# Why does the icon flutter in and out for "replying"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 16, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415 "2021-06-16T18:43:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/1 "2021-06-16T18:43:09Z")

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Sometimes when I’m reading the last post in a thread, a user’s icon pops up in the lower left screen, with “replying”, but then it disappears, and then reappears. It flutters like that a fair bit, and sometimes no icon is showing when the new post comes up.

Why the flutter? Why doesn’t it just stay constant as the person is typing their post?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/2 "2021-06-16T18:47:19Z")

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I would assume it goes away if the person stops typing for X seconds, then when they start typing again it pops back up.

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**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:** [June 16, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/3 "2021-06-16T19:00:56Z")

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This is the answer. Works like most texting programs.

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Happy Anniversary **Northern\_Piper**.

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**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:** [June 17, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/4 "2021-06-17T19:37:18Z")

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And a '99-er to boot! Truly we are in the company of Giants.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/5 "2021-06-18T16:21:44Z")

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When it goes out for a long time, I always assume the person is going out and looking for citations or something.

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**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/6 "2021-06-18T16:24:39Z")

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While I assume they are doing something salacious or tawdry…

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-icon-flutter-in-and-out-for-replying/944415/9 "2021-08-12T22:31:18Z")

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Or maybe they’re like me, where I’ll start to post a reply, then hit the trash can, then start to reply again, and so on.