Proposal: Creating useful titles

Subject: Proposal: Creating useful titles
From: Geoff Hart <geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 15:21:46 LCL

CogitoTS -at- AOL -dot- COM
<<Wouldn't it be handy if all messages had clear subject lines,
including designations such as <ADV> for advertising messages, <???>
for inquiries, <*%!!> for flames and polemic ranting, <$$> for job
postings. With all the professionals on this list, I'm sure we can
come up with additional categories and abbreviations.>>

Hear, hear! It's difficult to keep up with the volume of mail in this
area without some sort of presorting. I propose that we come up with a
list of such "icons" and start using it. Since "cogitot" proposed the
idea, would s/he be willing to compile a list of suggestions, post
them here for feedback, and then make them available as a FAQ document
for this mailing list? For those who are graphically challenged (me,
for instance), at least use just a simple keyword at the beginning of
the "subject" area... this would help greatly. (Less cryptic and
subjective than icons too.) Here are a few suggestions to follow up on
cogitot's icons (for discussion, revision and perhaps adoption):

Proposal: Hey guys and gals, I'd like you to consider doing the
following
Advert: I want to sell something
Flame: Someone ticked me off
Help-me: I need a question answered
Help-you: Here's my advice
Job: position wanted/available
Spam: I need someone to talk to, doesn't matter about what
etc.

One other note: using tabloid-style headlines for the subject line of
messages makes a whole lot of sense. Simply repeating the original
title (prefaced by "re.:" doesn't help those of us who don't have
newsreaders or other means of following message threads.

--Geoff #8^{)}


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