine
way TOO long

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

Bradskii said:
One that doesn't make corny puns from the op (but I'm guilty as charged in some cases).

I like ones that prompt me to do some research. It's one of the big benefits for me of being on a forum. There's a wide range of topics and I'm expert in none of them. A post about the concept of a 'just war' (obviously re Russia) ellicited a quick personal opinion in response from me a few days ago but I then spent a couple of hours reading about the subject. And just this past week or so I've spent a lot of time reading about mRNA technology, oil leases, pipeline construction, the original inhabitants of Mexico, Cherokee Indians, the rate of gender dysphoria in the US, Ukraine and the Mongol Empire and plenty more as well.

Then again, they do say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

But as to the format of a post, I prefer ones that make a point or a claim, in reasonably concise English, in relatively short paragraphs, with a brief argument to back it up. With a link (and perhaps quote) from some webpage or paper or report that backs up the argument.

What I dislike are huge blocks of word salad text, multiple quotes from scripture to back up a secular argument and a scattergun approach where multiple arguments are made in one single post. I like to think that the discussion (or argument if you will) is being done face to face in a bar. So I try not to say anything that I wouldn't say personally and I don't expect the other guy to run through a dozen points without me being able to interupt and deal with them one by one.

I have similar likes and dislikes particularly when it comes to researching a topic. I think we've both had the experience of checking out somebody's supporting link only to find it says the opposite of what they thought it did. I also get annoyed when someone produces some apparently incontrovertible contentious 'facts' without bothering to provide backup.

I also get irritated by bad spelling and crappy grammar. I recently joined Spelers Anominous in an attempt to cure my addiction to SpelCheking.

OB

Bradskii · Mar 25, 2022

mama2one said:
for example, didn't read post above mine
way TOO long

I do have fibromyalgia fog & a short attention span

I'll precis.
Likes: Research (I now know what fibromyalgia is), concise posts, links.
Dislike: Lotsa text, multiple arguments.

Sabertooth · Mar 25, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I also get irritated by bad spelling and crappy grammar. I recently joined Spelers Anominous in an attempt to cure my addiction to SpelCheking.

(It looks like it is working already... )

Bradskii · Mar 25, 2022

Occams Barber said:
I also get irritated by bad spelling and crappy grammar.

Oh, don't get me started...

And I hate it if I've spent quite some time on a post, digging up facts and figures, quoting experts, posting links, making what I think is a decent argument, and the response comes back as a two word post:

'You're wrong'.

Or to really wind me up:

'your wrong'.

mama2one · Mar 25, 2022

my "opinion" is never wrong

aren't most posts here people's opinions?

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

mama2one said:
for example, didn't read post above mine
way TOO long

I used to top some of my longer posts with a little tl:dr summary. Perhaps I should start doing it again since 'brief' appears to be the main criteria for a good post.

OB

Occams Barber · Mar 25, 2022

mama2one said:
my "opinion" is never wrong

aren't most posts here people's opinions?

I notice often that certain posters are not familiar with 'modifiers' - those little words like 'maybe', 'perhaps', 'possibly', 'sometimes' which suggest that there is a possibility (however remote) that they could be wrong.

Christianity is notoriously black and white (and never wrong) in its opinions.

OB

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