# Things that make you immediately stop reading something **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270 "2019-02-10T04:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/61 "2019-02-11T11:50:16Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > So just know, grannies dont want to fuck. Turns out Irene Ryan died in '73. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/62 "2019-02-11T15:23:19Z")
Any time I encounter a “fact” that I know is wrong. In this day and age, there is no excuse for it. Get your facts right. If you’re too lazy to Google it, I’m too lazy to continue reading it. A reviewer for The New Yorker magazine on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s memoir _Unmaked_ “If you want to read how the author wrote the scores for _Cats_ and _Chess_.” Yes, the New Yorker. Just image they emails they got on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/63 "2019-02-11T18:02:13Z")
The last time it happened it was an article on “things you know about history which are completely wrong”. I tend to approach such lists with a chunk of salt, since the assumptions they make about what I know or do not tend to be off, but in this particular case one of the first items was “the Reconquista didn’t exist”. You see: since nobody back c. 726 sat down at a table to organize the next almost-800 years of Iberian war and peace, and since those almost-800 years had their ups and downs and enough changes of sides and alliances to make anybody dizzy, they didn’t exist. By the same token, WWI existed even less. After all, nobody prepared its Work Breakdown Structure and nobody called it “world war one” while it was going on… ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/64 "2019-02-11T18:25:42Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > I just experienced one in real life! > > Orientate. I fear your perceptions are coloured by growing up on “the other side of the pond”. Just because people speak different to you doesn’t make them wrong, and my friend Dr Smythe agrees. 🙂 Crappy writing, poor grammar, or a breathless tone usually make me stop reading. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/65 "2019-02-11T18:44:32Z")
“disruption” ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/66 "2019-02-11T18:54:25Z")
Virtually every article that starts, “New research shows…” I would not even have to read to the end of the article to discover that the “new research” is just a news release from the National Scientific Association for the Promotion of Groundhogs, or some other self-serving group. Having spent some time in research and academia, I can assure you that NO researcher every publishes or promotes research results that state, “Yeah, everything we discovered is exactly like we thought it was prior to the research.” There’s a bit of National Enquirer in all studies and related press releases. Also, I stop reading any news articles that don’t know the difference between “canon” and “cannon,” “breaks” and “brakes,” and so forth. Can’t spell? Why should I think you can get facts straight? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/67 "2019-02-11T19:04:31Z")
Anyone who is trying to tell me something that “They” don’t want me to know. They being the government, scientists, Pharmacuetical companies etc. Anyone who uses Obama’s middle name. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/68 "2019-02-11T20:02:22Z")
People of a certain region/age/ethnic group are SHOCKED by this clickbait… The word “ultimate,” as in “ultimate mattress sale.” Your overuse of the word convinces me never to consider whatever it is you’re selling. Anything about Meghan Fucking Markle Twitter Is Legit TRASHING Offset Right Now and He May Never Recover - No, it’s not Twitter, it’s Twitter users. No, “legit” means “legally correct.” You just like “legit” because it rhymes with “to quit,” like when you quit reading anything over 140 characters. No, whoever Offset is isn’t going to suffer ruination because of barely legible twitter comments. Are you proud that you’re actually reading words that don’t require you cracking open a book? I tell you, Twitter is the devil’s tool to dumb down America. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/69 "2019-02-11T20:08:54Z")
Anything with the word “cuck” in it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/70 "2019-02-11T20:26:28Z")
Any controversial topic where they add -gate to the end of it. Deflate-gate Russian-gate Election-gate I only give a pass to the Flint water crisis, because a blogger called it water-gate and I smiled. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/71 "2019-02-12T20:56:41Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > snip… > > Anything about Meghan Fucking Markle > > snip… Anything about the entire British Royal Family. I’m an American; why should I care? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/72 "2019-02-12T20:59:12Z")
Anything that claims that something “can’t be explained”. And I never look at any YouTube video where the screenshot has a red circle or arrow drawn on it. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/73 "2019-02-12T21:26:41Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > “Virtue signaling.” I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a person or written piece that used this phrase (unironically) that was worth further interaction. I accept that some people are hypocrites or poseurs, and they deserve criticism for that. But the phrase “virtue signaling” is just a shibboleth for douchebags. > > Quoting _The Art of War_. This may just be peculiar to my field, information security. But when I start reading an article in a security publication, and the writer quotes the _Art of War_, I know it’s a shit article. “As Sun Tzu said, ‘Know your enemy’!” Well, as Winston Churchill said, “Good day, sir!” Depends on the type of writing. I’m a lot less tolerant of cliches in professional writing than somebody’s post on the internet, and among professional writers depending on the topic. As suggested by Sun Tzu in an article on information security, or really anything else outside military where it’s directly relevant. And even in military history writing some of the more common quotations are worn out by now. For example back when the ‘know enemy know self’ quote was used in the US Army’s official history of the Korean War, about the early battles where the Army’s lack of self-recognition of its unpreparedness, and lack of almost any knowledge of the North Koreans, led to disaster, that was appropriate. Decades later, find your own, fresher quotes. 🙂 But back to internet posts, SJW’s, PC and virtue signalling are real things. People on the left don’t want to hear them perhaps (a similar list and reaction could probably be assembled for abbreviations aimed at the right). Which is fine, but doesn’t really contradict the first statement. And how much originality are you demanding in everything you read? If you simply refer to SJW’s by some more polite term, when everyone knows the general type of person being referred to if you use that term, that’s just more polite, not necessarily more original or factual. It might not actually be as clear to use a more polite term. Quoting Sun Tzu (or seriously using words like ‘shibboleth’ 🙂 ) could also be interpreted as pretentious, which it isn’t really to use cliche references like SJW. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/74 "2019-02-12T22:10:03Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Any incorrect uses of apostrophes stop me in my tracks. If it’s just once I might give them a chance that it was a typo (but then why didn’t the editor catch it?) but not twice. There are a few other grammar issues I have (alot is one) but the apostrophes are the kiss of death. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > …or a breathless tone usually make me stop reading. Amen. So many people who don’t realize how sparingly exclamation points should be used! To me it’s a glaring indicator of bad writing! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/75 "2019-02-12T22:18:08Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Back during the Obama presidency, I felt like it was a pretty effective razor that anyone who said ‘Obama’ during our first conversation was probably a complete write-off. > > I mean I get why some people didn’t like Obama and that’s fine and we can talk about it when it comes up, but if it’s always on the tip of your tongue and you assume that everyone you meet would like to hear your thoughtson that, that’s a symptom there is some derangement at work. > > Likewise with Trump, I’m happy to bash the man all day, but our first meeting involves you sharing your feelings about him… there’s an unhealthy obsession. “Don’t re-nig in 2012” led to an immediate blockage for me. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/76 "2019-02-12T22:21:08Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Amen. So many people who don’t realize how sparingly exclamation points should be used! To me it’s a glaring indicator of bad writing! …also people who use ellipses instead of periods…they really annoy me… ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/77 "2019-02-13T02:29:26Z")
I’m enjoying everyone’s responses, though I am a little surprised by the members of this board who object to shibboleth. It’s a word I don’t get to use very often, but when it fits, you just can’t pass up the opportunity. We even have a poster here named **Shibboleth** , and they seem nice enough. Anyway, I forgot one of the most obvious signs that everyone should stop reading or listening: “I’m not a racist, but…” Yeah, I think I’ll save us both some time and just start ignoring you now. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/78 "2019-02-13T02:47:49Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > “Research says…” > > Sure, right, all that fucking means you googled something and found a bunch of articles that said whatever it is you wanted to say, and you didn’t want to bother investigating any actual facts or research. You fuckbucket. “Studies show…” When I was in college, I overheard a classmate say, “Who DOES all these studies?” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/79 "2019-02-13T02:52:28Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Anything about Meghan Fucking Markle Which reminds me: “preggers” or “baby bump” in the context of a pregnant public figure. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270/80 "2019-02-13T11:06:54Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > And I never look at any YouTube video where the screenshot has a red circle or arrow drawn on it. Or the word “Truth” is in the title. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-make-you-immediately-stop-reading-something/829270.md?page=5)