From: "Michael Polesky MPA" Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 13:34:09 -0700 Subject: ADMINISTRATIVE: THE ART OF SUBJECT HEADERS - This whole == business
Hi All,
As we continue to grow and grow we occasionally come across the question of what to do with subject headers. As long as they are reasonably worded, there is no real limitation on what kinds of things you can use to help your messages sort more easily. The fact is that no one single method seems easily adaptable to fit our rather eclectic needs. We should, however, pay attention to what kinds of subject headings are best for the "multi-purpose" use of Harp-L. I can make a few suggestions to remember and help us all out. First and foremost is to remind everyone that one of our greatest assets is our database of archived posts - located at: http://www.garply.com/harp-l/archives/index.html . Since things go to the archives it is probably a good idea to try to use a "searchable" subject heading from time to time. So, if you are talking about overblows the word "overblow" should be somewhere in the subject heading - preferably towards the start. In the end, it is best to make your subject headings as simple and to the point as possible with the most important words showing up first. We can use a number of methods to try to help and sort various subjects, replies, etc., but we should also be aware of what effect this may have on our database.
Some folks have suggested we use specific headings for specific topics. It is particularly difficult to do this with a group this large and a subject that often swings from elements of gear to tone and technique etc. So, using a beginner subject heading like "gear: . . ." will be of little use to the subject heading and less use to the archives over time. What happens is that these messages will rarely show up under any search parameters other than "gear" when the information may be pertinent only to "SM58" or "Twin Reverb". Thus, you should decide how specific your topic is and what are the best "searchable" terms to present first. If you need to add something specific to the subject do it at the end, rather than the beginning, of the subject header. So, if you are posting about Kim Wilson playing into an SM58 mic through a Twin Reverb you need to decide whether the microphone, the amplifier or the player is the main subject of the post ;-). If it is about microphone choices you might say "SM58 played through Twin Reverb by Kim Wilson" as opposed to "Kim Wilson uses Twin Reverb with his SM58".
Another thing that happens is that subjects change and receive the addition of "was: xyz" at the end of a new subject heading. This is a particularly good way of letting everyone know of a subject change, but it is important to put the NEW subject heading first and desirable to dump the "was" portion of the subject after a while if the thread continues. All said and done there is an art to getting the right subject heading with the best results for both current and future readers whether at the time of the post or later in the archives. Not all messages need to "searchable" as well. Some things like itinerary changes, shared humor, etc. are not as important to the database as a thread on a certain technique, instrument, player or piece of equipment. So, if your post is something that doesn’t need to show up in the database you can also use a heading that won’t confuse it in the search function with more salient posts ;-). Symbols like +, =, etc. probably muck up the search parameters and are sometimes good for those types of posts!
The important thing is to maintain the flow of information without restraints on topics concerning the harmonica and to maintain the integrity of our database for future users. The two together are not an easy task and the best we can do is "live and learn". We need to keep the subject headings fairly "open" so folks can use them to address the wide variety of issues we cover without limitation, but we need to use "sense" as well. I hope this didn’t confuse you al too much!!
