# How often do you read through a thread before posting? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774 "2019-04-19T15:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/1 "2019-04-19T15:04:59Z")
When you post to a new thread, how often do you read all the previous posts before adding your own? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/2 "2019-04-19T15:08:15Z")
I’ll read the entire thread before posting just to make sure I’m not repeating what has been said before. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/3 "2019-04-19T15:09:32Z")
Well, this one was pretty long but I swear I read the whole thing before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/4 "2019-04-19T15:27:52Z")
Usually just once. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/5 "2019-04-19T15:30:46Z")
> [@Borborygmi](#): > > Usually just once. Well, as far as I know you can only post for the first time to a new thread once, so I’m not sure I understand what you mean. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/6 "2019-04-19T15:34:55Z")
Depends on the thread, but generally I will at least do a “find” search through the thread for key words or phrases I’m planning to contribute before I do. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/7 "2019-04-19T15:42:38Z")
I will sometimes skip over the old posts when a thread is bumped, but I always read all posts within the current conversation. To not do so seems kind of rude to me. Posting in threads should be about participating in a conversation, not just shouting out on a street corner. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/8 "2019-04-19T15:58:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Well, as far as I know you can only post for the first time to a new thread once, so I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Well, for example, I read through this very thread just once before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/9 "2019-04-19T15:58:13Z")
Like everyone else who has responded so far, I just skip to the end. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/10 "2019-04-19T16:04:48Z")
If I find a thread that I want to quote (often to refute it) I will often stop right there and make my post. Otherwise I will generally read through to the end first. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/11 "2019-04-19T16:10:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Depends on the thread, but generally I will at least do a “find” search through the thread for key words or phrases I’m planning to contribute before I do. I do this, too! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/12 "2019-04-19T16:10:42Z")
For me it depends strongly on the thread. For longer threads that I haven’t been following previously, I’ll start at the end and follow back a ways until I feel like I have the gist of where the discussion is now. So I might post something that’s already been said, but I think it’s worth that risk vs. spending the time to read hundreds of posts from days or weeks ago that may not be relevant to the discussion today. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/13 "2019-04-19T16:13:34Z")
I read thru it all, except for the posts from people who I don’t read because I already know what they are going to say. Just like **Inigo Montoya**. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/14 "2019-04-19T17:23:44Z")
I voted ‘other’ because like many people it depends heavily on the thread in question. For me there are four cases where I tend not to read the entire thread: 1. It’s dozens of pages long. No way does a post made 500 posts ago matter to the current conversation (unless it’s been quoted recently), so I’ll tend to read the last few pages only. 2. My eyes are glazing over on a subdiscussion I’m not part of. It’s not uncommon (in GD especially) for a subdebate to break open outside the main context of the thread, on a subject I care nothing about. As I read through the thread I’ll skim past such posts once I note they’re not something I’m interested in, particularly if they’re walls of text. 3. It’s a IMHO-type thread seeking personal opinions/experiences. Sometimes with those I’ll read a bit and skip to the end, if it seems like less of a conversation and more like a series of independent blurbs. Might as well get my blurb out faster. 4. It’s a poll. I’ll read the OP, then vote before reading anyone else’s comments, and possibly also write my explanatory post for my vote before reading comments, so as to present an uninfluenced opinion. This _has_ bitten me before; I recently cast a vote, read the thread, and found myself vociferously arguing against the very position I voted for. ETA: _This_ poll, though, I read all the way through first. It seemed to be the thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/15 "2019-04-19T17:39:04Z")
If the thread is several pages long before I get to it. I read the LAST post first and keep going back until I get a feel for where the conversation is at. And if I can speak to that, I will, otherwise I’ll just lurk. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/16 "2019-04-19T19:06:42Z")
I don’t know if anyone else does it, but I just skip to the end. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/17 "2019-04-19T19:17:39Z")
Sometimes I just post a response to the thread title, and read the thread later. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/18 "2019-04-19T19:27:43Z")
TL;DR ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/19 "2019-04-19T19:41:05Z")
I’ll at least skim, unless it’s a long running live thread. If I haven’t read the Omnibus Troll thread for a while, for instance, and an interesting troll or kook appears, I don’t need to read all of it, just far enough back that I can be relatively sure no one has posted about said troll/kook. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774/20 "2019-04-19T19:47:59Z")
I’m just talking about your first post in a thread you haven’t been to before, not return visits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-read-through-a-thread-before-posting/832774.md?page=2)