For long threads, I try to determine whether or not what I’m thinking of posting is something that a person of above average intelligence would likely say. If the answer is ‘yes’ (and it often is), then I refrain. I often will do a search for key words in some of these threads when feasible, to see if someone has already expressed the idea. Doesn’t always work, and I’ve had my share of “see post #xxx” above, but at least I’ve done some diligence.
I often find that someone else says what I was going to, but in a better more elegant way, so my pithy comments wouldn’t add anything to the discussion. So, I remain silent and not look like a fool.
Of course, there are certain kinds of threads to which this doesn’t apply, such as those Thread Games threads like “Speak To Me In Random Farm Animal Noises.” Although even there I’ll sometimes do a search to see if my intended reply has already appeared (many times? by me?).
(I did read this whole thread, and I don’t think anyone else has made this point yet, but now I’m scared that someone has and I missed it.)
Reading this thread, one can conclude that for every type of transgressive action, there is a mitigating circumstance that (arguably) renders it excusable.
Except casting a vote for a Republican. That’s a sin.
Doesn’t bug me to the point of it really bugging me like it might bug you making you bug out over it.
You seem to complain a lot in general. Heres a pro tip Write down all your grievances about how many peoples are doing it wrong then submit your rules for posting to the board for their consideration.
Sheesh 
Sounds about right. Thus is any society and successful governing rules & conventions.
Said another way, what’s really disrespectful to the community is the exteme behavior of being the clueless [checks category] fuck who habitually slams out the first thing that pops into your idjit noggin after being prompted solely by a skim of the OP title.
The result reads like asking ChatGPT to write a story given a 4 word clue.
I can certainly be rightfully accused of blathering a LOT around here. But I try and IMO often succeed in thinking a bit about what the audience will appreciate vs. just me loving the sound of my own typing.
And here is a great example. Thread asks about common wisdom that used to be true but no longer is because things have evolved. Most of the first few responses are talking about things that were never true and have been debunked.
Guilty as charged, here. I’m working on it, trying to be better, but must admit that I often do this.
I’m learning, slowly. I appreciate your patience!
You know what the acronym MARINE stands for, right?
Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Expected.
It’s in the title. Good god.
READ the title.
Seatbelts still exist.
It is common knowledge people thought it was true it was dangerous to wear them. So they didn’t.
It’s kind why they made it law and huge campaigns to inform people. The big signs I see say “Click it or Ticket” not You all have hugh brains, you knew inherently they are safer than going without.
I’m sorry, but the average dumbass isn’t as smart as you, apparently.
So, obsolete advice, to not use them.
ETA. I read a lot of hours of threads. Because my understanding of things is different than yours makes it just that, I understand things differently than you. Isn’t that the point, really?
If everyone thinks the same thing why talk about things at all? Civil discourse should be civil, not contentious. IMHO
Or bickering about whether the things held up to ridicule were ever correct or are still correct now and so undeserving of ridicule.
IMO the OP poisoned their own thread a bit with an ill-chosen example.
I didn’t mean to pick on you specifically and link to your post. I meant to link to the OP so I apologize for that. Regardless, your post did not answer the question asked in the body of the OP.
That’s because when you create a thread, it is automatically set to “watching” mode. When I create a thread I change it to “tracking” mode because I don’t need a notification of every single post made in it. “Tracking” just lets you know if a thread has new posts when you are looking at a forum category; it’s the mode a thread will be in if you post in it or read it multiple times.
You don’t have to be in “watching” mode if you create a thread, and you can “watch” any thread you want.
Back to the topic, one thing I didn’t see mentioned yet (and I promise that I did actually read all your posts, but I might have missed it) is that if you don’t read through a thread you might miss a moderator note or other guidance and risk getting yourself in trouble. It’s just dumb to post blindly.
If a thread literally has thousands of posts I haven’t read, I just don’t post in it unless I want to go through and read them all. So there are massive threads on the board I just avoid because it’s too much work.
Luckily Mod posts are a different color so they are super easy to spot even when quickly scrolling through.
Lol! Yep, I do call you out on a lot of your posts, but I think you’ll notice that lots of folks here call you out, not just me.
Usually yes. Not always. I’ve seen a mod just nudge a topic back on track or something along those lines without the background. I don’t know if it was a case where the mod felt it wasn’t important enough to use the background or they just forgot, but it happens.
And depending on your theme that background might not stand out very well, especially if you’re skimming quickly, or decide to skip large parts of the thread.
Oh, good point that I forgot about. That happens pretty often in the huge threads.
I don’t avoid those, but I know what you mean. There should be a way that mods can let people know that a thread has mod notes and a quick link to those notes. I don’t know where it would go, though.
In addition to adding the special coloring to a post, we include the word, “moderating,” in posts where we are officially acting as mods. It takes no time at all to search a thread for that word. It should return virtually very mod note made.
Nice tip! Thanks.
Finger pointing is your forte and it’s no surprise you’re keeping score.
I understand.
I accept that apology.
The OP of that thread gave an odd example of things.
I take things to be things,
not my person.
Someone in the thread mentioned not swimming soon after eating. That was safety advice. Not a thing.
It may well be obsolete. I don’t know. People still say/do it.
I could give you gardening advice that’s obsolete, but that is not a thing either.
Seatbelts are a thing. With lots of bad advice surrounding them.
My Granny wouldn’t wear the shoulder belt. She said it would hang her in a wreck.
I know a person who got out of a seatbelt ticket by telling the judge her seatbelts were automatic since they hooked to the door frame. She didn’t tell him the lap belt was not clicked in.
Like I said some life experience about things can be useful.
It pays to read the whole thread. But let me tell you in P&E it’s hard. Some folks go on and on, repeating the same opinions. Sometimes very good opinions. Not always. Typing so many words that don’t get read seems useless. Get it down to the point. Please.