But don’t those styles rather differ between the “segments” of the board? It seems to me people write a lot more formal in GQ (at least in the beginning of threads) to less formal in IMHO and MPSIMS.
And then there’s the BBQ.
Nine times out of ten for me as well. Usually something I read reminds me of some cool thing I wanted to talk about, and I write a long post about it, and then I look back at the OP and I realize that my point was tangential to the original question, for which I don’t have any kind of answer, so I just close that browser and move on.
[sub]hmmm…to post or not to post, that is the question. Is that whole explanation really necessary? Should I just have said, “nine times out of ten for me as well,” and left it at that? Am I really adding anything valuable or interesting to this discussion? O.K., pushing Submit in 5…4…3…2…1[/sub]
I resist far more often than I post.
I’m often tempted to post, but rarely do it mostly due to time constraints. Life is busy.
Yeah. I go through brief periods where I post a lot (like I’ve been doing since yesterday), but most of the rest of the time I can go days without barely feeling the need to interject just one comment here or there.
I’ve done it many times. I’m basically insecure, and don’t think I have anything to say that anyone would want to hear. It’s what kept me lurking for a long time before I finally joined.
A lot. I’m often not as clever or original as I think I am.
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Not often enough. Mostly I let my inside voice start yapping like a jackass when I know for a fact my outside voice would have a little more control.
If the thread is 3 pages long…I find I usually have nothing significant to add.
Me too. Sometimes it’s holding my tongue when I think somebody’s doing something childish or stupid or mean. But mostly it’s a courtesy to fellow Dopers – is my comment worth the time it takes to open a thread and scroll down? 99% of the time it’s not.
All the time.
Yes, often. Particularly if it looks like the thread is going to become one of those nit-picky things that require a lot of time and explaining and reexplaining your position.
Not near often enough. Look at my posts vs. join date.
Yes, I do this often. Usually it’s because I realise that someone else has already said what I planned to say, only more articulately. In some of the airplane question threads I write replies and then realise that a pilot will give a much better answer, so even if no-one has already said what I’m trying to say, I know that someone will.
And sometimes my intended post is merely shrill ranting, and not worth the electrons.
Yes. Not because I’m prone to snarkiness or anything. Just that I try to limit my internet time, so I don’t like to get caught up in conversations too often.
Yeah I do. This place can be awfully intimidating. One false ‘Enter’ and you find yourself whooshed to Oz or you become the Idiot of the Week. It’s too much pressure, Jerry!
Xanax
Yes. Mostly because Idon’t have the energy to keep up my end of the conversation.
I post far often than I resist. But I am very guilty of something sounding great in my head, but on rereading is awful. I should probably resist more, but a high post count is manly. Isn’t it?
See! Terrible! I’m… going to go now… sulk
Maybe half or two thirds of the time, for the reasons above, and also because often once I’ve typed my opinion, I find it’s not worth sharing. Hell, I almost pressed ‘back’ just now (no kidding).