# What makes a good thread? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064 "2002-12-02T22:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/1 "2002-12-02T22:54:53Z")
What is the essence of a really good thread which recieves a large amount of posts, comments and useful input which a persons viewpoint or ignorance can be changed or ridiculed? I know there are a lot of people here who are talented in making these great threads and have really good active imaginations.Can you give me advice on how to achieve this as well. I want your opnions and input. Thanx, Ryan ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/2 "2002-12-02T23:34:14Z")
Oh sure. I tell you … you tell your friends … before you know it there’s nothing but interesting threads with hundreds of replies. No thanks, Bucko. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/3 "2002-12-03T01:07:31Z")
If I knew that, I’d be writing them myself. I have noticed, however, that if you want a lot of replies, sex usually does the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/4 "2002-12-03T01:18:46Z")
My most popular thread was the [Deliberate mistake](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=145616) thread; I think that’s because it allows a lot of dopers to chime in with minor variations on a theme. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/5 "2002-12-03T01:19:19Z")
I imagine appealing to what is popular would do the trick, which is slightly echoing featherlou. Also, I’m very sure many of the people on here know each other personally, and when they see a thread posted by a friend, naturally they’d respond. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/6 "2002-12-03T02:04:26Z")
Off the top of my head: GQ - A question that stimulates many minds to spring forth, and often enough, a question for which the answer takes some dedicated zeal on the part of the TM to answer (like, why do shoe polish cans sometimes have holes in their lids?). GD and the PIT - I’ll leave it to denizens thereof to supply an answer. For both MPSIMS and IMHO - threads that encourage dopers to talk about themselves, tell stories or, as **Shade** noted, “allow(s) a lot of dopers to chime in with minor variations on a theme.” ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/7 "2002-12-03T03:32:20Z")
I was thinking a cotton polyester blend myself … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/8 "2002-12-03T04:02:40Z")
My absence. _Ha ha ha ha ha_!!! ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/9 "2002-12-03T04:09:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > **I know there are a lot of people here who are talented in making these great threads and have really good active imaginations.** And you might take note that very few of them start eight threads in one day. I’m just sayin’ is all. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/10 "2002-12-03T17:15:55Z")
Yeah whats the problem with that? Just saying thats all :wally ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/11 "2002-12-05T16:16:53Z")
If you can get one mentioned in the Straight Dope paper (With Cecil) or on the main SD page, then it’ll be quite successful. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/12 "2002-12-05T19:33:43Z")
What’s more important to you, a thread with lots of replies to a subject you care nothing about or a thread with a few insightful replies to a subject you care deeply about? Dog shit might be free but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna hoard the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/13 "2002-12-05T19:51:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*What’s more important to you, a thread with lots of replies to a subject you care nothing about or a thread with a few insightful replies to a subject you care deeply about? > > Dog shit might be free but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna hoard the stuff. \*\* I was gonna say the same thing. Not looking to troll, I hope, Ryan… ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-thread/140064/14 "2002-12-05T21:45:15Z")
Hey,no, but have you ever had that time where you have great ideas for threads but can’t type them down? I’m beginning to have that predicament. And when I have started a thread…I like it to be as fully explained as possible, I guess i’m a perfectionist.