# The truth about posts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 29, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934 "2003-03-29T00:50:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mancunian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mancunian/32/12244_2.png) [@mancunian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mancunian)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/1 "2003-03-29T00:50:31Z")
Just wondering, but when sombody posts in reply to a thread, do they only read the replies that are directed at them? Or worse, maybe just answer the op, and never look back? ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/2 "2003-03-29T01:53:20Z")
I read every post in a thread before I reply to the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/3 "2003-03-29T02:06:05Z")
I think that would vary widely with almost 33,000 posters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/4 "2003-03-29T02:10:59Z")
I think that would vary widely with almost 33,000 posters. Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/5 "2003-03-29T02:29:13Z")
I, personally, don’t post to a thread without reading all previous posts. I may decide on a certain response I want to make as soon as I read the OP, but if someone else has already made that point, then I don’t bother posting it (unless it’s the sort of thread where it might be helpful for someone to know if a mojority of people hold a certain position, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/6 "2003-03-29T03:04:28Z")
Good question. If the thread title interests me somewhat but there are already 50 or more replies, I often won’t even open it because I am unwilling to read all the replies and think that just replying without reading all the replies might not be the right thing to do. Occasionally I just throw in my 2¢ and it’s usually pretty lame and non-contoversial. In such a case I usually won’t check back too often. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/7 "2003-03-29T03:23:10Z")
I generally read all replies before posting. If some comment particularly incenses me or piques my interest, I’ll scan the other replies to see if it’s been addressed already. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/8 "2003-03-29T03:27:35Z")
I usually do not post over weekends, so I find that I miss quite a bit. Often, a thread that has gone for a long time and I have not already responded to I will not respond to at all. If, however, it is of [articular interest to me or by a Doper friend, I will try (if I have the time) to read each post to make certain I do not repead another person’s post before I make my own reply. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/9 "2003-03-29T04:14:31Z")
At last! I’ve been trying to get this thread open for the past 10 minutes! damn lazy hamsters. making the boards work, but not the posts. arse. In answer to the OP - It depends entirely on the nature of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/10 "2003-03-29T16:09:55Z")
I read every post to avoid looking like a dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/11 "2003-03-29T16:14:54Z")
Sometimes I read every post. Sometimes I just post based on the OP; as **Sock Munkey** implies, this can sometimes result in dumbassery. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/12 "2003-03-29T18:12:50Z")
If its a ‘what about you’ or a ‘write something’ I might contribute without reading, but otherwise I generally read, since whatever I want to say has nromally already been said. ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-posts/164934/13 "2003-03-29T21:59:51Z")
Depends on how long the thread is … who’d have the time/inclination to read through 15 pages of posts?