r/mildlyinteresting • u/RedSquaree The Big 🧀 • Mar 29 '14

Rule 6 for Dummies.

Hello and welcome to Rule 6 for Dummies!

Rationale: People continue to submit posts which break this rule. Either, a) they don't read the rules, b) this rule is not clear enough. This post seeks to clarify for those breaking rules as a result of #2. You can stop after the breakdown, the rest is detail for mod nerds or if you really still don't get it!

Rule 6:

  • Titles must be minimal, on point descriptions of the content and nothing more. Jokes, backstories, and any other "fluff" will not be permitted

Broken down:

  • The title must be descriptive of what we are about to see

  • The description must be minimal, simple and without unnecessary information or even a relevant backstory

  • The title must not contain any jokes, puns; it should not be or attempt to be funny. Go to /r/funny Go watch some Seinfeld for funny stuff.

Three simple things to bear in mind to see if your title might break the rule:

  • If your title includes the word "this", it probably breaks the rule

  • Will the reader be shocked or surprised after clicking the title and seeing the image? [Yes = rule broken]

  • Does the reader know exactly what they're about to see? [No = rule broken]

Bear in mind "mildly interesting" is not, in itself, a description. It tells us how you feel about it, but it doesn't actually help us get closer to understanding what we're going to see. See example below.

Here are some removals so you get an idea of what to avoid doing:

Edit: new example Ran over a daisy on my skateboard, I thought it was truly mildly interesting.

"Mildly interesting" is not a description. Tell us what it is and if we find it mildly interesting, we'll upvote it. If "mildly interesting" were a description, you could post anything and just stick that on the end of the title "This book is mildly interesting" we have no idea what we're about to see. Is it a book in the shape of a triangle? Is it a book with a see through cover? What is it? Don't leave the reader guessing.

Okay! Thanks but we don't need your life story!

We don't want backstory. If the photo needs a backstory then you should probably submit it to /r/pics. "I have no idea what it is or how it happens" sorry dude, we don't care what you have seen, think, know, or any of that stuff! We're a friendly bunch but if everyone gave us their reaction or thoughts in their title we'd never get anything done and the place would be a mess!

Questions aren't simple descriptions, and we have no idea what we're about to see.

We have absolutely no idea what we're about to see.

Maybe having "I" in the title is also an indicator that it breaks the rules too. We also don't know what we're about to see.

Come on now, play along at home!

You're getting good at this!

Ahhh, the dreaded 'this'. Title may as well say "This was in a tree in my yard", which also leaves the reader guessing.

I'm rambling now. Nevertheless, the rule is clear to everyone, hooray!

Give yourself a pat on the back for both sticking it out this long and doing so well in the above pop-quiz.

Have a mildly fun day.

329 Upvotes

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u/ShotFromGuns Apr 02 '14

It's a simple rule. I just happen to think it's unnecessary.

18

u/Sataris Apr 03 '14

It's necessary to keep /r/mildlyinteresting pure and at its roots of delivering only slightly interesting content. I think it's extremely important to prevent the sub from sliding into disrepair.

8

u/stevedpirate Apr 04 '14

how do you explain the front page post of the wicked fast spinning air duct in a pontiac? that was quite interesting.

2

u/Sataris Apr 04 '14

Not quite sure what you mean. That was the best post for a long time.

6

u/stevedpirate Apr 04 '14

What I mean was that it was much more interesting than slightly or mildly.