Who keeps changing thread titles?

[Wookie]

Like this one [h=3] Which Turks and Caicos Liveaboard?[/h]
It's very confusing, as I read "New Posts", and this is not a new post, but has had it's name changed. If you're going to change the title of a thread, then do it before it's posted, not after I've read it and decided not to comment on it.
[h=3][/h]

 

[Quero]

Me.

Here's the rationale:

Threads with titles that are poorly worded often lack good SEO (search engine optimization). Thread titles are important on SB because they become the URL of the thread, and search engines pick up key words in the URL. SB is optimized for search engines, so we aim for good, clear, concise thread titles.
​

Frank the only way to make sure the threads have good titles before they're posted and you see them listed in New Posts is to have every single thread moderated and approved before it's published, which of course is unworkable.

Most people don't even notice. It's a little change that makes virtually no difference to the readership, but can make a big difference to the effectiveness of web searches.

 

[JamesK]

Do you at least check with the OP?

 

[Wookie]

OP's can't change thread titles...

 

[Quero]

No, the OP isn't consulted on thread title changes. If we notice misspellings, vagueness, or confusing titles, we simply improve them.

In the case of this particular thread, the original title didn't even fit in the New Posts list, so it was impossible to even guess what it was about before reading it. It looked like this:
Needing Advice / Recommendations on these Optional

And when you opened the thread you could see the rest of the title, which was:
Liveaboards Please...Links include

This title really needed editing for clarity, so I changed it to:
Which Turks and Caicos Liveaboard?
It's better for the OP in terms of getting good replies; it's better for SB in terms of SEO, and it's better for readers since they know what it's about without opening it up.

 

[JamesK]

Why??

 

[Wookie]

Last edited by Quero; Today at 01:28 PM. Reason: It's midnight, I'm drained, and I could have been more patient and nicer. Sorry, Frank.

Don't be silly, Marcia. It's all good. Yes, some thread titles are terrible. It does, however, make them stand out.....

 

[HowardE]

Why??

Because mods fix about 20-50 misspellings a day. If moderators PM'ed everyone, every time they spelled something wrong (in a thread title), nothing would get done.

Not to mention, some people might be upset that we fixed their spelling, which someone could interpret as "I must be a dumbass for not being able to spell well," and then we'd have more upset people than now.

This practice has been going on for YEARS, and apparently it's hardly noticed

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Don't be silly, Marcia. It's all good. Yes, some thread titles are terrible. It does, however, make them stand out.....​

Yes... but at the same time (just for clarity for everyone involved here - not just answering Captain Frank) - poorly titled threads don't do well for Google's concern, and considering that 75% of our daily traffic is from Google Searches, we owe it to the rest of the world to have relevant thread titles (when applicable and appropriate)

 

[smorneau]

Why don't we just post and then the "Advisors" aka (Scuba Police) can add whatever title they choose! An original post is just that, original. If I want someone to edit it to make it BETTER, I will consult with my first grade teacher and my mommy!

 

[chrpai]

Because mods fix about 20-50 misspellings a day.

Serious (legit) question: Why??