Subject Line Editing in Comms

[court1429]

Title
Subject Line Editing in Comms

Short, concise description of the idea
Allow maintainers to edit a subject line in a community post.

Full description of the ideaAs new maintainers of our search comm, we've implemented a firm "specific subject line must be added" rule which everyone cooperates with. Older posts weren't held to this standard and so

Comments

[brilliant_blue]

I didn't know about the previous suggestions but I like the general idea, sometimes when I need to find information in the archives, it takes so long because there are too many entries having irrelevant titles or without even a subject so I have to check them all -_-

If people don't want maintainers to be able to edit the subjects or add a summary, could we at least discuss the option of compulsory subjects ?

For example, you want to post an entry on a community having this option, if you don't write a subject title, when clicking on the posting button you'll get an error message, something like :
"this community requires a descriptive subject, please give a title to your entry"

Of course some people could still write stupid/undescriptive sujbects but not all of them and at least we wouldn't have all those "(no suject)" in the archives anymore.

[fiddlingfrog]

I'm just a little unclear on how searching by entry subjectline is more efficient than searching by tags.

[andy]

Subject lines, if present, are generally more informative, and you can use month view to get a digest of what was posted in a while.

[charliemc]

Quite true!

[brilliant_blue]

There are lots of communities that have un-efficient tagging systems or too many entries for few tags.

I often use the archives to find old informations that would have been announced at a certain period, for example, announcement of the schedule of an old tour 4 years ago, sales results from 3 years ago and so on... usually I know approximately my search period so it's faster to view subjects made in this 1-3 month period than to check back all entries having the "annoucement" tag ^_^'

[charliemc]

For example, you want to post an entry on a community having this option, if you don't write a subject title, when clicking on the posting button you'll get an error message, something like :
"this community requires a descriptive subject, please give a title to your entry"

Wow, I would really (really, really) like that.

No matter how many times you tell members what you expect in the subject line to make it easier to search on, they just don't get it... (sigh)

[court1429]

We current maintainers are absolutely firm in our enforcement of our comm's only real rule and if a poster doesn't add a specific subject line, we ask them to do so and if they don't within 24 hours, we delete the post

[azurelunatic]

Another (unrelated) thing you might find helpful: if you look at suggestions' own style, you'll see a Google site search box in the sidebar. I put it in during my time as maintainer, and it made an incredible difference for me being able to find things fast, when I knew something was present.

[court1429]

Your Google box is a really good idea. How did you embed it in your Sidebar? And you'll have to tell me in really small words!

[azurelunatic]

I used the custom text sidebar module. I don't know if your community's style offers it or not. If it does, you should be able to see it at http://www.livejournal.com/customize/options.bml?authas=getithere&group=linkslist

I can't remember where exactly I found the code for the Google search box, nor exactly what it was, and since I stepped down I don't have access to go check directly anymore. But maybe someone else will be able to help point you in the right direction.

[court1429]

Thanks. Finding the Google code was a snap. Trying to determine whether or not Flexible Squares will allow it is not so clear! ;)

Nope, the Links code space doesn't accommodate that much code. But at least I've learned something, so thanks for that.

[charliemc]

That sounds really helpful!

Ditto on wanting to know how this is done, pretty please...