That "old screenshot thread" Is where I got the idea for this.
Remember the "newest screenie of my new project"? It was just a blinking cursor

Hey, once I am done with my current projects I plan to make a 3d racing game. I have a really thrifty Idea for the engine - where should I post it?

Once, I lost MONTHS of progress on a zelda game. It was terrible.
The worst thing about these experiences is that you don't get over the shock for hours, even IF the thing you lost is returned.
In the case of losing something forever that you have to start from the beginning, there is just nothing worse.

Once, a few years ago, in seventh grade, my kind and loving uncle gave me his beloved TI83 Plus. I have a memory and focus problem... what was I saying?
Oh yeah. So I lost everything, homework, tootbrushes, medication, and I forget lots of important things.
After a few weeks of learning and having fun with my calculator, my mom realized that it wasworth over $100, as the TI calcs are high end. She made me promise I wouldn't lose it.
You can see where this is going.
So, one night I came up the stairs to do my math homework. I was taking the public bus to my dad's house. When I pulled out my math homework
MY CALCULATOR WASN'T THERE!!!!!!!
I had a full out mental breakdown. I just totally lost it. I began pacing around the room bawling.   There were two things that just killed me.
1. It was one of the few things I PROMISED I wouldn't lose.
2. It was my baby!  :'(
But a few minutes later, my dad came in and pulled it out of a different pocket in my bag.
I WAS SO MAD  
The shock of "losing it" wasso bad I coudn't stop crying or even function beyond life for another hour.
It was one of the most devastating *unimportant* experiences in my life.
For that matter... I'll talk about the Tony Hawk incedent later...

I'm really sad that I won't be able to play this.

That is a lot of less lines. How does it work? Must know...

[sarcasm]
Rule #1: Never update the first post!
People LOOVE to dig through your thread in order to find the latest update. When I find myself looking at the first post in a project topic, I always enjoy seeing no progress updates, the oldest screenshots, and thinking it has gotten nowhere. The first post is for just announcing the project, and it is the end user's responsibility to dig through page after page of posts to find news.

Rule #2: Put the most important things last!!
Everybody loves to read your rants, old screenshots, musings, and plans for future features before seeing the overview of the info and the download link.

Rule #3: Make the first post really long!!!
Never put change logs in spoilers! Everybody LOOVES to read about every single change you made in the program before seeing the most recent updates. Always put screenshots line by line and outside of spoilers, and the most important screens (i.e.) animated ones at the bottom. I always love to see all of the old screenshots of crappy beta versions before I see a nice animated current screenshots. In fact, NEVER put new screenshots in the first post! Note: lots of unnecessary info and rants make for good first post fluff.

[/sarcasm]

Who am I kidding? Those are the things NOBODY should do!!! First posts are for updating info and having a quick overview of the topic, the rest is for discussion, people.
Feel free to add more anti-rules.

It's way past calling it off now. Some other time.