🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark Miller wrote:
> 
> Look i just want to tell people about my site , if you dont want to go dont
> , but it isnt going to hurt you to go , so please do ..... It is a really a
> good site i just havent advertised it much .... the site is
> 
> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2473/index.html


I am constantly seeing posts where I want to reply just to tell the
reader to make his subject lines more descriptive, but this is the first
time I've done it.  Maybe I'll create a generic "Make your subject lines
more self-descriptive" email, possibly with a link to a page full of
tips on posting to the web, then just send it out every time I see the
subject line "Read this" or "Quake stuff" (in the Quake newsgroup).

I think if you've designed a site, and you're asking people to hit it,
you've got to really ask yourself, "When they hit it, are they doing
*me* a favor, or are they getting something out of it?"  If it's just
for *you*, then I can understand the double "please" and the sad face.

On the other hand, if you really feel they'll get something out of it...
(This is the tough part about designing a web page.  To really produce a
web page that's a solid source of info takes a lot of work.)  Anyway, if
you really feel they'll get something out of it, I would suggest two
things:

(1) Put some details in your message.  
This would be great: "I've tested over 250 deathmatch levels, all with
castle themes, and ranked the top 20 on my site.  All reviews have at
least one screenshot and are linked to the downloadable."  
Or even this: "I've listed my 10 favorite MODs, with a brief summary of
each.  I've got the Zeusbot, the Handicap patch, etc., along with the
original author's text file and links to the downloadables."  
Notice the theme here is that you've actually got something you think
people will be interested in, but still...  
If it's all you've got, why not just put, "My page has a few screenshots
from Quake that I think are cool, plus a few demos of my friends and I
playing deathmatch on DM2?"  Be honest and descriptive.

(2) The same way the message accurately tells people what to expect from
your page, the subject line should accurately tell people what to expect
from your message.  For the three examples above, how about subject
lines of "New page: reviews of the top 20 castle deathmatch levels" and
"New page: reviews of Zeusbot, Handicap MODs, etc." and "New page: Quake
screenshots plus demos."

When you describe accurately enough, it seems like you risk losing a lot
of potential readers, but I guarantee the people who read the message,
and visit the page, will be happier for it.  So, it comes back down to:
Are you posting this for yourself, or do you think you've done something
that might be of interest to others?