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Thread: A guide to writing subject lines for threads

  1. #1
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    Exclamation A guide to writing subject lines for threads

    If you’re asking a question, put a question mark at the end of it.

    A full stop isn’t a question mark.

    Don’t put a full stop at the end of a subject line. Remember that you’re writing a headline, not a sentence.

    Don’t put ellipses at the end. This isn’t fucking Facebook.

    Don’t put spaces between a punctuation mark and the last letter of the preceding word.

    Don’t use multiple exclamation marks or question marks. Multiple marks don’t make a sentence more of an exclamation or more of a question.

    Only use initial capital letters for the first word and proper nouns. Newspaper headlines use sentence case. You can too. I don’t know who teaches using initial capitals for headlines. Perhaps the same drongo who promotes the use of two spaces after a full stop.

    Don’t use words like “today” or “tomorrow”. If the subject line needs a date for clarity, put one in. Today will be yesterday tomorrow.

    Don’t use fully-capitalised words. Shouting on the Internet and all that good practice stuff.

    A short headline is a great headline. Write your novel in the message section.
    "Standing on your mother's corpse you told me that you'd wait forever." [Bryan Adams: Summer of 69]

  2. #2
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    whats a ellipse

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimO View Post
    whats a ellipse
    A magical internet invention...
    Quote Originally Posted by Paul in NZ View Post
    Ha...Thats true but life is full horrible choices sometimes Merv. Then sometimes just plain stuff happens... and then some more stuff happens.....




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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hitcher View Post
    ................................
    Don’t put ellipses at the end. .
    Don’t use multiple exclamation marks or question marks.
    ............................ the use of two spaces after a full stop.
    I will do as I please Mr Hitcher, Sir; you are NOT my mother.

    • Ellipses please me (either fore or aft)
    • I delight in multiples of exclamation and question marks ... (note ellipse ) they are shorthand for "You can't be SERIOUS?" or "WTF?" and, as such, are both delightful and invaluable.
    • Two spaces after a full stop was routinely taught when manual typewriters were in vogue - I am perturbed you don't recall that era ... I thought you were older than God, let alone manual typewriters? (Note I have restricted myself to a single question mark. To signal "You can't be SERIOUS?" or "WTF?" when discussing your advancing years would be both cruel and unmannerly )


    In other words I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! Please say you missed me
    ... ...

    Grass wedges its way between the closest blocks of marble and it brings them down. This power of feeble life which can creep in anywhere is greater than that of the mighty behind their cannons....... - Honore de Balzac

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    Quote Originally Posted by JimO View Post
    whats a ellipse
    That's when the sun goes between the Earth and the Moon.
    Do you realise how many holes there could be if people would just take the time to take the dirt out of them?

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    This is like being back at fucking school.

    Some people are only alive because it is illegal to shoot them.

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    Who do you think you are .... Hitcher .. ???






    Oh wait ...
    When life throws you a curve ... Lean into it ...

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    lolwut?? .

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    Quote Originally Posted by JimO View Post
    whats a ellipse
    Its like... e-mail, or e-commerce. or e-card! or e-con???? but softer to the touch and wetterrer
    I didn't think!!! I experimented!!!

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    I presume you all realise that, should you fail to comply with Mr. Hitcher's decrees, then the very fabric of the universe will be torn asunder. (It's tempting to stick an ellipsis in there innit?)
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hitcher View Post
    If you’re asking a question, put a question mark at the end of it. Why.

    A full stop isn’t a question mark. Isn't it...

    Don’t put a full stop at the end of a subject line. Remember that you’re writing a headline, not a sentence. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to use a ';' here & not a '.'

    Don’t put ellipses at the end. This isn’t fucking Facebook. How would you know? are you well versed in KB's sexual adventures?

    Don’t put spaces between a punctuation mark and the last letter of the preceding word. Yea I can agree with this one

    Don’t use multiple exclamation marks or question marks. Multiple marks don’t make a sentence more of an exclamation or more of a question. Well they shouldn't make them a question at all really, should they!!!

    Only use initial capital letters for the first word and proper nouns. Newspaper headlines use sentence case. You can too. I don’t know who teaches using initial capitals for headlines. Perhaps the same drongo who promotes the use of two spaces after a full stop. I'm Pretty Sure You Seem To Be Obsessed With Using '.' When You Should Be Using ';'

    Don’t use words like “today” or “tomorrow”. If the subject line needs a date for clarity, put one in. Today will be yesterday tomorrow. Yea another I can agree with

    Don’t use fully-capitalised words. Shouting on the Internet and all that good practice stuff. YEA, MUST SAY ALL CAPS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD & IS USUALLY IGNORED ANYWAYS DEFEATING IT'S ORIGINAL OBJECTIVE

    A short headline is a great headline. Write your novel in the message section. True dat!!!

    Yep, think that about covers it
    Science Is But An Organized System Of Ignorance
    "Pornography: The thing with billions of views that nobody watches" - WhiteManBehindADesk

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    Quote Originally Posted by JimO View Post
    whats a ellipse
    An Australian super models privates.
    Manopausal.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JimO View Post
    whats a ellipse
    a grammatical anomaly.

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    Bring back the interrobang!?
    If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?



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