# Modest proposal for thread title changes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 6, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529 "2008-11-06T21:27:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529/1 "2008-11-06T21:27:28Z")

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I’d like to propose that when a thread title is changed, the post in which the mod notes the change also contain the old text. This would in many cases make it easier to understand posts that appear prior to the title change.

For example, in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=491556) post #2 would be more comprehensible if in post #5 CKDH had said “Title changed from ‘Prostate Cancer Vaccine V. Prostate Screening’.”

Unless there’s some reason why this is a problem, I suggest it become standard policy.

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529/2 "2008-11-06T21:46:46Z")

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I’m not sure it’s needed in that thread, because posts 1 and 2 discuss the thread title, and make it pretty clear what the original title must have been.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529/3 "2008-11-06T22:58:00Z")

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> [@Giles](#):
>
> posts 1 and 2 discuss the thread title, and make it pretty clear what the original title must have been.

True. But there are others in which the original title is obscure, along with the posts that pertain to it. Since the cost of including it in the “change” post is small, I think this should be policy.

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**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modest-proposal-for-thread-title-changes/471529/4 "2008-11-06T23:18:11Z")

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> [@Xema](#):
>
> I’d like to propose that when a thread title is changed, the post in which the mod notes the change also contain the old text. This would in many cases make it easier to understand posts that appear prior to the title change.
> 
> For example, in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=491556) post #2 would be more comprehensible if in post #5 CKDH had said “Title changed from ‘Prostate Cancer Vaccine V. Prostate Screening’.”
> 
> Unless there’s some reason why this is a problem, I suggest it become standard policy.

I thought this thread would be about eating babies.

☹ Now I feel like a horrible person.