# new thread titles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 20, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468 "2001-06-20T14:12:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/1 "2001-06-20T14:12:06Z")

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When I’m posting a new thread, the title always ends up as the subject of my OP. Since this isn’t how all threads start, how do I prevent that from happening?

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/2 "2001-06-20T14:14:15Z")

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Preview: that’s the key, ain’t it?

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**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/3 "2001-06-20T15:21:53Z")

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Ehm, I don’t get it.

— G. Raven

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/4 "2001-06-20T15:30:24Z")

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I previewed the OP before I submitted it this time. That’s why this doesn’t make much sense.

(Is that some kind of talent, using preview to cause problems that wouldn’t be there otherwise? Maybe I’ve discovered a new superpower!)

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/5 "2001-06-20T16:43:36Z")

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I’m not sure if I’m even answering the question, but I’ll give it a go.

When you start a new thread, the “title bar” is called “subject”. It applies to the name of the thread as it will appear on top of the page, and on the forum overview page. This field is mandatory, meaning that a new thread won’t post without a title of some sort.

When you reply to an existing thread, a somewhat comparable, yet different bar appears. It’s called “Post subject”, and applied only to your post within that thread. Moreover, this field is optional. Leaving it blank doesn’t matter.

To my knowledge, the preview feature doesn’t have an effect on either.

Is this somewhere along the lines of what you were thinking about?

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/6 "2001-06-20T17:32:28Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Coldfire \*  
> \*\*I’m not sure if I’m even answering the question, but I’ll give it a go.
> 
> When you start a new thread, the “title bar” is called “subject”. It applies to the name of the thread as it will appear on top of the page, and on the forum overview page. This field is mandatory, meaning that a new thread won’t post without a title of some sort.
> 
> When you reply to an existing thread, a somewhat comparable, yet different bar appears. It’s called “Post subject”, and applied only to your post within that thread. Moreover, this field is optional. Leaving it blank doesn’t matter.
> 
> To my knowledge, the preview feature doesn’t have an effect on either.
> 
> Is this somewhere along the lines of what you were thinking about? \*\*

Yeah, kinda. The problem I was having was that the thread title was always showing up in my post as the subject. I previewed the OP for this thread, and it didn’t happen.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thread-titles/69468/7 "2001-06-20T17:37:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> To my knowledge, the preview feature doesn’t have an effect on either.

Unless, of course, you use “quotation marks”.