# Have you ever posted on a thread to say the thread is ridiculous? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904 "2009-06-16T03:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/1 "2009-06-16T03:15:49Z")
I’ve never done this and have a tough time imagining why anyone else would. On SDMB and other message boards I probably overlook about 95% of the threads after I glance at the titles. I sometimes wonder why other people are interested in the topic and would take the time to discuss it, but it’s no big deal. And I move on. But sometimes dopers see the title of a thread, read at least some of the posts, then choose to post to say that it’s a ridiculous thread. I don’t get it. Why would you do that? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/2 "2009-06-16T03:18:14Z")
C’mon, **Plan B** …did you really think this thread was a good idea? I mean, of all the ridiculous things to post about… Ok, now that we’ve gotten the obvious out of the way, no I haven’t – that’s Threadshitting 101, something I can’t stand. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/3 "2009-06-16T03:21:33Z")
Nope. I figure that will bump the thread. If it is on a board with good moderation like the SDMB and the thread is really bad, I"ll report it. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/4 "2009-06-16T03:39:17Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > C’mon, **Plan B** …did you really think this thread was a good idea? I mean, of all the ridiculous things to post about…[/SIZE] LOL, seriously. What a great way to end the day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/5 "2009-06-16T05:41:57Z")
I have. Sometimes people need someone to point out when they’re getting a bit fascinated with their ivory towers. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/6 "2009-06-16T13:16:04Z")
Yeah, I’ve threadshat on a couple of occasions. Hopefully not too frequently. And when I’ve been called on it, I believe nearly every time I’ve acknowledged my error. Not sure exactly what to attribute it too. I think that it is a combination of encountering a thread where folks express very strong opinions about something I either consider unimportant or feel equally strongly but differently about. Combined with that, ISTR that my episodes of threadshitting seem to occur when I am in a shitty mood about something else going on in my life. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/7 "2009-06-16T14:43:08Z")
I have a couple of times in the past. But these days, I usually recognise that’s what I am doing and end up deleting my comments or not posting at all. As an example, I’ve probably done that (not posted what I was going to post) five or six times in the last year. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/8 "2009-06-16T15:18:16Z")
I am tempted to often, but if I have, it was so long ago that I don’t remember. I think I may have once or twice. I think instead though, if a post is, IMO, too mindless even for MPSIMS, I just report it and let the mods decide. Probably the thing I do the most is, I just ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-posted-on-a-thread-to-say-the-thread-is-ridiculous/499904/9 "2009-06-16T15:29:21Z")
I have to be a wee bit more careful what I say now that I’m a moderator, but in my pre-mod days, I tried to follow this rule: 1. If I think it’s a stupid thing to create a thread for, I just stay out of it. 2. If I think it’s a reasonable topic, but disagree with the OP’s take on it, I’ll jump in. “Why did you do this? We have too many kitty threads already” = threadshitting. “No, neutering your tomcat is likely to make him GAIN weight, not lose” = discussion/debate.