Sob stories

A sob story is any information in a post other than a description of what's wanted - possibly seen as a way of getting the reader's sympathy, and making them more inclined to give the poster the item they're requesting.

Beyond that, the definition is very subjective. Members may find excessive detail time-consuming and possibly choose to unsubscribe as a result. On the other hand, this sort of narrative can make a wanted post more interesting to read. There's no way of verifying sob stories. Some communities don't allow them; others approve posts and leave such judgements to their members.

There's also a possible safety risk in sharing too much personal detail in a post. It may be appropriate to edit, or even return, a post that includes too much personal information or is a "sob story", but it's important to do this prudently and with sensitivity.

See also

• Sample message: Sob stories - example personal message to a specific member
• Sample Admin: Sob stories - example admin to a whole community

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