Request: Please remember to add the episode title when starting a thread

[drew2k]

Hey all ...

Just a simple request: If you start a thread, please remember to add the episode title to your thread title.

Since most of us have TiVo, it's really easy to find the title - just hit INFO while playing or if you already deleted the show, go to your To Do List history.

It's always helpful to see the episode title, especially when some threads from previous weeks linger around for awhile (ex: Heroes and Lost).

Thanks!

[jradosh]

For some shows (American Idol, Amazing Race, Survivor for example) the title isn't as important as the Original Air Date.

[drew2k]

True, but that shouldn't invalidate the request. Not to mention that AI doesn't even have episode titles. Survivor does though. :)

[MikeMar]

All I care about is the date, so as long as that's in there

[drew2k]

Everyone cares about something different. It's nature. :p

From the Forum Rules: (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=3471424&highlight=air+date+title+subject+line#post3471424)
Official Episode Threads:
When starting a discussion about a specific show episode, please put the air date and name of the program (and title if you know it) in the subject line. (ie: Lost, “Man of Science, Man of Faith,” 11/16.)


The question is how willing is someone to look for a title ... :p

[zordude]

I put it if I know it, but often when I make threads I'm in the office and not making the effort to hunt down a title for a show that no really seems interested in (or else I wouldnt be making the thread days later :) )and just put the show title and date. I do this as it meets the letter of the rules.

If as a community there is enough protest then we should change the rules.

Z

[zordude]

Everyone cares about something different. It's nature. :p

From the Forum Rules: (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=3471424&highlight=air+date+title+subject+line#post3471424)


The question is how willing is someone to look for a title ... :p

I read that as "optional", since I pretty much never look at show titles.

Z

[newsposter]

how about making dates double mandatory :) Recently one thread started with no date and as i never look at titles, i wasnt sure to click on it or not.

i 2nd the office thing....heck takes days for a 7th heaven thread to start and i dont know the names.

[JLucPicard]

The thread titles that I don't really like are the ones that simply list the season and episode number (i.e. S3E21). Those titles, to me, are useless. An air date and a name if the starter chooses to add it are great.

[Jonathan_S]

I still tend to use the throw everything in format

<show name> <air date> <season/episode> <episode title>
Scrubs 5/10/2007 (S06E20) "My Conventional Wisdom"

It takes a moment to look up the info, but epguide.com makes it pretty painless.
At this point its pretty much habit. (But I think I started due to a request to make things easier for the old script that generated the data for the 'Index to Now Playing - TV Show Talk threads' thread)

[heySkippy]

The only time titles really helped me was with HBO shows like Rome or Deadwood. The OAD for them is useless.

I know I'm a slacker with shows like Survivor (I started this week's thread with no title) but I'll try to include that in the future.

[dswallow]

For those that're in a rush to be the first to start the thread, remember that you do have a short amount of time after creating the thread where you can edit the title and it'll propagate to the actual title without help of a moderator. So you could create your thread real quick then spend a minute looking up the proper info and change the title to a more complete one such as what Jonathan_S referenced. :)

[marksman]

I think the episode title could potentially be a spoiler in some cases...

I am not sure it makes sense for it ever to be in the thread title.

[drew2k]

Someone in this thread already pointed out that certain shows, like series on HBO and Showtime, air first-run episodes multiple times throughout the week, so the "air date" in the tread title is meaningless and the episode title is almost a necessity. So again ... what some people find "optional", others think is "required".

[IndyJones1023]

[2¢]

For reality shows it's not as important, I think. But for serialized shows (Stargate, Smallville, The Office, etc), I think show title is more important than air date.

[/2¢]

[newsposter]

so the "air date" in the tread title is meaningless

isnt that why some folks type in OAD? I thought that's what that meant

why else would someone out OAD on a show like American idol, which never repeats at all

[IndyJones1023]

"OAD" isn't even necessary. I think we all know what "5/11/2007" means in a thread title about a show.

[TriBruin]

[2¢]

For reality shows it's not as important, I think. But for serialized shows (Stargate, Smallville, The Office, etc), I think show title is more important than air date.

[/2¢]

Don't discount the air date. I hardly ever pay attention to the episode name. Without the date, I don't know if the thread is for an older episode or the latest (which I might not have watched.)

[IndyJones1023]

Don't discount the air date. I hardly ever pay attention to the episode name. Without the date, I don't know if the thread is for an older episode or the latest (which I might not have watched.)
I understand the way you're looking at it, but if I were to see "Smallville - 5/11/2007" or "Smallville - Noir" I would know which episode Noir was before when it aired. To me, the name means more than the date.

[Anubys]

I don't understand why there's even a debate...if you start a thread, it's just makes sense to put the show's name, original air date, and title...you want people to find your thread, so why not make it easy for them to search for it?

the rush to be first has to be tempered with the responsibility to do it right...

[IndyJones1023]

With fast fingers comes great responsibility.

[dswallow]

With fast fingers comes great responsibility.
You should send that to Ann to be added to the posting rules for the Now Playing section. :)

[Bierboy]

All I care about is the date, so as long as that's in thereMe, too. I never check the ep name in the thread title....all I care about is the date. That's how I know which one to check. That being said, I ALWAYS put the ep name in when I start a thread here. I smell a POLL! :D

[zordude]

I don't understand why there's even a debate...if you start a thread, it's just makes sense to put the show's name, original air date, and title...you want people to find your thread, so why not make it easy for them to search for it?


I think there's a debate because different things matter to different people. I'm the opposite of Indy, titles mean nothing to me. The show name, and the date is all the matters. I never know the titles of the episodes.

The crux of the debate is that people are following the forum rules (no title explicitly required) and others consider it vital information and are trying to claim that people are not taking the "responsibility to do it right".

I say that if it's "required" make it required in the rules, not just by peer pressure.

Z

[Anubys]

if different people look for different things, then it makes sense for the thread owner to do it both ways...after all, the idea is to talk with as many people about something you enjoy or are interested in...

forget responsibility...it's just the logical thing to do!

[Bierboy]

...it's just the logical thing to do!Maybe to you, but not to everybody. As I mentioned, I NEVER look at the ep title - only the date. But when I post I ALWAYS put the title in. I really don't perceive it as "logical" at all; as others have mentioned, it's merely preference. Logic has nothing to do with it.

[Anubys]

Maybe to you, but not to everybody. As I mentioned, I NEVER look at the ep title - only the date. But when I post I ALWAYS put the title in. I really don't perceive it as "logical" at all; as others have mentioned, it's merely preference. Logic has nothing to do with it.

you're not reading what I'm saying and just arguing...

I'm assuming when someone starts a thread that this is a topic that interests them...I'm also assuming that they want to talk about it with the people on this forum...these are assumptions that should be safe enough to make, don't you agree?

if so, then the logical thing to do is to post a thread title that works for everyone...those who look only for titles should find it...those who look only for dates should also find it...those who look for the combination of date & title should also find it...

logic would therefore dictate that you should create a thread title that EVERYONE, regardless of their search preference, can easily find...

[IndyJones1023]

You people are way better with dates than I am! I never know what the date it.

[drew2k]

you're not reading what I'm saying and just arguing...

I'm assuming when someone starts a thread that this is a topic that interests them...I'm also assuming that they want to talk about it with the people on this forum...these are assumptions that should be safe enough to make, don't you agree?

if so, then the logical thing to do is to post a thread title that works for everyone...those who look only for titles should find it...those who look only for dates should also find it...those who look for the combination of date & title should also find it...

logic would therefore dictate that you should create a thread title that EVERYONE, regardless of their search preference, can easily find...This post essentially sums up my thoughts on thread titles. :up:

[heySkippy]

You people are way better with dates than I am! I never know what the date it.
I've heard there are methods using modern computers where you can actually get the computer to tell you the date!

[Anubys]

You people are way better with dates than I am! I never know what the date it.

maybe if you could type better, you could GET a date :D :D :D

[IndyJones1023]

I also use movie titles instead of release dates.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest tells me more than Pirates of the Caribbean - 7/7/2006.


:D

[Jonathan_S]

I understand the way you're looking at it, but if I were to see "Smallville - 5/11/2007" or "Smallville - Noir" I would know which episode Noir was before when it aired. To me, the name means more than the date.
One time the date can be useful is when someone bumps up a thread about an older episode. Like this thread: Stargate SG-1 04/13/2007 "The Quest" (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=348169) which got bumped with follow up info a couple days ago.

You might not remember the episode title after a month (or longer; I've seen some episode threads get bumped up over a year later, after the new poster has seen the rerun or dvd) but at least you know it's about a old episode and you didn't miss something.

[drew2k]

I don't think anyone is advocating dropping dates from the thread subject, rather, thread subjects should be as detailed as possible to provide "something for everyone." You like dates? You got 'em. You like episode titles? You got 'em. Episode titles don't matter to you? Fine. And having it doesn't prevent you from finding the thread, either. Everyone wins. :)