I bet I delete half the posts I compose. Maybe I think others will weigh in with something that will change my mind. Maybe it’s a hot-button topic. Other times I may think it doesn’t look as good after I type it. Or maybe I think, this being the sdmb, that I really should fact check before posting.
I don’t know. I’m about 50/50. What percentage do you post and what percentage do you delete?
Probably more than 50% of what I type in the edit box ultimately disappears into the Internet oblivion and usually after several revisions.
The typical reason is that I’m not confident in the finished product and I’m concerned that what I’ve written will be misinterpreted and/or pounced upon. I guess my skin’s just too thin.
There’s some quote out there about wise people holding back because they aren’t quite sure while the doofus brigade charges forward, utterly certain of themselves…
There are two rules for success:
Most (though not all) of the posts I actually type, I post.
But then there are the ones I compose in my head and then don’t ever post.
I have to write mine out, look at them, and reflect. That’s not a totally bad thing.
I’d say I don’t post about 25% of what I type. Words unspoken are seldom regretted, and all that.
[Moderating]
Not really a factual question here. Off to MPSIMS.
I suspect most of the mistakes I make in my writing, such as missing words, comes from the fact that I do not pause before I fit submit. I ought to do that.
Also, I misread the title of the thread as “POTUS interruptus,” which would have been something else entirely.
I discard MANY of my posts. In some cases, I save the unsent post in a file. For example I recently went to the bother of formatting Webster’s definition of “insane” and, at the last moment, realized that nothing about posting it in that thread — which had already received Moderator attention — would be either useful or amusing. But I saved the definition for possible re-use; Here it is:
I do think that 'insane' might be a useful adjective in some sentences describing Trumpie Bros, though I personally would consult a Thesaurus and find a better choice.
[QUOTE]
in·sane | \ (ˌ)in-ˈsān \
Definition of insane
1 a (1) : exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind : affected with mental illness
(2) law : affected with insanity (see insanity sense 2)
//criminally insane
b : unable to think in a clear or sensible way : crazy
// insane with jealousy
—not used technically
2 : used by, typical of, or intended for mentally ill people
// an insane asylum
3 : absurd
// an insane scheme for making money
4 informal : outrageously high or extreme
// making insane amounts of money
// The monster truck pursued him at insane speeds …
// More than 22,000 athletes descend on Philadelphia's Franklin Field to chug insane amounts of Gatorade …
— Chris Ballard
also : exceptionally good or impressive
// Minnesota … has blazed out to an insane start, taking an early lead in the Northwest Division.
— Tom Wheatley
// With his rough-edged baritone and ear for insane hooks, [reggae singer] Baby Cham always sounds wicked.
— Rob Kenner
[/QUOTE]
I compose some amazing posts in my head, but by the time I get to a computer, they’re gone. I truly regret that all that wisdom is lost.
As for what I actually type then delete, it’s a pretty small percentage. Generally, I get a paragraph or two written, then realize it’s even too inane for the Mundane category.
You’re welcome.
I delete about 50% of what I compose, too. Many times I think “Nah, it’s already been said.” Other times it’s “Nah, I don’t have the energy to hold up my side of the argument if I’m alone on this one. I’ve got things I wanted to accomplish this week, and I lack the ability to walk away once I’ve started something.”
(posting this before I delete it)
I delete almost nothing, maybe about 1 post per year or so. Percent posted is well over 99 percent and percent deleted is less than 1 percent.
Yes, I discard at least 50% of what I write. Mostly it’s my own critical faculty coming into play, realizing that what I am writing is not particularly original or interesting. I don’t think I have ever regretted posting anything once it’s actually out there. Even if I get severe blow-back or censure, my posts are, if nothing else, earnest.
I delete some of mine before posting; don’t know what percentage, though I think it’s under 50%.
Sometimes I refresh the thread and decide whatever I’m saying has already been addressed enough. Sometimes I realize I may have misunderstood the post/s I’m replying to. Sometimes I decide I can’t back up what I’m saying. Sometimes I expect I can back up what I’m saying, but realize that doing so would take more work than I’m willing to put in at the time. Sometimes I just can’t get what I want to say phrased in a fashion that I think is clear enough.
I’m going to claim the opposite. As you can see, I’ve been here a while with few posts. In fact i would be one of the Charter OGs except I changed my handle at one point. Against the rules yes, but I was just trying to figure out how to deal with the board and not get into conversations I had no business being in. So I returned as a very passive observer and occasional wise crack and almost no insight. But I’ve always loved being here. And I am having to absolutely force myself to click this post though cuz it almost got deleted twice in the last five minutes (I type slow). But yeah, 99% in the hole.
I just discarded a much longer post and felt I just needed to say that I do this too.