How to Post a Thread

[admin]

Yes, there is a right way, a wrong way, and a better way to post threads on the forum. I'll do my best to explain the better way to create new topics here.

1 - From the main page click on the forum category where you'd like to create a thread. here you will a list of threads in this forum, and a "Post New Thread" button at the top left of the list.

2 - Click the "Post New Thread" button and you will be directed to a page where you can create your new thread, this is where it gets tricky...



3 - Make sure your title is INFORMATIVE and DESCRIPTIVE. Not so good titles are ones like, "I have a question", or "more than scrap value" for example. Better titles would be, "how do you xxxx", "where do i xxxx" or "xxxx is worth more than scrap"

Say you want to learn how to take apart an electric motor. Your title might be, "how do I take this apart?", which is fine, but a BETTER title would be, "how to take apart an electric motor".

There's a couple reasons for this. First, members like to know what they're reading, and also scan the forum threads looking for a particular discussion or topics to read or post in.

Secondly, SEARCH. The more accurate and descriptive your thread titles, the easier the threads are to find when you search the forum.

If you have a question, and all your thread title says is, "newbie quick question", even if it's a good question and it gets answered, someone else who might have the same question will use the search function to find an answer here. If your threads aren't accurate and descriptive, your thread might not show up in the results.

We may actually go back through old posts and do this manually for this reason alone.

3 - The body of your post is pretty straight forward, do the best you can to be accurate and informative, no special skills required here. If possible try to include images/video in your post if it will help. Everyone likes discussions with images, there's a sticky thread here by a member with a video on how to do this. There's also a sticky on how to post videos.

4 - TAGS TAGS TAGS. Tags help a ton when it comes to making threads easy to find on the forum. When you're posting a new thread, take a second to add a couple tags to the "Tags:" field at the bottom of the create thread page. For example, computer, monitor, air conditioner, fridge, copper value, f250 weight, car trailer ... etc.

5 - Click submit and let the discussion begin.

That's all there is to it! Take the extra second or two to make your threads the 'better' way and everyone will get more value from it.

[mmerlinn]

This thread does not address one problem with posting new threads.

Example, I have tried starting new threads. After I have submitted the new thread I get a message that a moderator must approve it first but without giving a time frame. No reason given so no way to know if I did anything wrong. Then I wait WEEKS or MONTHS and the NEW thread is STILL not posted and I STILL have no reason as to why or what is happening.

So this thread should also state exactly HOW new threads will be processed and WHEN.

So far I have had no problem REPLYING to threads, so it makes me wonder what is going on.