I’m confident that if a thread is say, over 30 posts long that I’ll have nothing original to contribute. You folks are too knowledgable. Typically I do read the entire thread though, and then decide if I have anything unique to contribute.
I voted usually. The only exceptions are for responding to polls which aren’t controversial and the thread has run several pages.
Without reading any of the replies, I’m guessing I’m not the first to make this obvious joke.
Actually, I usually read most of the threads most of the times if I’m going to comment.
It depends on the type of thread and the length, doing the same sorts of things begbert2 said.
Still, I think there is a way I do the average thread. I generally start out reading them in their entirety. But I may start skimming the thread if it’s long, or skip posts when I can see where they are going and they aren’t interesting to me, and pick back up reading in full towards the end to see where the conversation is.
At any point in the thread, however, I may think of something to say, and I will then jump and immediately start a reply so I don’t forget. I however don’t finish and send the reply until I go back and at least skim through the thread, or use Ctrl-F for particularly long threads. And I still check the bottom of the thread to make sure the topic hasn’t drifted too far.
There are sometimes threads where I’m just so interested I read them all the way through anyways, even though I have nothing to say. And, yes, there are the ongoing threads where I start from the bottom and work my way up. But I still tend to respond in the order I read, so I may wind up replying to a later post before an earlier post. (That is a habit I may want to change.)
Oh, and if someone replies directly to me, I may not read the intervening comments that weren’t replies to me before replying back (other than skimming to see if someone tried to reply for me so I can say “Yeah, that’s right” or “No, here’s what I really think”). This is also the most likely case where I’ll respond even if the conversation has moved on. If you cared enough to reply to me directly, I think you’d care about my reply. Though, as in all cases, it depends on how much I want to say it versus how much the conversation has moved on.
One downside is that some people have assumed I spent days or weeks working up a rejoinder. Nope. I just didn’t read that post until much later. I do occasionally set aside a post when I’m having trouble articulating my thoughts, leaving a tab open to finish later, but I close it within a day or two if I still can’t do it. And this is never for rejoinders, but for trying to explain a concept I have trouble putting into words or explaining why I think something is incorrect.
And, wow. I didn’t mean to blather on about my habits that long. Sorry if it’s boring.
It seems to be common practice here–and I’m sure you know this–for people to come into a thread and make a comment or observation which is essentially exactly the same as one that appeared only a few posts up-thread, as though they were the first to bring it up. Often it isn’t even anything particularly helpful or insightful.
IOW, it’s very clear that many people just see a thread title, drop into the thread, and make some gratuitous post without bothering to read the other posts at all.
In fact, most of the poll-type threads are basically designed to be that way. Practically no one reads the other posts in those–or at least, there’s little or no real conversation. That kind of thread is just an initial vanity post for the OP, and then a succession of posts by people who just have a compulsion to post.
It depends on how long it is. If it’s many, many pages, I won’t usually read the whole thing, but I will read the last few pages. If I have a comment I feel I must share, I’ll begin with a disclaimer, i.e., “Didn’t read the whole thread.”
I voted “other”. If the op is a factual question, and I know the answer, I’ll check to see if the question had already been answered. Then I typically decide not to post. If the op is asking for opinions or experiences, I’ll often skip some of the thread, especially if it’s long.
So I realize that when I post, the odds are I haven’t read the whole thread. (Unless it’s short). But I read lots of threads I don’t post in.
I’m middle-ground. If its a one-pager I do read the whole thing; if its longer I usually go the first half of page 1 and then skip to the last page. There are exceptions such as the MMPs (where basically I read every word) but my time on the site is self-restricted and I just couldn’t consider going a whole 10-page thread post by post.
I read the entire thread with a few exceptions: omnibus threads and fast-moving, multiple-page threads that are growing faster than I can read.
If it’s one page, I’ll typically read it all. Or at least scan all the posts.
If it’s multiple pages, I’ll start on the last page and see if the thread title is still the topic. If it’s about flying cars and the last page is three people arguing about the GM bailout and politics, I won’t bother to go back but if I have some amazing point about the GM bailout, I might post it.
If it’s mainly a “Name songs about dogs” style post, I’ll likely do a Find to see if my answer is posted rather than read every song title. I might go back after and read them but you can’t afford to waste precious moments and get ninja’d in a case like that.
If it’s a poll, “Does your lawn have weeds?”, then I’ll usually scan the replies but my answer obviously doesn’t hinge on what anyone else said so I worry less about it. But sometimes someone else made a point worth responding to.
I read through the entire thing unless it is umpteen pages long. That way when I compose a post in response to something I don’t look stupid when I see that I posted the exact same thing three years ago.
Which happens pretty often.
I also have to check that no one else posted the joke I’m thinking of. People are quick around here.
All,
Believe me or not;
- I often times find that I don’t have anything to write that will add to the discussion.
- I’ve also found that someone else has already said something pretty close to what I was thinking. If the point has been made, it will be better for me to just move on.
- I’ve also found that my initial response gets changed as I read through a thread, people do present facets of issues that I hadn’t thought of or that I was just not aware of.
- Sigh, more often than I would like to admit, I feel like I’m just too ignorant to stick my foolish remarks into a discussion.
5)I don’t enjoy getting embroiled in heated discussions.
A saying that was told to me by a Buddist Nun goes something like this: “First, before you speak, consider how your words may improve on the silence.” [I’m really careful of the context before I will say that to someone, very easy to construe as; Close your pie hole.]
Respectfully yours, Zuer-coli
So, picking a random IMHO thread, “Cowboy Action Shooting Question”, you might drop in to say “Yeee-Haw, ah’m up fer some Cowboy Action! An’ sure as shootin’ ah’ll be shootin’, cuz ah be ridin bareback, iffin ya gets muh meanin’, ya mangy polecats.”
And then you’d go back and read the OP? Waaal, you ARE a rough ridin’ rapscallion, ain’tcha?
If I’m interested in the post or may have something to add, I read all the posts.