# What is the official policy WRT starting a thread with a link but no summary or descriptor? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 22, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572 "2015-01-22T14:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/1 "2015-01-22T14:45:36Z")
[Example.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072728&posted=1#post18072728) I really wish the official policy was that we would automatically close threads such as the one above. ETA: You’ll have to scroll up to the OP. I don’t know how I managed to make it go directly to my post. I wish I did. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/2 "2015-01-22T14:51:46Z")
The closest official policy is “don’t be a jerk.” The next closest is “please don’t do it.” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/3 "2015-01-22T15:11:30Z")
One official, speaking off the record, characterized the practice as “kinda lame.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/4 "2015-01-22T15:15:49Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > ETA: You’ll have to scroll up to the OP. I don’t know how I managed to make it go directly to my post. I wish I did. Here’s the link to the[first post.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18071665&postcount=1) To link to a specific post, click the post number (here #1) in the upper right, then copy and paste the address that appears in your browser. There is no official policy on such threads. Closure is generally at the discretion of the forum mods. Criteria may be stricter in some forums than others; for example, OPs in Great Debates that fail to provide the basis for a debate are likely to be closed. This is just my personal opinion, but posters should understand that such OPs are not very courteous to other posters. The point of most forums is discussion, and such OPs provide little basis for discussion. I for one am very disinclined to click on a link unless there is some explanation of what it is about or why I should be interested in it. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/5 "2015-01-22T15:17:37Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > ETA: You’ll have to scroll up to the OP. I don’t know how I managed to make it go directly to my post. I wish I did. You looked at this link and nothing jumped out at you as possibly being the cause? Really? [noparse][http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072728[/noparse]\*&posted=1#post18072728](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072728%5B/noparse%5D*&posted=1#post18072728)\* ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/6 "2015-01-22T15:34:49Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Here’s the link to the[first post.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18071665&postcount=1) To link to a specific post, click the post number (here #1) in the upper right, then copy and paste the address that appears in your browser. > > There is no official policy on such threads. Closure is generally at the discretion of the forum mods. Criteria may be stricter in some forums than others; for example, OPs in Great Debates that fail to provide the basis for a debate are likely to be closed. > > This is just my personal opinion, but posters should understand that such OPs are not very courteous to other posters. The point of most forums is discussion, and such OPs provide little basis for discussion. I for one am very disinclined to click on a link unless there is some explanation of what it is about or why I should be interested in it. Thank you for your input **Colibri** , but what your describing isn’t the same thing that I unwittingly did in my OP. My link went directly to my post but it’s still in the actual thread. Your way just provides a link to the post. To read the relevant thread you still have to click another link. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > You looked at this link and nothing jumped out at you as possibly being the cause? Really? > [noparse][http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072728[/noparse]\*&posted=1#post18072728](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072728%5B/noparse%5D*&posted=1#post18072728)\* I just copy and paste, I never pay attention to the content. Does anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/7 "2015-01-22T15:41:35Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I just copy and paste, I never pay attention to the content. Does anybody? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/8 "2015-01-22T15:45:13Z")
That’s… oddly ironic, given the topic of _this_ thread… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/9 "2015-01-22T15:47:14Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > My link went directly to my post but it’s still in the actual thread. Your way just provides a link to the post. To read the relevant thread you still have to click another link. Just copy and post the address that appears when you click on the thread and you’ll get the whole thread starting with the OP: > **[Apparently Republican women do not want to be kept barefoot and pregnant.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746988)** > > \*\*This will be in the pit very quickly, so I’ll start it here. 🙂 > [@](#): > > I just copy and paste, I never pay attention to the content. Does anybody? People who want to make sure their posts are clear do.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/10 "2015-01-22T15:52:29Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Just copy and post the address that appears when you click on the thread and you’ll get the whole thread starting with the OP: > > [Apparently Republican women do not want to be kept barefoot and pregnant. - The BBQ Pit - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746988) I think we’re misscommunicating here. Yes, I know how to do that. What I don’t know is how to link to a specific post while still being in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/11 "2015-01-22T16:02:16Z")
If you click on the post number next to the Report Post triangle, it will take you to the single post and a link to the thread. If you grab the URL from the single post page and use that, anyone who clicks your link will see the single post with the link to the thread it came from. If you click that link yourself and use the URL resulting from that, you’ll link to the entire thread with the focus on the post you clicked the post number of. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/12 "2015-01-22T16:12:53Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > If you click on the post number next to the Report Post triangle, it will take you to the single post and a link to the thread. If you grab the URL from the single post page and use that, anyone who clicks your link will see the single post with the link to the thread it came from. If you click that link yourself and use the URL resulting from that, you’ll link to the entire thread with the focus on the post you clicked the post number of. Ah, thanks. ---
**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:** [January 22, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/13 "2015-01-22T16:44:18Z")
As to how your link ended up that way this time, you probably replied to the thread, then copied and pasted the URL. When you finish a reply, the board automatically sends you to your brand-new post in the thread, not just to the start of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/14 "2015-01-22T17:04:38Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > If you click on the post number next to the Report Post triangle, it will take you to the single post and a link to the thread. If you grab the URL from the single post page and use that, anyone who clicks your link will see the single post with the link to the thread it came from. If you click that link yourself and use the URL resulting from that, you’ll link to the entire thread with the focus on the post you clicked the post number of. damnit - I learned something today. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/15 "2015-01-22T19:42:19Z")
Well, getting back to the OP, I think that sort of drive-by linking should be banned. We require titles be specific, no? \*“Use descriptive titles when you start a thread”. \* ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/16 "2015-01-22T21:11:07Z")
While closing such threads makes sense in other forums, for the Pit, I prefer to leave it open so people can call the OP names. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/17 "2015-01-22T21:17:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > While closing such threads makes sense in other forums, for the Pit, I prefer to leave it open so people can call the OP names. :smack: Fair dinkum. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/18 "2015-01-22T23:17:12Z")
We are not happy with such OPs in Great Debates, but often, by the time a Mod sees such a thread, so many posters have jumped in to voice an opinion that we leave it open rather than cutting off an ongoing discussion… We have closed such threads. We have also instructed some posters who have made a practice of such OPs to dial it back. Since it is not an explicit rules violation, I am not aware of anyone receiving a Warning for such behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/19 "2015-01-23T08:32:00Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > ETA: You’ll have to scroll up to the OP. I don’t know how I managed to make it go directly to my post. I wish I did. Several odd-ball answers have been given so far, with awkward ways to do this (a few of which actually work as described), but the straight-forward way hasn’t been mentioned yet. Let me be the first! (1) While viewing the entire thread, click on the post number (as mentioned above). This gets you a view of the single post on a screen by itself, as you correctly observed. (2) Note that this view shows the thread title on the top line of this screen. (3) Click on that. This gives you the full thread, pre-positioned to the post in question. (4) You can copy the URL for this if you want use it later, for example if you want to insert it into another post. (ETA: Alternatively, back at Step 3, you can right-click on the thread title instead of left-clicking, and choose “Copy link location” to put the link into your clipboard directly.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-official-policy-wrt-starting-a-thread-with-a-link-but-no-summary-or-descriptor/710572/20 "2015-01-23T08:56:39Z")
Okay, upon re-reading this thread a bit more carefully, I see that **Inner Stickler** did say that, in [Post #11 above](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18072976#post18072976). (Although maybe not quite clearly enough for my poor brain to parse at this hour.)