I always read the names. It’s just easier on the flow of things that way.
Virtually always. As mentioned, it creates a personality and it makes it easier to understand if there’s something nuanced in communication. Plus I always have to shake my fist at that one guy… shakes fist
Most of the time yes. It helps to know which posts and threads I probably want to skip, which ones I can expect good information from, etc.
I read them (as it’s automatic), but unless it’s someone I’m familiar with, or I plan to respond, I forget pretty quickly. I don’t even remember who the OP of this thread is. Heck, I’m not sure who wrote the post above mine.
I read the post, and if it’s particularly interesting/good/bad, then I see who wrote it.
I always read them.
Yes, I do read poster’s names, and I remember things about the person and their posts. It makes everything make more sense to me.
I almost never read screen names, though I must be subconsciously glancing at and registering them at least a little bit, because every now and again a post will strike me, and I’ll look up at the user name and think, “Figures.”
I read the post first, and if it’s memorable I read the poster’s name.
I forget most names unless I can attach them to some type of personality. If I read something personal about a poster, or I share an interest with them, then I’m more likely to remember them. For instance, I tend to remember the posters who are lawyers or who deal with anxiety disorders.
I also remember posters who watch the same TV shows I do and participate in the TV show threads every week.
There are some posters who are really knowledgeable on a particular subject who I remember, and usually look for their opinion when a thread on the subject comes up.
This is very shallow, but I remember all the good looking Doper women whose pictures I have come across. I guess I must have a very visual memory.
The posters who post a lot are hard to miss since they keep appearing in almost every thread I open.
Then there are posters with really cool names who I know little about except that they have nice user names.
I always read a poster’s screen name, and don’t understand how one does not. I associate writing styles with posters and will read posts by certain posters no matter what the subject matter is, just as there are posts from posters I never read, regardless of their contribution to a topic.
Here’s a quick list of posters who’ve made an impression on me in the last year, in no particular order, and with no indication of whether the impression is good or poor. Note that I’m doing this from memory as I want this to be a list of only those who come quickly to mind, so please excuse any misspelling: Elucidator, Diogenes the Cynic, FriarTed, Der Trihs, Sam Stone, Anaamika, ShotFromGuns, SunSpace, John Mace, TomnDebb, RedFury, Xtisme, Shodan, Twickster, Lynn Bodoni, BrainGlutton, Bricker, SiamSam, Reallynotallthatbright.
As indicated, the list above is just off the top of my head. I know I’m going to kick myself when I realize how many names I didn’t include whose posts I read every day. Oh well.
If you don’t read the names, then you don’t know their history or their personality and you lose some of what they are trying to say. I have been here a long time and I know a lot about a lot of posters and that influences how I will view each post. It’s not just what is said, but who says it that matters. Of course, I read the names.
Funnily enough, my name will probably not be familiar to any of you because I just changed it. Even though I am mostly a lurker, if I did make the smallest of impressions on you or you remember absolutely anything about me, it is lost because you don’t know my old name.
Same here. On boards with avatars I notice the avatar. Names fly right past my radar.
I catch usernames sort of in passing. If a post stands out, I’ll double-check who wrote it. There are only a few that I look for though, as individuals I’ve come to respect or admire for whatever reasons (I won’t name names so you can all keep thinking you’re equally special), and even fewer that I could pick out just by the style or content of a post.
Sure we do Ataraxy. You can’t fool us. 
To answer the OP, I always read names and know the “personalities” of dozens of posters.
Yeah, and all the posts look very much the same here, compared with most other discussion sites I’ve frequented over the last, er, umpty-dumpty years. Then there’s the fact that I haven’t been here for that long, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time before I start noticing the other distinguishing marks of the other posters. One thing that helps is if someone carries a quote in their sig or signs all their posts a certain way or something.
Heck, sometimes I come across a post that I wrote and think “Huh, that looks familiar” before I look at the name…
Sounds like my approach is pretty typical: I notice the name and read the post. Many posters are essentially anonymous to me, but there are dozens I recognize & have a mental model of who they are, what they care about, and how they write.
But it’s not like I go searching for posts by people I recognize or would be more or less likely to read a thread or post based on who wrote it. I open threads if their title is interesting and if the OP is interesting enough I’ll then read every post in it or until I lose interest in the topic.
I can’t imagine *not *having some idea of who’s who. I also can’t imagine getting much social satisfaction out of reading a board where it seemed like each post was generated by an anonymous cloud. The facts would be just as good, but the experience would be very dry & hollow.
I didn’t used to. But a year or so ago, I was reading some thread about how some poster was a known “x”. And I realized I had no idea of anyone’s reputation around here because everyone was, effectively, a nameless/faceless entity to me. I wished to be more aware of the ins and outs of this community and its members, so I started paying attention to user names.
It is a strange experience, and I would prefer to have more of a grasp of individualities here, as I have done elsewhere. I suppose it’ll come in time in spite of the lack of easy distinguishing cues. Reading threads in email makes it worse, because it reduces what visibility the usernames already have.
Wow, I’m surprised others are able to not see them, I assumed everyone is the same as me.
As I start to read posts I am usually visually aware of the posters name and the ones above and below the post I’m reading. Although, as I read further my attention will tune out the other detail from the screen but I can’t really avoid the initial awareness.
I kind of like the anonymous cloud. That’s what’s great about the internet.