How do you search when you visit AW?

Cathy C · Feb 16, 2012

I've noticed that some threads in this room get a lot of reads and others not so much. It might be that nobody knows the answer, or the answer given by one or two seems adequate to answer it. But I'm also wondering if it's because of how people search when they come to AW each visit. I thought I'd put up a poll to see. How do YOU search for theads when you visit?

I'm hoping more OPs would be helped with questions they ask in the middle of the night (depending on where you live) if you regular peeps know to look for them based on how you search.

Thanks!

Cathy (the Mod who's always looking for ways to make the room better.

)

Ari Meermans · Feb 16, 2012

I checked "I immediately click on New Posts to see posts from all rooms." I find fascinating and thought-provoking posts all over the forum. But (yeah, I'm the caveat queen), if there's one single thing that will keep me from clicking on a thread, it's a timid or unclear title. I will hover my cursor over most of those. If they start with "Sorry if this is the wrong place" or anything that doesn't immediately get to the meat of their thread, I won't click on it.

AW is a healthy forum with ever-churning topics and I have to make choices just to keep up.

Maryn · Feb 16, 2012

Uh, all of the above? I subscribe to a few threads where I'd consider myself a regular, and to a few boards where I don't want to fall too far behind. If I still have time when I'm done perusing those, I'll do New Posts. (I try to view them at least once a day.)

Maryn, who has no life

Jess Haines · Feb 16, 2012

I usually come to AW for half an hour during my lunch break at the day job. I don't have enough time to seriously engage, but I try to read a number of different threads across the board so I can keep up with what's happening. If I can answer something quickly, I will.

Ari Meermans said:
I find fascinating and thought-provoking posts all over the forum. But (yeah, I'm the caveat queen), if there's one single thing that will keep me from clicking on a thread, it's a timid or unclear title. I will hover my cursor over most of those. If they start with "Sorry if this is the wrong place" or anything that doesn't immediately get to the meat of their thread, I won't click on it.

AW is a healthy forum with ever-churning topics and I have to make choices just to keep up.

Basically, this.

ladyleeona · Feb 16, 2012

It varies with my mood, but usually I visit only a few rooms. Namely AW Roundtable, romance and UF genre/SYW, QLH, and the help/experts needed subforum (whose name eludes me at the moment).

That said, I will visit any room, if the last post made (that shows up on the main page) intrigues me. And, like others have mentioned, I skip vague titles altogether.

Alison_Kale · Feb 16, 2012

As a newbie, I usually check New Posts so I can get a feel for everything, but I concentrate on the rooms I'm interested in, and spend a lot of time actually using the search option for really particular topics. Then I end up on old threads, which I usually really want to comment on, but resist when I realize they haven't been updated since 2009.

Snowstorm · Feb 16, 2012

Ari Meermans said:
I checked "I immediately click on New Posts to see posts from all rooms." I find fascinating and thought-provoking posts all over the forum. But (yeah, I'm the caveat queen), if there's one single thing that will keep me from clicking on a thread, it's a timid or unclear title. I will hover my cursor over most of those. If they start with "Sorry if this is the wrong place" or anything that doesn't immediately get to the meat of their thread, I won't click on it.

AW is a healthy forum with ever-churning topics and I have to make choices just to keep up.

This is exactly what I do. Occasionally I'll call up a subforum, such as Query Letter Hell, but usually I'm at the "New Posts" area.

scarletpeaches · Feb 17, 2012

When I sign in, I go to my User CP to check on new posts in threads I've subscribed to. I have it set up so that posting once means I have that subscription.

Once I've read all those, I click on New Posts and have a look down the list to see what interests me.

Jersey Chick · Feb 17, 2012

I'm a New Posts person - I like to see what's going on everywhere. I'm really nosy that way.

Becky Black · Feb 17, 2012

I sub to certain rooms and use my User Control Panel to have just that list. I might venture elsewhere sometimes and will sub to a thread if I want to be certain not to miss new replies. But mostly I stick with my favourite stamping grounds.

KatieJ · Feb 17, 2012

Maryn said:
Uh, all of the above?

I agree, I go all over the board, poking my head in....

Hey, Ari, don't be too hard on "timid titles". It can be pretty intimidating to dip your toe in the murky waters the first few times....

Mary K. Norris · Feb 18, 2012

Alison_Kale said:
As a newbie, I usually check New Posts so I can get a feel for everything, but I concentrate on the rooms I'm interested in, and spend a lot of time actually using the search option for really particular topics. Then I end up on old threads, which I usually really want to comment on, but resist when I realize they haven't been updated since 2009.

I'm pretty much in the same category. I hate when I find those old threads. Sometimes I comment anyway to try and get them going again.

sparnols · Mar 25, 2012

I mostly click on new post and find the posts that catch my eye that day.

Paul · Mar 25, 2012

new posts.

not sure how to 'sub', not sure i want to know.

ok, maybe a brief note on how to sub threads then. ETA ah yes, figured it out. anyway, i use my previous post facility if i need to check threads i posted on.

thothguard51 · Mar 25, 2012

Flashlight...it's dark in here at times.

How do you search when you visit AW?

How do you search for threads at AW?

I immediately click on New Posts to see posts from all rooms.

I go straight to the rooms I normally visit and go nowhere else.

I subscribe to threads/rooms and usually just go there.

I prefer Orlando Bloom and Eggplants to new threads.

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

Maryn

I Tried

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

ladyleeona

fluently sarcastic grandma offender

Alison_Kale

Snowstorm

Baby plot bunneh sniffs out a clue

scarletpeaches

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark

KatieJ

I think I'm back....

Mary K. Norris

Eat. Write. Sleep. Repeat.

sparnols

Paul

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...