What gives some DU posts legs?

[RiverStone]

It has happened to all of us, we post something really relevant, important, cool, interesting, or exciting (so we think) --- only to have it drift off into DU oblivion within a few minutes.

I've posted here long enough to never take those happenings personally; then again, maybe it really was not that interesting after all.

I wonder if the same journalistic rules regarding "what makes a good headline" apply in the blogosphere? One can get a number of DU kicks, but not many hits - or no kicks, but TONS of hits (say something to really piss people off) for example.

So fine DUers --- a question: What qualities do you think gives a DU post legs (call it staying power)?


p.s. If no one reads this, nevermind... :hi:




on EDIT: that's blogosphere "with an o"

[MazeRat7]

1. Outrage. -nt

[valerief]

2. It's not what you know. It's who you know. I think it's the poster's rep that

gets the props.

(Gosh, how dated am I?)

[Scurrilous]

3. Tasers. n/t

[Enrique]

4. Two words

Circuit City.

[SoCalDem]

10. "I shopped at Walmart today "

:evilgrin:

[SoCalDem]

5. Fried chicken, cornflakes, Olive Garden, Oscar, Kudzu, Breastfeeding, Smoking

etc etc:hi:

[displacedtexan]

13. You forgot circumcision

That topic usually gets 500 replies or more.

And cats. Especially cute ones doing cute things.

Which leads me to the conclusion: an emotional flash response to an original post
generates the most replies.

[Zywiec]

40. Don't forget weight issues

One side calling people lazy, the other side saying it's genetic or medical...

[SacredCow]

6. Sounds like a good statistics project.....

going way back in the archives and seeing what categories get lots of responses. And what percentage of them turn into flame wars.

[Bluzmann57]

7. conspiracy theories

Those always seem to take off.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. I've often wondered the same thing

I have no answer.

[hisownpetard]

29. Me, too. I've posted things that I thought were terrific and/or hilarious, only to get 2 or 3

responses and then - nada. And then there'll be a post like, "Do you think
Reagan really put mayo on his roast beef?" and it'll turn into a flame war.

Go figger! I've come to the conclusion that either I'm not as interesting as I think I am,
or other people are just more interesting than I think they are. Either way, it's not good.

[RiverStone]

31. It was mustard dammit!

How many times must we debate the Reagan roast beef question!!!!

:hi:

Interesting post - thanks hisownpetard :)

[hisownpetard]

35. OH - it was MUSTARD?!! Well, then, now it all makes perfect sense!

Thanks for the valuable input.

I'd wave, but I don' know how to do thos emoticons. So - take my word for it - I'm
sitting here at my computer, waving. With my right hand. Short little waves, with my
arm held close to my chest, so no one can see.

[LSK]

9. insanity?

:shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

11. Posts can't have legs, unless they are artificially attached!

:P

[againes654]

12. A great subject line

and controversy. I haven't been posting here long, so I have only posted 2 threads that I started. The first, in the 9/11 forum. A question as to why we couldn't all get along and not fight about what did or didn't happen on 9/11. What happened, an argument (that is what I call it) about what did or didn't happen on 9/11. Go figure.
The second thread, about my support for the troops. A thread that I thought was well thought out and would get much attention. Well it did make it to the greatest page, but fell off shortly there after. I think it was my subject line that didn't get much attention.

Those are just my thoughts

[SoCalDem]

15. welcome !..but a word to the wise 911 in a subject line willl get that thread

dumped into the 911 dungeon.right next door to the gungeon:):hi:

Israel & 911 are two taboo words :)

[againes654]

20. Thank you

I am glad to be here. Yes, I have learned to stay away from the 9/11 topics. :pals:

[shaniqua6392]

24. Hillary. If you ask a question about her......

POOF!!!! :nuke:

[The Vinyl Ripper]

14. Conflict ...

Which to a big extent seems to be between libertarian leftists and authoritarian leftists.

[Cetacea]

26. Yes, Conflict in general. eom.

[ieoeja]

41. Conflict, disagreement, etc. If everyone agrees with what the OP says, why reply? n/t

[Klukie]

16. well..

1. the author
2. controversial topics
3. time of day
4. breaking topics
5. mood of forum members
6. shock value

[Flabbergasted]

17. Any topic that is easy to reply to. Threads requiring knowledge or thought often meet a quick

demise.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Start Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1833324

[LeftHander]

19. Evolution....of course....nt

[BuyingThyme]

21. 1. Cheerleading. 2. Iconoclasting. 3. Hillary.

[DavidDvorkin]

22. Posts asking why some posts have legs

Seem to have legs!

[RiverStone]

32. ya mean?

Even more legs than this?

[DavidDvorkin]

34. Oh, it's already outdone that

[DeepModem Mom]

23. Subject line; chance to vent (chance to praise, not so good); time of day; Senator Clinton...

in my experience.

[L. Coyote]

25. The title has to "hook" my interest first. Just saying "this is a must read" is a

certain "ignore" in my book. I need to know what it is about. There are too many threads to even see what something like that is about.

[hyphenate]

27. I've had lots of posts at both ends of the spectrum

and all I can say is you never know how something is going to go--something I post on a whim might keep going for ages, while a carefully worded essay might sink like the proverbial ton of bricks.

I CAN say, however, that the title of the post is significant. If it's an attention grabber, it will inspire more people to read it, thus increasing the likelihood of a longer posting life.

[TwilightGardener]

28. Keywords: Al Gore, boobs, WalMart, Hillary, circumcision, rape, impeachment, Kucinich,

Sheehan, Mystery Plane and the ever-popular " So I was talking with my Republican neighbor".

[bigtree]

30. any reference to 'Hillary'

[lebkuchen]

33. Daily Kos rescues threads

Lots of time/energy goes into posting over there...lots of great information. Who can read them all? It's good somebody on that site doesn't let the "this is worth a second look" posts get away.

[Mountainman]

36. If half of us see it this way and half of us see it that way it will last a long time.

[RiverStone]

38. So do you see it this way or that way?

Just curious Mountainman...


peace~ :hi:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

37. Passion. Clarity. Urgency. Relevance.

The ability to think and express yourself in the English Language so others can understand the logic of what you are saying.

Teh use uf a good spel cheker helps the process, to.

[Cetacea]

39. Dismissing other DUers as wackos in the subject line

Of course there are really good reasons why some threads have legs, but the one I am referring to is current and comes to my mind first and foremost.