Hi folks, with all the recent new members we thought it would be a good time for a refresher on best practices for keeping threads organized:
If you’ve got a topic that you think will spark a discussion on something that doesn’t fit in with the Daily Briefing from @matt, by all means start that new thread with a catchy title and some original thoughts of your own.
However, if you have an article or a rant or a question that is tangential or related to the Daily Briefing at all, please consider keeping it in that day’s post. A big chunk of the things we talk about each day will fit into the Daily Briefing, or one of the Curated Threads, but there are definitely times when it’s best to start a new thread.
Something can also be “Off Topic,” too – if it’s not about the Trump administration, it’s going to be an Off Topic…topic. Think of this as something approximating a Notable: it is an interesting thing that but not directly addressing drumpf or members of his shitshow circus. Like the latest mass shooting or what sweater you picked out for your dog today; things along those lines.
If you are unsure which option is best, make a judgement call and we mods will help keep it organized by combining (or splitting) threads as necessary.
Some pointers on keeping the longer threads “wieldy” as it were:
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Quote or tag someone in your reply so it’s clear what point you are addressing. Examples on these:
Just highlight with your mouse (or your finger if you’re on a tablet/phone) and click on that “quote” button that automatically pops up. -
To “@” someone and tag them, type the @ and immediately (no space in between) their username. If you don’t know how to spell their username just type the first letter and you’ll see that a list of options pops up for you to click on.
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Quoting and tagging individuals is super helpful because 1. it’s clear what your reply is referring to; and 2. you can make a longer reply (instead of a bunch of shorter ones) addressing multiple people and multiple discussion points.
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You can also fix typos or add to your post by editing it instead of typing up a whole separate reply:
Just click on that pencil and you can make any changes you like. -
Bonus pro tip: CITE YOUR SOURCES
This forum is a place to share opinions, yes. But a big part of our discussions include sharing information and any claim we make based on something we have heard or read must be backed up with an active link to the source. Obviously it’s easy to provide a link to an article you’re reading online. If it’s an oral resource, like a podcast, post a link to that episode. If you hear it from Rachel Maddow on TV, she has a blog where she provides her sourcing you can visit.
As always, if you have questions, send us private messages or @ us (individually by username or collectively @moderators) in a public post. Thanks for joining and contributing to the community!
