# If you post a thread on straight dope but get Zero replies, do you feel like a Loser? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 11, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250 "2006-08-11T03:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/21 "2006-08-12T01:58:40Z")
Usually, I’ve found that the zero replies threads I’ve had were probably better suited to a speciality message board. They’ve all been in Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/22 "2006-08-12T03:29:38Z")
Well, I hate it. I don’t cry, but I feel quite the fool. Generally I don’t post for a few days after it happens. Yes. I have done it more than once. I am going now. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/23 "2006-08-12T04:40:11Z")
You’ve got to put all this into context. If there had been a message board in Shakespeare’s time I’m convinced _King Lear_ would have attracted precisely zero replies. Especially if he posted the thing in _Cafe Society._ ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/24 "2006-08-12T13:04:14Z")
It is gratifying to get at least one reply to one of your threads. However I still feel like a loser since many of my threads top out before reaching 5 posts. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/25 "2006-08-12T22:22:55Z")
I’ve got one going right now with only one reply. Doesn’t make me feel great, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/26 "2006-08-12T22:35:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Will anyone else cop to replying to a thread just because it has languished, lonely as a cloud, with no replies? Call it a pity post. I’ve done it once or twice. [/QUOTE] Me too. I currently have a thread in GD that I started this morning on what I thought was a very interesting topic. Apparently, I was wrong. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/27 "2006-08-12T22:39:15Z")
Yes it would bother me! What’s even worse is when someone makes a pity reply. You know their heart really isn’t in it but they feel bad for your poor lonely little post. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/28 "2006-08-12T23:15:08Z")
The simple truth is, people respond to topics that interest them, and don’t respond to threads that don’t interest them. This has nothing to do with what sort of person or poster you are. I’ve had threads disappear without any responses, or with only a few responses, and threads that drew hundreds of responses and thousands of views. It always has to do with how much knowledge and interest people have in the topic, not anything to do with me or the way I post. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/29 "2006-08-12T23:18:01Z")
My second or third greenlight on Fark (2002-ish) only got 3 replies - which given the traffic there is minus figures on most boards . One of the respondants was me, and the other two were more or less “WTF, dude?!!”. Still, one of the admins must’ve liked it. A chastening experience. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/30 "2006-08-13T02:27:45Z")
Naah, happens [all the time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=383724). Truth is, I’m more annoyed when I post to ongoing threads and no one acknowledges or responds to what I’ve said. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/31 "2006-08-13T14:43:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Will anyone else cop to replying to a thread just because it has languished, lonely as a cloud, with no replies? Call it a pity post. I’ve done it once or twice. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I’ve doled out a bump or two in my time. Typically if it’s a newbie and their post sounds genuine. I also employ the methods of **Lissa** ; thinking that when a thread disappears shortly after I post to it, that I just answered the question beyond anyone else’s knowledge. yeah, right, that’s it! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/32 "2006-08-13T17:15:47Z")
Doesn’t bug me as much as it used to…The issue is: Dopers are smart folks, smark folks like Jeopardy. Of The answer (OP) isn’t in the form of a question, the move on. Ask yerself: Is there anything to _reply\_to_ in this post, before pressing submit. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/33 "2006-08-13T18:52:53Z")
Nah,I feel like a loser for many better reasons. I miss my happy jewish man smiley. Look, you never know what threads will get tons of replies. I think my most fruitful two were the Suspension of Disbelief thread over in CS and a certain debate on sexuality thread in IMHO, and I didn’t expect nearly as much response; the latter, in particular quickly mutated away from what I intended. People respond to what they want to respond to. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/34 "2006-08-13T18:57:47Z")
I think I’ve only had one thread sink without a single reply. Unfortunately it was one where I was really interested in any possible answer. Oh, well. Usually I’ll get at least a “Shut up, you maroon!” out of somebody. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250/35 "2006-08-13T20:51:16Z")
I just started a few failures recently. Of course this one I knew would probably go nowhere. [The Wonderful site Baseball-Reference has added a Baseball Wiki call the Bullpen](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=383701). Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-post-a-thread-on-straight-dope-but-get-zero-replies-do-you-feel-like-a-loser/368250.md?page=1)