Would you prefer a teaser or the spoiler for an article post? \ stacker news ~meta

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Would you prefer a teaser or the spoiler for an article post?

374 sats \ 38 comments \ @Rothbardian_fanatic 1 Dec meta

I was asked the other day, “Why didn’t I post the kill shot for the article you posted?” My answer was, “I didn’t want to give the spoiler for the article.” Or some such.

I wanted to ask the Stacker News community which way you would prefer, a teaser or the kill shot for the article? By kill shot, I mean the absolute heart of the article, the part that defines the whole article. Do you want that up front in the discussion part or would you rather have a teaser (but not a spoiler)?

I like to quote the article but not with the spoiler, myself. Please help me with this dilemma!

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308 sats \ 22 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

My meta answer is that you should do the posts how you like to do them.

My practical answer is that relatively few people click through to the article, so you might get better discussions by just excerpting the main or most interesting point(s).

I like the way you do it, but many of these are articles I read anyway.

37 sats \ 4 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Ok, I can see the relevance of giving out the kill shot and spoiling the full article. The click through rate must be somewhat low. I notice that you are reading the same material that I am reading! The posts tell the tale.

20 sats \ 3 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

I've gone through a few iterations of what context I include. Eventually, I settled on just sharing the blurb that the Mises Institute includes and any figures that appear in the article.

30 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

I have tried that but people reading the articles have sometimes suggested a better "kill shot" for the articles. Kill shot being the heart of the article or argument in the article. My objection to that is that you do not see the reasoning behind the kill shot.

30 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

That was my difficulty when I used to try to include excerpts. Sometimes I struggled to find ones that packed a strong self-contained punch.

12 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

I think that is what the commentators mean by "kill shot". Many of the articles have multiple kill shots, I think.

33 sats \ 14 replies \ @Satosora 2 Dec

I actually read the articles. I try to take the more interesting part out and quote it.

20 sats \ 12 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

I appreciate when you do that. It helps give the conversation life and you don't always choose the same part that I would.

30 sats \ 11 replies \ @Satosora 2 Dec

There are times that I have. I actually do it to pick your brain, its always nice to get another perspective. There have been times where I have read an article and found I got the opposite perspective of what you talked about.

20 sats \ 10 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

That's interesting too.

16 sats \ 9 replies \ @Satosora 2 Dec

I guess when you read it with a different preconception of it....that happens.

20 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Everybody brings a different preconception to the reading of any article. We are individuals, not yet molded into the precise thought forms that THEY want for us.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @Satosora 2 Dec

True. It reminds me of poetry. Everyone forms their own image.

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20 sats \ 5 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Dec

Keep in mind that I don't necessarily agree with the author, so I might respond to the passage you highlight differently than the author would.

29 sats \ 4 replies \ @Satosora 2 Dec

I have come across this before, too. I was confused for a bit haha.

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

That is the objective of doing the posting commentary.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @Msd0457890 2 Dec

You are quite right, highlighting the main points gives the reader their introduction and the ability to enjoy reading.

5 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Yes, there is a point to letting people draw their own conclusion on what is the “kill shot” without me finding something I think is the meat of the article.

192 sats \ 3 replies \ @cryotosensei 2 Dec

Kill shot.

I wanna know if it’s worth my time clicking on the link n reading the rest of the article

24 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Ok, I have got that, too. I just didn't know if people liked spoilers or not. If it pertains to films, I dislike spoilers immensely. I thought this might apply to other people and to the articles, too.

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei 2 Dec

Agree with you. I dislike spoilers when it comes to movies too.

I guess I have a different yardstick when it comes to normal articles

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

That makes sense. The media are different from one to the other. I dislike spoilers in reviews of books, too.

13 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 1 Dec

I thank you for your zaps, but I am looking for your thoughts and ideas on this subject. I do a lot of original posts, not just comments, so I do need your input.

12 sats \ 1 reply \ @Car 2 Dec

Dealers choice.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Indeed! Everyone will think that something different is the "kill shot". It all depends on who is looking at what and what is important to them.

21 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 2 Dec

My favorite is a spoiler with an attempt to instigate a discussion.

And for me, when adding a "take," I prefer the take to be emotionally neutral, and free of partisan code words, so that I feel like I can enter the discussion and learn something without getting browbeaten into an opinion.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Got it. A spoiler. I like your take on takes. Does anybody try to browbeat you into an opinion? I think that trying to change people's opinions is not worth the effort. I can see motivating an entry to a discussion being the best thing to do.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 2 Dec

Not usually, but if there's a lot of heat coming from the OP, I'll skip engaging out of habit.

166 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

I get that too. There are some that I read the poster's commentary, and decide to skip the article or replying.

20 sats \ 3 replies \ @Roll 2 Dec

A teaser to get a sum up of the all the article

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Is a teaser the kill shot for the article or something that will draw you in without giving up the plot?

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @Roll 2 Dec

2nd solution

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 2 Dec

Yes, I appreciate that type of original post, too.