# Do you feel bad clicking & not responding? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504 "2014-01-23T05:09:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FAL01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FAL01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FAL01)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/1 "2014-01-23T05:09:09Z")
Does anyone ever feel bad clicking on a thread but not responding? In what situations do you respond? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/2 "2014-01-23T05:28:40Z")
Srsly ? I read a thread for interest, which is not always fulfilled. There is no obligation to write unless it amuses me to do so. If I have nothing to say, it’s better to leave it alone. Sometimes I type a reply and just scrap it for various reasons. I only write if there’s something to write about. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/3 "2014-01-23T05:59:15Z")
Sometimes I do, but I figure if I don’t have much to contribute, the thread’s better off without me. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/4 "2014-01-23T05:59:59Z")
Feel bad? Never When I am not duplicating another poster. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/5 "2014-01-23T06:00:04Z")
Even though I have nothing to add to this thread, I am responding out of respect to the OP. Please consider my post an acknowledgment of your thread and an indication that I read it. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/6 "2014-01-23T06:14:14Z")
Most of the time I just want to read the thread. I reply to about 1 in 10 I read and I never feel bad about it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/7 "2014-01-23T06:14:42Z")
By the time I click on a thread, everything that needs to be said has already been said. If I can get in before the first 3 or 4 posts I might have a point to make, otherwise I’m just parroting what’s already been said. I’m not smart enough to have any original comments once the thread gets past about 8 posts. I’m not kidding. There are far too many sharp and intelligent people here for me to make a difference. That’s not news: but that too is reality. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/8 "2014-01-23T06:17:17Z")
OP: Is that something like walking through a gift store looking at all the goodies there, without ever buying anything? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/9 "2014-01-23T06:49:36Z")
I respond if I feel I have something of value to add to the conversation whether it’s information, an anecdote relevant to the topic, or a hopefully humorous line. I will also sometimes comment if it’s been a while and the thread was started at an inopportune time and I want to buoy it back up where someone who knows something might be more likely to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/10 "2014-01-23T06:56:33Z")
I’ll open a thread if it interests me. I’ll respond if I have something to contribute, which I’ll determine after reading the posts. If I have nothing to say, I’ll just move on, and not worry about it. Like **zoid** , I probably respond to 1 in 10 threads that I open. ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/11 "2014-01-23T12:28:44Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > By the time I click on a thread, everything that needs to be said has already been said. > > If I can get in before the first 3 or 4 posts I might have a point to make, otherwise I’m just parroting what’s already been said. > > I’m not smart enough to have any original comments once the thread gets past about 8 posts. I’m not kidding. There are far too many sharp and intelligent people here for me to make a difference. > > That’s not news: but that too is reality. **Leaffan** , I’m with you on this one. To make it worse, I live in europe, and by the time I come across most threads, the North American posters are already 12-18 hours ahead or me. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/12 "2014-01-23T12:36:25Z")
I’m all about quality, not quantity. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/13 "2014-01-23T13:09:35Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/14 "2014-01-23T13:28:18Z")
I was going to do what **Shakes** just did, but he beat me to it. That’s right. I was ninjaed by a three dot post. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/15 "2014-01-23T13:34:58Z")
I’m always afraid that the OP of a thread I open and don’t respond to will somehow know it’s me and decide to mock me or come to my house. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/16 "2014-01-23T13:42:09Z")
> [@FAL01](#): > > Does anyone ever feel bad clicking on a thread but not responding? > > In what situations do you respond? " " ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/17 "2014-01-23T14:00:54Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Sometimes I type a reply and just scrap it for various reasons. Ha, I do the same thing. And actually, I wasn’t going to post in this thread since I have the same opinion as the others, but then I felt there was a touch of irony behind it all. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/18 "2014-01-23T14:43:29Z")
This thread would have been so much better if nobody had replied at all. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/19 "2014-01-23T14:48:47Z")
If I don’t have anything to say, there is no point in just making something up to be heard. I am annoyed by people who do that. Sometimes a thread is an interesting read, but I do not have anything productive to add to the conversation. It would be pointless and a bit egotistical of me to respond just for responding’s sake. And yes, I did just make responding a noun. Whatchoo gonns do bout it ? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504/20 "2014-01-23T14:56:51Z")
I feel bad (for me) when I have a great answer to the thread title, click on it, and then find that the full OP goes in a dif direction. I feel even worse when it goes slightly in a dif direction…and then I read the first few posts that take it way into a dif direction. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-feel-bad-clicking-not-responding/679504.md?page=2)