I figure there must be at least two main types of readers/posters on the board.
A: The ones, like me, who surf around all of the forums and pick threads almost haphazardly - whatever strikes your fancy at the moment. Then read the OP, a few of the replies, and maybe or maybe not put in your $0.01-0.03. When you visit the boards again, you try to find the threads you have posted in to see if anyone responded to you, but sometimes you never read them again. (I don’t even use the subscribe feature)
B: The more careful, meticulous types who only read a few threads (which they only click on once they have looked at the list and taken time to consider their options), but follow them closely and read all or most of the posts. They use the subscribe feature and keep tabs on the thread more or less until it dies. They are more likely to spend a greater deal of time and energy composing thoughtful responses. In other words, committed. This is the type of poster I aspire to be.
Which type are you? Or if you are a third type I haven’t thought of, describe your type.
Oh, and by the way, the defining word for type A to best counter “committed” for type B would probably be “impulsive”. I would have included that in my OP, but I forgot, because I’m a type A.
I surf the forums, looking for interesting topics or catchy thread titles. I don’t subscribe to anything, but I regularly check back to see how discussions are going. There are posters whose threads I will read no matter what the topic, just because of their track record. There are also posters whose threads I generally avoid, because I have generally found them to be not my taste.
Posts range from the well(?)-thought out argument to the drive-by pot-shot. I am large - I contain multitudes.
I use the Quick Links - New Posts option at the top to get all the new posts in all forums, then go through opening anything that looks halfway interesting. Post if I have anything to say, and continue on. Once a week, or less I do a search on my username to see what I have posted to, and see if there are any replies I need to reply to.
I’m Type A, too. If I were still a student, spending more time here and able to check personal email for alerts, I might be a Type B. But no - just whatever takes my fancy.
No doubt about it, type A, you desrcribed it perfectly. You left out the part though were you check to see how many replies there are as too many just takes too long read. When replies go on for six pages do people read all the replies or just scan or jump to the end?
