# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 145
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3136 "2024-07-22T14:16:26Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > See how I selected a portion of your post to reply to? As long as you include some, but not all, of the original post, it’ll show up. If you include all of it, it’ll disappear. > > Pretty sure you can also add to the quote and it will show up. Add an extra space at the end, say. Ooh, thanks, that’s useful to know. I usually resort to deleting a period or comma from the post I’m trying to quote, which makes me a little uneasy. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3137 "2024-07-22T14:29:12Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Ooh, thanks, that’s useful to know. I usually resort to deleting a period or comma from the post I’m trying to quote, which makes me a little uneasy. You’re welcome! Also, if you try quoting somebody and the quote disappears when you post, you can click ‘edit’ (the little pencil icon), position your cursor at the top, then click the little word balloon icon at the top left of the posting menu. That adds the quote back in and this time Discourse doesn’t remove it when you save. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3138 "2024-07-22T14:48:24Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Speak for yourself, if you please. > > Thanks, > bobot > Mindreader of note I knew you would say that. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3139 "2024-07-23T02:27:54Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > What if I’m replying to someone who starts their post with, “Don’t quote me on this…” Easy. You truncate their post to say… > …quote me on this… Pitting in the elipses makes it legal. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3140 "2024-07-23T02:35:26Z")
Great typo! ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3141 "2024-07-23T02:38:43Z")
Well, since you didn’t quote me on that, I have half a mind to fix it (since I’m currently in the edit window). ---
**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:** [July 23, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3142 "2024-07-23T02:53:29Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Pitting in the elipses makes it legal. Too late, I’ve preserved the original. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3143 "2024-07-23T03:02:08Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Easy. You truncate their post to say… > > > …quote me on this… > > Pitting in the elipses makes it legal. You are a goddamn genius. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3144 "2024-07-24T19:15:07Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > > [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > > > Easy. You truncate their post to say… > > > > > …quote me on this… > > > > Pitting in the elipses makes it legal. > > You are a goddamn genius.   I must humbly disagree. “Pitting” for “putting” is a forgivable typo, no problem there. But “elipses”? No. If a plural was intended it should have been “ellipses”, but why the plural? There’s only one. So “ellipsis”. An actual goddamn genius would never commit such transgressions, knowing that they would subject them to ridicule from any passing critic of orthography… Regards, Your ever-vigilant local pedant ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3145 "2024-07-24T19:18:17Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > An actual goddamn genius would never commit such transgressions, knowing that they would subject them to ridicule from any passing critic of orthography… It was the creative truncation that I was more impressed by. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3146 "2024-07-24T19:22:46Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It was the creative truncation that I was more impressed by.   Impressive, of course. But clearly we’re not dealing here with a full-fledged polymath, a veritable modern Renaissance man! 😆 ---
**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:** [July 24, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3147 "2024-07-24T21:53:23Z")
Not sure if this is the right thread for this. I sure as heck don’t want to draw a lot of special attention to minor lapses by good posters, but I do want to comment, so here goes: When you are posting in a MPSIMS thread about a tragedy someone has just experienced, please read everything by the OP before you ask questions about/comment on what happened. Two posters have made remarks that show they didn’t read the OP’s posts beyond the initial one: Yes, she had children, and the person who struck her was killed as well - it’s right there if you read everything she had to say _before_ you post. I suppose on some level it hardly matters because the grief must be so intense that responding to unnecessary questions/repeating already stated facts can’t possibly make matters worse. But still. I for one am careful to read ALL posts by the OP before I say anything in a thread like that one. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3148 "2024-07-24T21:56:19Z")
Probably a best practice for us all. I know I’ve called people out in various Pit threads for NOT reading anything past the title, or the OP, and ignoring everything in the middle, so your concern seems fair. And you’re more generous than most in that you didn’t name names. 🙂 Though, as we have a clean thread title, we can link back to non-Pit threads as it’s not a direct insult the way the parent Troll thread is. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3149 "2024-07-24T21:58:47Z")
I noticed that as well. I don’t think questioning a grieving person at all is ever a good idea. I’m sure Johanna will tell the story. If she wants. It’s certainly not our business to know everything. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3150 "2024-07-25T05:35:08Z")
I remember when a poster told the OP of a thread she was sorry her very ill mother had died, but hadn’t bothered to read far enough into the thread to see her mother had been cured. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3151 "2024-07-25T05:42:35Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > When you are posting in a MPSIMS thread about a tragedy someone has just experienced, please read everything by the OP before you ask questions about/comment on what happened. Two posters have made remarks that show they didn’t read the OP’s posts beyond the initial one: Yes, she had children, and the person who struck her was killed as well - it’s right there if you read everything she had to say _before_ you post. I agree. I noticed that as well. It’s annoying at the best of times but when it’s about a very tragic personal event – and the thread isn’t really excessively long – it seems like common courtesy to at least read the OP’s other comments before chiming in about something that’s already been answered. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3152 "2024-07-25T14:13:17Z")
“I feel so sorry for this horrible loss you experienced, which would devastate anyone, and I care enough to post about it, but I don’t care enough to read more than a few posts before giving my condolences.” That’s how that comes off to me. I am sure people mean well but at the same time if you’re going to try to offer comfort, make more of an effort to be sincere about it. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3153 "2024-07-25T15:55:20Z")
> [@](#): > > For no other reason than that this was a fairly long post, I asked ChatGPT to summarize it. This is what I got: I will become the Joker. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3154 "2024-07-25T16:17:33Z")
You only need to read the title to want to add sincere condolences. If you really feel the need to add anything else … yeah, read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3155 "2024-07-25T16:23:30Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > If you really feel the need to add anything else … yeah, read the thread. Good point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=144) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=146)