Jason Unger

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Man, do I love stupid headlines.

Toshiba losing money in HD DVD business - Associated Press

I can remember when I was up late enough to actually watch Jay Leno … "Headlines" was my favorite segment.

Look for more stupid tech headlines soon.

"Jessica Alba Cashes in on Engagement"

So, what could this mean?

- Jessica Alba wins the lottery
- Jessica Alba gets a lot of money for getting engaged
- Something about Jessica Alba, money, and getting engaged

What's the problem with this headline? It isn't clear.

The author is trying to be funny by using the name of Alba's fiancé, Cash Warren, in the headline. But unless you know the details, the headline doesn't tell you what the story is about.

In fact, I was mislead into thinking it had something to do with money. It doesn't.

Next time, try this headline: Jessica Alba Gets Engaged to Cash Warren.

Don't forget that your bad headlines are good for me.

Finding the right headline for your Web story is nearly as important as the story itself. If no one knows what it is about, then no one will read it.

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Too often, writers don't understand that headlines written for the Web are totally different than those written for newspapers or magazines.

With Web headlines, you have to get straight to the point and, at the same time, draw in the reader.

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