# .... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 15, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/415728 "2007-08-15T20:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/1 "2007-08-15T20:44:07Z")
What does it mean when someone posts a reply and it contains just four dots? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/2 "2007-08-15T21:21:40Z")
Do you have one or more examples in mind? The only thing I’ve seen recently that might qualify is post #7 in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=432879); it’s fully explained in post #11. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/3 "2007-08-15T21:33:36Z")
It means “H”. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/4 "2007-08-15T21:35:49Z")
If you’re talking about looking at the post from the forum screen (as opposed to the thread itself), it means the first word of that post/thread title is too long to preview. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/5 "2007-08-15T21:43:16Z")
If the “Edited by” line is present, it probably means they changed their mind about the post and typed the “…” because you can’t leave it blank. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/6 "2007-08-16T01:34:09Z")
Agree with **Q.E.D.**. Also, posts like that are often immediately preceded or succeeded with a more substantial post by the same person, which suggests a double post being rectified. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/7 "2007-08-16T03:47:45Z")
It’s usually used in internet speak to mean “what you just said was so stupid that I’m speechless” - it used to be used sparingly, so that it was actually meaningful, but now everyone likes to type it every 45 seconds or so, making it extremely annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/8 "2007-08-16T04:38:42Z")
[QUOTE=SenorBeef] It’s usually used in internet speak to mean “what you just said was so stupid that I’m speechless” - it used to be used sparingly, so that it was actually meaningful, but now everyone likes to type it every 45 seconds or so, making it extremely annoying. [/QUOTE] I hope it means what **Q.E.D.** said which is that I wrote something and reconsidered it within the editing time frame. Because that’s what I meant when I did it. If I meant what you said it means, I’d just say that. . . no need for ellipses for that. But I think I have seen it used like that before on another message board. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//415728/9 "2007-08-16T08:34:48Z")
Thanks, everyone! I’m still a little confused, but I’ll be ok.