Numerical Titles are A Turn Off
Like profanity in headlines, numerical titles are a come-on that no longer elicits, at least from me, any interest.
What goes through my mind is: The author has gone through a brain-freeze and come up with the title FIRST.
Then I just turn off at the sheer pervasiveness of the numerical form.
Look, I understand as well as anyone the need to attract readers. Secen of this and twenty of that works. It must! But in any true perspective, whether one has one or 1000 readers is entirely meaningless in the scheme of things. Save as a transient benchmarks or a false ego-boost.
Is there another reason to speak ill of numerical titles?
Bingo!
If we had a universal form for numerical articles, so we knew they were worth our time, that would be a reason to go for them. But instead I am likely to be beset by a longish read of something I cannot readily scan to see if there is in fact anything of value said there.
How many times can I read about the utter necessity of reading self help books?
I have things I keep repeating. But in my defense I do not promise the moon and 45 reasons.
End of screed.
(One should hot have to lavish more than a minute on a screed. I do enjoy writing such pieces.}
