This title thing here - what is it for?

[BusinessTrills]

Is it for writing a few words to let people know what your thread is about, so that they can decide whether they want to click on it or not? So that they can think "I am interested in discussing that", or "I have experience of that" or "I have useful advice to offer"?

That's what I thought, but it doesn't seem to be used in that way.

Please can you explain what you think it is for?

It is for tantalising and enticing, like "AIBU to believe that Trills is a complete and utter..."

I thought it was a place in which to merely hint at the ghost of an idea. Sort of like this...

'Does anybody know whether....'

or

'Does this happen to anybody else'

or sometimes

'Grrrrr fuck aargh'

Didn't you get the memo where we all have to be as vague as possible?

See, if I'd posted this in AIBU and titled it "AIBU to wonder...?" I'd have 20 replies by now.

mutter mutter grumble grumble

When I was new to MN I thought it was meant to be an accurate whilst interesting summary heading of one's issue, question or problem.

Crazy days.

To ensure answers by being vague, example;

Title, AIBU to kick my child

Question, AIBU to kick my child's ball, during football?

Some people don't always want answers, though. (Not mine, anyway.)

I have a rule that I refuse to click on any title that ends in "...." because they make me stabby.

I also don't click anything that says (long, sorry) as I don't care that much to be arsed to read it.

I may well be a bit of an arse actually :o

What if the thread title is "What is the word for these three dots..." :o

:o

You what now?

Pinot, you must be ignoring an awful lot of threads like wot I am atm .

Thread titles are key. Have an interesting OP with a crap title and there's tumbleweed. Sometimes I deliberately click on the dullest thread title I can see in Active Convos - and it's usually a good one, tragically let down by the poor advertising. I'm crap at thread titles myself. There's an art to it.

I do like the "long, sorry" ones because they're usually quite short and pithy. The properly long ones come without a warning.

It's so you can drip-feed and annoy people like Pinot. Obviously.

Yes I always come to good threads tragically late because the title is so boring. I like a good ... myself, it intrigues me.

I love a good "untitled" thread though. They're mysterious and often offer some amusement.

Bibbity. You changed your name! Much better

What Maryz said.

it is for putting scary things in, like mortgages and panty liners, to stop people from masturbating while they use mumsnet

I don't mind the vague ones, but I do hate the

OMFG WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW FFS

And it is a thread about having put too much sugar in the tea.

I am partial to a nicely formed ...

... cliffhanger title.

I really like bibbity's easter name. I vote for that one please HQ.

[buhmm]

^ Love that - it's saying "WTF is that on my head?"

Also like "tragically let down by poor advertising