Thanks, Write-Away, for initiating this much-needed thread.

I thoroughly endorse the advise that the first important thing is a meaningful subject line. Readers should know from the subject line exactly what or who you are posting about. Except on my own forum where I read eventually everything :-), I do not read posts that merely say "Help!" or "Seeking Ancestors."

The only thing I would add is, especially if you plan to include a lot of information in your post, state your queries in the first sentence, then give the details. I have learned from experience (watching my wife's eyes roll back in her head when she reads my stuff) that your audience may never get to your question if you save it to the end of the post.

. . . On the other hand, you can get me to read ANYTHING just by putting "Upson County" in the subject line!

Davis