posted on Aug, 15 2010 @ 03:39 PM
What I do, is find something I am passionate about and knowledgeable on. The latter is probably the most important. Then, do your proper research to
make sure you have facts straight and present it in a fun and readable manner. If you are really passionate about a particular subject or occurrence,
then it should be relatively easy to put out a thorough and comprehensive essay or article on it. I know this advice is really vague, but such advice
should be, since your writings should come from your own mind and passions. There are so many different angles and topics not yet covered by ATS. I
think the most important thing to remember, is don't just put something out there for the sake of starting a thread (unless it's news that peaks
your interest). Make sure that you believe in it and that the well-researched evidence can speak for itself. It has to be something that you want to
get across to the world because if it isn't or if you are just throwing threads out there, it will show up in your efforts.
If current events or news is your thing, then start threads on topics that haven't been started yet. When I start news-type threads, I only do it
when I come across an article or event that I think is important for everyone else to see and read. I read through various news sites every day anyway
and if there is something that I believe others should see, I start a thread on it. I only do it for news that I think is important or that people
need to see.
Remember, each thread started by you, should mean something to you. It should all be backed up with sound research on your part, which takes some
effort, though enjoyable effort it is. I have noticed, the more passionate you are on a subject, the more knowledgeable you tend to be, thus the much
better your thread will be. People will be able to notice the amount of hard work and dedication you put into your threads. Also, if you are
passionate about a subject, you usually want to educate others on your knowledge, which in turn helps you to put it into a clear light for others to
understand what you are trying to get across.
Also, take it seriously, as if there are real and viable consequence for either accurate or inaccurate information. Again, if your passionate on a
subject, it should matter whether people dismiss your information or accept it as sound evidence to your theory. This really matters because you could
either turn people off, or expose them to the truth, as you perceive it. Your threads will reflect your intelligence and the level of interest in what
you are writing about.
Finally, have fun with it, though you most certainly will if the passion is there. If you only start threads on issues that are meaningful to you, you
will not only have fun doing it, but the reader should have fun reading it and it should be a great contribution to all of us. Accuracy of information
is key, as well as research and readability.
The RARE thread:
Research - Is the thread well researched, sourced and cited?
Accuracy - Is the information presented, accurate? Is the evidence based on fact?
Readable - Is the presentation readable? Is it written in a clear and precise manner?
Essential - Is the information presented, important to you and the readers? Does it have a point and is it necessarry?
If you follow this advice, I'm sure that ideas for threads will be almost endless and your contributions would be greatly appreciated. If this sounds
a bit much, it really isn't as most of this stuff comes naturally anyway.
--airspoon
[edit on 15-8-2010 by airspoon]