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Some thoughts on posting recipes to the designated threads vs. the main page
submitted over 10 years ago by kirktBring on the Diacetyl, baby

So, you've just perfected that original recipe, or just arrived at what you think is the perfect clone, and you want to share it with the community. Great! Now the question is, where should you post it?

We have monthly threads for original recipes, and clone threads that last for 6 months (all linked in the sidebar and archived in the wiki). Those would be appropriate places, and we encourage their use.

Some of you prefer to post them as new content. That's fine, and the site rules allow this. This way your creation gets front-page attention and quick feedback.

However, consider that that front-page attention only lasts for a day or two, then the recipe is pretty much lost in the sea of old posts. It won't be seen again unless someone searches for an ingredient or keyword that you've used. The mega-threads, however, get archived and referenced in the wiki, so there is a much greater chance of someone discovering your creation months down the road when they are browsing through the old monthly or clone threads.

I'd recommend to everyone that they check the current thread at the end of the month (or last month's thread when the new one is posted). There are currently ~35 original creations in there for May's thread. I like to review the previous month when the new thread comes out to make sure I didn't miss anything that looks tasty, and you can still comment on old threads until they are 6 months old.

Obviously, this has been a long-winded encouragement for use of the proper threads, but the choice is yours: a day in the spotlight, or a place in the history books.

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9 points
 
by fizzmustardover 10 years agoBest Recipe of 2014

> that feeling when you know a thread is about you

But in all seriousness, I don't look at those mega threads at all. I guess it's just not how I use reddit. Those threads always seem lacking in substance beyond just the bare recipe and possibly a few comment replies. I much prefer a targeted thread. I put a ton of work into my threads and still get daily replies and PMs from those discreet discussions. I bet the same the same is true for the rest of us posting in this manner.

Meh. Maybe it's just masturbation?

4 points
 
by Botboy141over 10 years agoMixing like a mad man...

I honestly have 0 problem with certain recipe posts being their own threads. Primarily, content like what you post works very well in it's own thread cause it starts 10 other discussions of it's own.

Now, someone just going, hey guys I made a new recipe its XYZABC and it's great. That shit is just a waste of space and should barely make it into the monthly thread IMO.

As far as what we as mods want to see, IDK really...I would love to see detailed in depth discussion of any development recipes, flavor pairings, etc.

Once again, I have no problem what so ever with recipes being in their own threads as long as they are submitted in a sense that encourages large amounts of discussion related to either the ingredients of the recipe or the recipe itself.

That being said, I would still like to see ALL recipes cross posted to the monthly thread so they can be referenced/found with more ease.

I will at some point in the future, go through all of the monthly threads and combine them into a googledoc spreadsheet so they can all be found in one area.

3 points
 
by fizzmustardover 10 years agoBest Recipe of 2014

Awesome, that clarifies things. Thanks for the reply.

2 points
 
by Sandman0over 10 years ago

I feel like that last paragraph is a good opportunity for use of a wiki.

1 points
 
by _Laughmore_over 10 years ago

Such wankage is part of the basic desire to post at all! Your detailed descriptions of your experience and thought process is exactly the kind of thing I come to ~~watch~~ read about. The sensibility is much appreciated and makes it easier for the common skeptic to digest the original content.

8 points
 
by Botboy141over 10 years agoMixing like a mad man...

I would also add, I know some of you will continue to post recipes outside of their designated thread, and that's fine, especially when you offer your thought process, tasting notes etc offering others an opportunity to learn rather than just here's another recipe thread.

That said, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, also post your recipe in the monthly thread so that it can be found down the road. Thank you!

1 points
 
by SerialVapist420over 10 years ago

Would linking the thread be ok? Obviously I wouldn't just post a link with zero text but that way it's easier to find oldie but goodie stuff

2 points
 
by Botboy141over 10 years agoMixing like a mad man...

Hesitant to say just post a link, but I'd highly encourage actually posting the recipe and ingredients (easier for searching within monthly threads).

Easy enough to copy and paste from an OP elsewhere.

1 points
 
by Enyawreklawover 10 years agoMixologist

will do, completely forgot to do this in the beginning! sorry ya'll

6 points
 
by RobocopSuperfanover 10 years ago

For what it's worth, I like seeing new recipes on the main page. Not only is it less digging, but its visibility makes its feedback seem more legitimate.. I guess this is a problem that we'l solve ourselves if everyone uses the appropriate forums though.

Another example, if a bang-on clone gets discovered, wouldn't it be forced to sit through purgatory at the very bottom of a clone thread until enough people went to the clone thread, made it all the way to the very bottom, tried a batch and liked it?

I'm not really opposed to this idea as a whole, our frontpage really does suck and could use some cleaning up (it's all the 'what can I make with this?' posts that make me afraid of losing frontpage recipes) but I feel like this is a rule that can only work if it's actually enforced. If everyone's allowed to continue posting recipes all over, why should I limit mine to the clone/monthly threads where it will be archived, but rarely seen?

Anyway, this is just my two cents and I hope it didn't come off as disrespectful. You mods are the bomb, and I just wanted to share my thoughts on improving our great little sub.

3 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

See my comments to fizz above.

4 points
 
by SeanMooreover 10 years ago

Por que no las dos?

1 points
 
by wilciwsover 10 years agoMixologist

No habla. :-P

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

> Por que no las dos?

Exactamente

3 points
 
by overachieverover 10 years ago

Would it be acceptable to post a recipe in the dedicated thread for better archiving then xpost the comment as a new thread so there's more chance it'll be seen and can get some feedback?

2 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

That's kind of cheating the system, isn't it? If everyone uses the designated threads, then everyone will monitor them and provide feedback there. We are still a relatively small community, but the time will come when we're going to have to enforce the proper posting. It's only an extra click to open the monthly thread; if everyone does this a few times during the month, then we can keep the main page clean.

3 points
 
by fizzmustardover 10 years agoBest Recipe of 2014

Hm, maybe I'm misunderstanding the desired content for individual threads.

> the time will come when we're going to have to enforce the proper posting

Can you give a few examples of what sort of posts constitute a discreet thread? Much appreciation to the excellent work by the mods – I'm sure there's a ton of behind-the-scenes spam filtering and reported-thread-wrangling we don't see and I'm sure it's the reason we have a great sub. Just looking for a little clarification on what the current mod team desires to see and how you may start to enforce particular rules.

5 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

There was some concern a few months back that the front page was becoming clogged with all the usual BS; we had a survey about whether it should be policed, and the general consensus was "no", so there is very little removal of content by the mod team. We usually get 10-20 new posts a day, of which maybe 3-5 are recipes. What happens when that becomes 10 or 20 new recipes a day? There may come a point where it's in the best interest of this sub to add (and enforce) rules like "clone requests not in the clone request thread will be removed." We are not there yet IMO, and maybe we never will be.

I love posts where someone goes through the creation process of a new juice. If you are willing to go to that length, add development and tasting notes, juice variations and what happened with each tweak, and in turn help others become better mixers, slap that shit on the front page all day long. But if it's just a recipe and nothing else, IMO that should be in the monthly thread. I love the monthly thread because I have a full page of ideas to work with. A couple of posts on the May thread got me back trying to work with butterscotch, which I haven't touched in a long time. There's a lemon bar in there by /u/Mouthy_guy67 which is damn good, almost professional, and it's his first post. A lot of times when I'm in the mood for something different but feeling uninspired, I'll go through a couple of the old monthly threads for ideas until I find something that raises my eyebrows, and get to mixing. You can't do that with the main page, because it's too much trouble to click open each post.

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

> what the current mod team desires to see

It's not about what the mods want to see. This is OUR sub, they just keep it clean. They work for us, not the other way around. Thankfully, we have good mods here. But ultimately, the sub should be what the people want.

3 points
 
by shrine399over 10 years ago

I feel like it would be beneficial for some recipes to be posted in both the standard new content manner and the appropriately designated thread for reasons such as:

  • They include significant findings/research or "deeper-DIY" tips that are more beneficial to all when cast to a larger audience.

  • Ground breaking clones

What I see as more fit for the recipe/clone threads:

  • Simple 2-3 flavor recipes which are just something you wanted to share because you thought it was decent (No in-depth explanation on recipe)

I already see this naturally filtered relatively well by the community; I see plenty of 2 flavor recipes popping up in the monthly thread but not on the main page. Most of the recipes posted to main sub have nice analyses and explanations.

2 points
 
by Davesnothearover 10 years agoMixologist

Thanks for the PSA. I try to encourage recipe posters to utilize the monthly recipe threads. Not only is it handy but as you said it makes your recipe more likely to be seen.

2 points
 
by captaincannibalover 10 years ago

I agree but I think the reason this happens is people are afraid that if they post to the recipe threads then it'll get buried and nobody will care. When in reality, that's probably more likely to happen when posting a whole new thread.

Probably the same reason people stop using the "clone request thread" and "new mixer questions" threads right after they're posted. They don't know they're there or they think that since it's no longer on the front page, nobody will check it. More people should totally check those threads so nobody's question gets lost. I'm gonna set a reminder to do that I think.

2 points
 
by Davesnothearover 10 years agoMixologist

One of the major issues is that reddit limits the number of stickied posts (I believe). If you could sticky all the important posts it would help alot. Even having a separate tab labelled "Stickied" or such would be a blessing.

2 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

Maximum 1 stickied post at any given time. Usually it's the monthly recipe thread, so it's almost always at the top if you click on the main page.

2 points
 
by Nicobeakover 10 years ago

I love the process posts. There is a difference in those and a "I just mixed my first recipe and it came out pretty good" post. Maybe there should be a suggestion to post the process/thinking behind a submitted recipe. We as a sub could encourage this like we have done with "read the fucking sidebar" (or something more polite).

There will always be new people that mixed their only 2 flavors together and it came out decent that will want to share, but if up/down votes and comments encouraging process are utilized more, then that should cut down on them, just like it has seemed to cut down on the clone requests and what can I makes.

2 points
 
by onmywaydownnowover 10 years ago

Well said. This is one of the best communities in reddit and I'm glad to be a part of it. Thanks

2 points
 
by captain_sasquatchover 10 years ago

I think the sub has grown to a point where a stickied index thread would better suit the sub. We can have the clone recipe, cone request, monthly recipe, and the sidebar content indexed in the top post. There are enough of the aforementioned post to justify it. I also think having the sidebar content in two places could effectively minimize some of the "read the goddamn sidebar" threads that pop up.

3 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

That's a decent idea. Let me consider that.

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

That's precisely what I suggested. ;)

People on mobile, a large number of users, can't even SEE the sidebar without digging for it.

1 points
 
by captain_sasquatchover 10 years ago

I'm on mobile, so not easy to find a related Arrested Development clip, but great minds think alike.

2 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

Hahaha That's ok, we don't need double talk. I admit, I almost started out with an Annyong, but I didn't want to overdo it. lol

But hey, look! A mod liked your idea. I think I wore kirkt out earlier ;) lol

1 points
 
by Davesnothearover 10 years agoMixologist

I like this idea. Kind of what electronic_cigarette is currently doing. One sticked post with links to the weekly/monthly threads would be great. Great suggestion.

2 points
 
by skiddlzninjaover 10 years agoFrugivore

I don't see why we're cracking down on OC recipes when I see 3 clone requests on the front page daily. That's the shit I don't like, people coming here looking to have us make a clone for them. I say if they worked on a recipe, and are really proud of it, Let them have the spotlight for the 15 comments the thread lasts. They're proud of what they've done, and they want feedback; something the monthly thread doesn't quite offer. People aren't looking at the monthly thread to find a discussion where they can share their opinion on which Hazelnut works best with TFA Caramel Candy; they're looking for a quick recipe. Feedback and analysis is a huge part of this hobby, and community in general. I believe that herding self-post recipes into the monthly thread in order to keep the front page "clean" would undoubtedly be the death of this subreddit. And if it comes down to that, I would gladly moderate my own subreddit for people who want to analyze, discuss, and evaluate recipes that users have created.

While on the topic of keeping the front page "clean", why don't the mods focus more on the posts that can be answered by a CURSORY GLANCE at the sidebar? This and the clone threads I mentioned are what "clutter" the front page. I don't see the point in hiding the content that actually contributes something to the subreddit in a monthly thread if we're going to allow "What should I start with", "Anyone have a ______ Clone", "What's a good diy store", and "What flavors should I buy to get started" threads to flood the front page.

/rant

2 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

Calm the fuck down, chief. No one is cracking down on anything. Did you read my post (including the title) and associated replies before you went off on your rant?

The community was offered the opportunity for a cleaner front page and turned it down.

2 points
 
by skiddlzninjaover 10 years agoFrugivore

I read your post, but I also read the rest of the replies in this thread, specifically this

> We are still a relatively small community, but the time will come when we're going to have to enforce the proper posting.

Which is what prompted my rant.

2 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

Should have said "time may come".

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

Do you really think new recipes are the problem clogging up the front page? Personally, I think it's posts like this, this, this, and this.

2 points
 
by kirktover 10 years agoBring on the Diacetyl, baby

I couldn't agree more. If this was my own little fiefdom I'd remove all of them. However, we polled the community, and general consensus was to leave them alone and let downvotes do the work.

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

Yeah, I agreed with that myself. I'm not a fan of "The Man tryin' to keep us down" lol It's times like this that show why regular forums like ECR and VU still exist. Regular forums can sub categorize ad nauseam.

2 points
 
by cjinctover 10 years ago

> I think it's posts like this, this, this, and this.

I agree with you on three of those posts but one of them could be a good thing, if people use it as such. The 3rd post in, someone asking for help with a clone. If someone were trying to clone a juice and actively working on it, posts the partial recipe (as in, "I'm 80% there but I can't get________"), that could be a great discussion type post.

That's a good kind of post to learn flavor tricks, like using a smidge of raspberry to boost strawberry, or using liquid amber to turn your apple into a baked apple.

Of course, this all goes to shit if someone just asks for the clone recipe without doing any of the work :/

1 points
 
by rlaitinenover 10 years ago

Sure, in theory, it could be an awesome discussion. Usually though, it's what it is now. And seriously? Where to find a beginner kit? That kind of question should never make it to a post. I think the top stickied post should just be a new DiYer FAQ.

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