for every five posts i put up here, there is probably one more that i wrote out, but didn’t have the nerve to submit, because either the joke was entirely lame, the content would get me flamed to death, or i didn’t feel i knew what i was trying to say. I know i can’t be the only one who does this, so fess up, Dope-arinos!
I had a whole big response to this typed up, but I decided it wouldn’t really contribute anything to the discussion, so I deleted it.
Fairly often. No, wait–
Not that often - once or twice a week, perhaps. Usually it’s when I preview and see that I won’t be adding anything or I catch myself being a little snarky.
it’s about 50/50
All the time. I’ll write something then think “does anybody really care about my opinion on flying meat-eating wombats?” More of than not, I think “No, nobody does.” so then I hit the back button and delete my post. I imagine if I posted everything I typed, I’d have about 10,000 posts.
Maybe about once every couple of weeks or so, usually because I look at what I’ve written and decide either it doesn’t really contribute anything to the thread, or I’ve missed something in an earlier post that either makes my post completely redundant, irrelevant or wrong.
Constantly. Far more often than I use 22 question marks in a row.
Often.
And that’s not counting the ones that never make it from my brain to the keyboard.
It is a good thing.
Often, (maybe not often enough), if the thread is at all serious, I think about my post after constructing it and only post it if I still think it’s necessary or helpful.
Luckily this thread isn’t all that serious, so I’ll post this even though i’m agreeing with everyone else…
I do it all the time. Otherwise, I’d probably have a postcount of handyesque proportions.
Look at all of 'em, Tars! I thought the type/delete syndrome was just a Mars thing.
Sigh of relief.
I’ve done it a few times. Generally it’s when I read it and decide it’s lame.
Haj
50% of the time. Sometimes I type out a post and forget what the hell my point was. Or I change my mind about what I want to say and after a few tries I just lose interest. I think it’s because of this handy reply box at the bottom of the thread. If I had to hit reply every time I probably wouldn’t bother unless I KNEW I had something to say. This joe causal box here makes it so easy to just start yapping away as soon as you get to the end of the page.
Every time I forget to copy the response and the hamsters eat it. Usually I can’t be arsed to type it again.
When I first started posting it was 3 to 1 the posts I’d not submit to the ones I’d submit. It’s droped to about 1 to 5 the other way now. (I’m sure some people wish I’d go back to 3 to 1) mainly whenever I feel I’m contributing zero to the discussion and fear I might be posting just to post.
whenever I would start posting and notice I was not logged in and that happens at least once a week.
I didn’t do this at all when I started reading here. Then someone offhandedly mentioned hitting the ‘back’ button after writing out a post and it’s like a little lightbulb went on in my head.
Now, I’d say about 1/10, with the percentage going a bit higher if I’m involved in heated discussion.
All the time. I go through the exact same thought process as pepperlandgirl.
Depends on the forum. In MPSIMS, Cafe, and the Pit, rarely.
In GQ, sometimes I’m answering, hit preview, and see a very similar answer just posted. I either edit my post or delete it. Happens maybe about 1 in 5.
GD. That’s the one I usually end up deleting. Maybe 50/50. So many GDers are so full of themselves, that other people’s posts either get ignored, misinterpreted, or flamed. Who needs that? And considering that I have yet to see any GD thread on a major topic actually change anyone’s mind… Well, if I can add to a reasonable discussion, I will. But since I usually just end up wanting to tell them to go squink a dead donkey, I just delete my last response and chalk it up to “Who cares?”
So, overall, very rarely. Not at all in the conversation type threads like in MPSIMS or Trek.
Ya shudda seen the other post I wroted! 