# Cannot distinguish reply to previous post vs reply to original post

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439>\
**Category:** Site Feedback\
**Created:** [May 5, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439 "2021-05-05T14:32:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 24

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/24 "2021-05-09T12:20:47Z")

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> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> Is it really not clear that I’m replying to you here? Am I talking to someone else in the topic?

My issue is often that without the little indicator, I don’t know if the person is replying to the previous post or or replying **in general** , but maybe they’re going off on a bit of a tangent based on what I said.  
It creates a lot of ‘is that directed at me?’ type posts.

@codinghorror many of the issues we’ve brought up are met with some resistance from you, which is understandable and not a problem. But telling us that we’re in the wrong and that somehow learning how to do things your way will serve us both on and off line comes off as a bit condescending.

> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> Because people aren’t bothering to learn how the board works.

Don’t be shy, tell us, because we don’t know.

> [@Terminus\_Est](#):
>
> What you do is to click on “Reply” on the post as normal. Then you highlight and quote the post as necessary. If you quoted the entire post after clicking on “Reply”, then the entire post will show up. If you merely quoted the entire post, without bothering to click on “Reply”, then nothing shows up.

Unless there’s some good reason, highlighting the entire post and hitting quote vs hitting reply and then quoting the entire post should do the same thing, whether you’re doing this to the previous post or a post up further. For them to do otherwise, would generally be considered a bug that needs fixing.

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