What makes a thread last and what doesn't?


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Grand Lodge

I'm serious. Has anyone considered why? I notice a lot of things seem to touch at our hearts (why I love my life) target sacred cows (paladin hate) or challenge us (last one to post wins.) What do you think it is?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Flamebait works pretty well. There are a few users who always seem to get long posts due to this.

Anything dealing with morality.

Monks.


Sometimes threads are just too funny to let die. Others should never have been started. Internet life is odd that way.


I started First one to post wins... That did not last nearly as long as Last one to post wins. :(

Seriously though, it works like auction prices. There needs to be at least two who have an interest to keep a thread alive.


See you need enough heat so that people are constantly responding to one another. In other words it should either be a very controversial or very popular topic. Of the two, though, controversial provides the heat you need.

You can't let it get TOO hot though, cuz then it gets locked.

It's a delicate balance.

Also Monks suck.

Grand Lodge

Give me a reason why. :)


Luck and chance, really. Hail Discord.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

If I like a thread, I'll just keep bashing at it until the mods shut it down.

I don't care if I'm just talking to myself.

In fact, sometimes I prefer talking to myself...

[Eyes Meatrace meaningfully]


5 people marked this as a favorite.

I'd say that what keeps threads alive is the emotional response of the poster. Anything that causes some kind of strong reaction, be it laughter at a very funny topic or anger at a very complicated issue, will tend to produce long-lasting topics.

Then there is also that thing about people on the Internet having the need to correct other people on the Internet. It's like the joke about how to get help on an online game:

Situation A: Player Asks for Information
Player 1 "How do I get to Darnassus?"
<Chat silent. Player 1 never gets his information>

Situation B: Player Purposedly Makes a Mistake
Player 1 "So Darnassus is in that snowy area with the dwarfs, no?"
Player 2 "lolyousostupd. Darnassus is in Teldrassil"
Player 3 "f-ing noob, you take the boat to Teldrassil"
Player 4 "god you're retarded. Everybody knows Darnassus is in Teldrassil"
Player 5 "no you're retarded. All the guy did was ask where Darnassus was. Player 1, just go to Teldrassil"
Player 2 "lolwhiteknight kkthxbai"
Player 5 "Shut it, a-hole. I'm just trying to help"
Player 6 "Yeah, he's just helping. I hate this chat"
Player 7 "you buy gold, cheap cheap. Visit we at www.thisisnotascam.rob"
<Players continue to murder each other verbally while Player 1 gets his information>

meatrace wrote:

Also Monks suck.

Floating skulls are OP. Worst design ever. Why no love for ribcages?


I think it's a retarded opinion that monks suck. Anyone having such an opinion is most certainly a bad person.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Klaus van der Kroft wrote:
Player 7 "you buy gold, cheap cheap. Visit we at www.thisisnotascam.rob"

Thank you, Klaus van der Kroft. That was the biggest laugh I've had all week.


Persistence.

Liberty's Edge

So if I have multiple aliases...


Sissyl wrote:
I think it's a retarded opinion that monks suck. Anyone having such an opinion is most certainly a bad person.

Good thing it wasn't an opinion, but a factual assertion based on peer-reviewed empirical evidence.

Burgomaster of Troll Town wrote:
[Eyes Meatrace meaningfully]

what is this I don't even


Me posting in a thread seems to increase the chance that thread will die by perhaps 100%, maybe even 200%. I'm not sure why.


Never post in any threads that I start.

Liberty's Edge

Good to hear.


posts

Liberty's Edge

Ha ha.


Me posting also seems to work that way.

/Sissyl, aka Atropos, cutter of threads


A thread only truly dies if I post in it.

RPG Superstar 2012

Well, there goes this thread...

Liberty's Edge

Come on, this can work out! How's everyone's day been?

Sovereign Court

2 people marked this as a favorite.
The Threadkiller wrote:
A thread only truly dies if I post in it.

i disagree...that's what taig is for.


taig wrote:
Well, there goes this thread...

Dum, Dum, Dum...


I am worried that I may end threads... I have noticed that threads seem to die if I post in them.

Liberty's Edge

Come on, we can do it!


lordzack wrote:
Me posting in a thread seems to increase the chance that thread will die by perhaps 100%, maybe even 200%. I'm not sure why.

In all seriousness, it does happen to me now and then. A thread is going full steam, with many frequent posts, then I post in it, and suddenly, the thread goes quiet for a long time.

It's probably a coincidence, of course, but sometimes, some paranoid part of me thinks: Did I just crash the party and ruin it for everyone?

Or is my post just so awesome that people have to stop and admire it? Heh.


Pfft.

Ending a thread is an art, and a beautiful one if you can do it right.

For example.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Me.

Liberty's Edge

As in, you keep a thread going (come on we're at full steam!)

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Well, I tend to pour gasoline over fire, with sometimes hilarious results. :)

RPG Superstar 2012

6 people marked this as a favorite.

Gorbacz is the Michael Bay of the Paizo boards.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

MICHAEL BAY!!!!

EXPLOSIONS!!!!!!


HUZZAH!


Some years ago, there was a "Stupid action movie trailer" competition on another board... Every entry credited Jerry Bruckheimer. Today, I have a feeling it wouldn't have...


Probably says something that I don't know who that is without Google. Though after looking him up, I've seen most of his stuff.

Silver Crusade

Aaron Bitman wrote:
lordzack wrote:
Me posting in a thread seems to increase the chance that thread will die by perhaps 100%, maybe even 200%. I'm not sure why.

In all seriousness, it does happen to me now and then. A thread is going full steam, with many frequent posts, then I post in it, and suddenly, the thread goes quiet for a long time.

It's probably a coincidence, of course, but sometimes, some paranoid part of me thinks: Did I just crash the party and ruin it for everyone?

Or is my post just so awesome that people have to stop and admire it? Heh.

Maybe your post is just so awesome that nothing else can possibly be said on the topic.


That is what I always assume when I kill threads.

Liberty's Edge

I think you might have.


Again, if you want a thread to last, you need persistence.

Grand Lodge

Agreed. It's me guys :)

The Exchange

I kinda just want to post here to say that I did.

RPG Superstar 2012

4 people marked this as a favorite.

String theory brings all the dingos to the thread.


Lure a poodle or a Fawtler into the thread and it'll live forever!

Liberty's Edge

And of course my wit and charm inevitably helps.

Grand Lodge

OBVIOUSLY!

The Exchange

Bring on the Naked dancing Goblins...


I think an inability to admit you're wrong can drag a thread out for pages. There are a number of folks who do that, and it's fun to nudge them along.


A highly regarded expert wrote:
I think an inability to admit you're wrong can drag a thread out for pages. There are a number of folks who do that, and it's fun to nudge them along.

Never admit defeat!

Vive le Galt!

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