Why do people post in threads and not follow up?

[Buxton McGraff]

I'd be more likely to follow up if there was some kind of alert at the top of the page that lets you know if somebody replies to your post. Maybe there's some way to do that by going into your inbox or something, but "aint nobody got time fo dat!"

[Seegtease]

Because some people are actually busy and cannot post 24/7 and by the time they come back to check on their posts 10 or 20 pages are added to the discussion and anything that has been asked has ended. I only follow the discussions when I am online and I usually do not come back to a thread if my response was buried during the discussion.

That's not what always happens, and it's not what I'm talking about really.

Because he can?

That's not a reason. I CAN do a lot of things, but I don't because it would be really stupid and/or pointless to do many of them.

[vastx]

I've never understood it. Why do people want to be part of a discussion community, but then go to a thread, barely skim the OP, read no other posts, give your opinion and never look back at the thread later? What's the point? Is it fun to do this? I'm not saying you need to read every post in a thread, but at least make an effort.

Or worse, just giving a 1-2 word answer to a question posted by the OP? Do people not want to participate? Why would you give an answer and not explain why you said what you said?

It just seems like there's no point in being part of a social community that centers around discussion when you don't want to discuss anything. "QFT" or "/thread" and comments like that are the worst offenders of all. Personally, I don't post in a thread unless I feel I have something constructive to add and I always return to check for responses for awhile.

It's the whole point of forums!

Usually when I post and don't follow up, two things have happened. I either post before I pass out or post in the morning before I go to work. When I'm able to post again, several pages of discussion may have occurred in my absence. And usually, the conversation has taken another turn and I just leave it at that. It just depends for me. Sometimes other posters will have posted rebuttals,points that I would have made, and I don't wanna make redundant points. Lotta intelligent people here, regardless of ideology.

I could probably post on my tablet on lunch, but I'd rather eat, listen to the radio or read news/sports stuff.

[Seegtease]

So it seems most people say the main reason is because threads just move too damn fast around here. Which I guess is pretty true. It's kind of annoying, actually, which is why I think it's not always good to close a topic because a topic was already made on that matter. It allows the people to divide between the two and not be so overwhelming.

[Deleted]

i do it a lot, i generally only click on threads that are on the front page :P its common for me to put a reply in a thread and never check the thread again.

---------- Post added 2013-01-09 at 01:00 AM ----------

I'd be more likely to follow up if there was some kind of alert at the top of the page that lets you know if somebody replies to your post. Maybe there's some way to do that by going into your inbox or something, but "aint nobody got time fo dat!"

would love this feature, to tell me if someone is quoting and replying to me.

[Adam Jensen]

Sometimes I make a post, go to work and then forget about the thread.

Sometimes I make a post, get into an argument and eventually just give up arguing against certain people and abandon it.

Sometimes I come back and there's 10+ pages between my post and the newest post and I don't feel like reading all those posts so I abandon it.

[Keristrasza]

I've never understood it. Why do people want to be part of a discussion community, but then go to a thread, barely skim the OP, read no other posts, give your opinion and never look back at the thread later? What's the point? Is it fun to do this? I'm not saying you need to read every post in a thread, but at least make an effort.

Or worse, just giving a 1-2 word answer to a question posted by the OP? Do people not want to participate? Why would you give an answer and not explain why you said what you said?

It just seems like there's no point in being part of a social community that centers around discussion when you don't want to discuss anything. "QFT" or "/thread" and comments like that are the worst offenders of all. Personally, I don't post in a thread unless I feel I have something constructive to add and I always return to check for responses for awhile.

It's the whole point of forums!

Because when I make a post I have no intention to carry on a conversation over a topic. Half the time it would be a big waste of time. Sure the same could be said about reading long enough to make a post, but half the time (Not saying this is one of those special cases) the only people who reply are just wanting to start some kinda fight. So I say what is on my mind and end it there.

[Seegtease]

i do it a lot, i generally only click on threads that are on the front page :P its common for me to put a reply in a thread and never check the thread again.

---------- Post added 2013-01-09 at 01:00 AM ----------




would love this feature, to tell me if someone is quoting and replying to me.

It does subscribe you to threads you post in, easy to keep track of.

[Deleted]

As someone who often posts something and never enters the thread again, I think it's largely because I don't really care what other people have to say about it and only wanted to post my input, without regard to opinion. Just to clarify, I'm not going to reply to anybody here either, so feel free to insult me in any way shape or form if you view my behaviour as insulting.

[Reeve]

Sometimes putting my views down in words on a forum help me to order my thoughts and better understand my own position.

That said, I usually come back to threads, as witnessed by my post count.

---------- Post added 2013-01-09 at 03:00 AM ----------

I will admit there have been times when I don't have a good counter argument and don't want to admit I'm wrong, though that's not usually the case for me. More often, I don't have a good counter argument ready with proper evidence, but I don't care enough about convincing the other person on the subject, and don't want to take the time I'd need for a proper rebuttal, so I just leave. It's not so much an admission of defeat as it is an admission that I can't be bothered.

[Anakso]

Posts that are just QFT or This or similar things are spam just as a note, so make sure to report them if you see any.

On topic. When I make a post in a thread, unless I'm going out right after, I always check at the least the rest of that page and the following page for replies but generally think that beyond that point, no one is likely to reply. Sometimes I'll go back and check or obviously if the thread is really interesting then I'm naturally following it anyway. I never understood people that post and vanish either, especially not when that person is the OP. A lot of threads have the OP only post once - In the OP.

[Seegtease]

As someone who often posts something and never enters the thread again, I think it's largely because I don't really care what other people have to say about it and only wanted to post my input, without regard to opinion. Just to clarify, I'm not going to reply to anybody here either, so feel free to insult me in any way shape or form if you view my behaviour as insulting.

You're a big doodyhead and smell like panda butts. The insults are so much less satisfying knowing you won't read them.

How does one get 1600 posts at a message board when they don't care what other people have to say in reply to them? Just posting in 1600 threads and moving on? Is that really fun for people?

I never understood people that post and vanish either, especially not when that person is the OP. A lot of threads have the OP only post once - In the OP.

Oh gosh, this annoys me to no end. Troll topics usually? Who can say?

[Anakso]

Oh gosh, this annoys me to no end. Troll topics usually? Who can say?

Probably, I think it's most common in the relationship advice type threads, but I've seen it happen in legitimate news story threads too.

---------- Post added 2013-01-09 at 11:14 AM ----------

It does subscribe you to threads you post in, easy to keep track of.

This is a really good feature to use if you post in a lot of threads, rather than refreshing about 10 pages you can just refresh one

[Seegtease]

Probably, I think it's most common in the relationship advice type threads, but I've seen it happen in legitimate news story threads too.

---------- Post added 2013-01-09 at 11:14 AM ----------


This is a really good feature to use if you post in a lot of threads, rather than refreshing about 10 pages you can just refresh one

When I come here, all I ever click is "settings".

When most of those threads aren't really being discussed, I go scour for new threads to join. Usually I get enough from the 7 listed on the front page to keep me involved in several threads, though.

[BHD]

This is a really good feature to use if you post in a lot of threads, rather than refreshing about 10 pages you can just refresh one

Precisely! And people who say that "no one replied to me so I abandon the thread", don't you even read through the newer posts to see if there's something YOU can reply to? There's close to nothing that grinds my gears as much as people just post and leave on forums, at least in threads that are clearly meant for discussions.

@Seeg I like you too. You're the reason I haven't replied to more people in here, you just say exactly what I have in mind but you put it down in words better than I.