Is it unreasonable to not RTFT all the time, especially when there is 100+ responses

[ImaLooney]

And I just want to answer the original post. A few times I've had a flaming for not RTFT when it was too long. Is this unreasonable for AIBU posts?
I do read some but not all depending on the post.

As a fairly new user here, what is your personal top etiquette rule on a forum such as MN?

[shakinstevenslovechild]

I have the ops posts highlighted and always read through them, I don't often read everyone elses posts though.

[Forgettable]

Do RTFT or you run the risk of lumbering in saying your now-irrelevant piece and looking a twat

But

do what you like eh

[SanityClause]

Often an OP has updated or clarified, so answering only the OP may not be appropriate, and in fact, will just lengthen an already long thread.

[Nanny0gg]

It is pretty useful to at least read all the OP's posts and probably the last few that have been posted by others as posts and information can be quite fast-moving in long threads, so it's handy to be at least relevant.

I doubt many read every post.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

I also have the OP's posts highlighted and then move on if the situation has been sorted.

[Sparklingbrook]

At the very least read all the OPs post otherwise you are in danger of looking v stupid. Especially in AIBU when the OP does a total U Turn half way through the thread.

If you haven't got time to do that don't comment.

[Nousernameforme]

If it's a long one then i have to really want to answer to make me read through you usually find that after the first few posts someone has made the point that you were going to make anyway

[Sparklingbrook]

People who have obviously not RTFT usually show themselves by being very harsh and judgemental about the subject. Not realising it's all gone off on a tangent about something else.

[LtEveDallas]

Yep, I absolutely think that you should RTFT no matter how long it is. If you can't be bothered to read 100 posts, or 200 posts or 900 posts then why on earth do you imagine that whatever it is that you want to post is even relevant to the discussion.

I think it's arrogance - what you are about to post has probably already been said by 50 other posters - what makes your post more important?

If you don't RTFT, don't post.

[Stokes]

Fine not to read all replies. You should read all the OP's posts though.

[meditrina]

YABVU.

You need to read, as a minimum first page, last page and all OP's posts.

Threads turn in the middle sometimes, and there is nothing more annoying that someone who has clearly missed all the major plot developments.

[WhoAteAllTheCremeEggs]

How do you highlight ops posts?

[90sthrowback]

I think it's arrogance - what you are about to post has probably already been said by 50 other posters - what makes your post more important?

^^This

[Sparklingbrook]

It's in 'Customise' Who. For me the OP is green and I am purple.

[shakinstevenslovechild]

Who if you click on customise at the top of this page you will be able to do it from there.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

It's one of my pet hates on MN.
I've seen some long threads that have been totally resolved on AIBU with the OP actually admitting she was wrong, then loads of idiots still post having not RTFT and continue flaming.
Many threads change direction half way through, and you just end up looking like an idiot.
At least highlight the OP's posts and read them.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Also agree with LtEve (mostly) - if the thread is that long, your point has probably already been made, discussed and modified.

Different if it's a chat-type "tell me your favourite biscuit" thread but even then I'd probably read the first page, last page and OP's posts in case of a massive tangent into biscuits that soothed you during a personal trauma.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

(And of course if someone has posted "AIBU to ask you your favourite biscuit?", half the posts are probably "get this moved to Chat!" anyway )

[AphraBane]

You must at the very least read ALL the OP's posts. It can sometimes be very distressing for an OP otherwise.
I once remember a very difficult thread about termination, OP clearly in a desperate state. She hadn't realized one very important fact in her OP. The first few answers corrected her misperception, she said thanks. Then you got a whole bunch of people who'd only read the OP giving the same answer again and again, while the poor OP got more and more distressed and begged those people to stop. It wasn't bullying because it wasn't deliberate or even cocaistently from one person. But the effect was the same for this OP, all because some posters were just too damn lazy to RTFT or at least the highlighted OP's posts. It was quite shocking. Seriously, if you don't have enough time to invest in a thread, just don't reply. Especially if it's on a sensitive topic.

[Chippednailvarnish]

Why would you want to comment on something you haven't read? Bizarre.

[goodtimesinbontemps]

If I didn't have this place customised so op threads are green and mine are purple I wouldn't bother reading anything longer than a page :). For the really long threads I skim over the pages mainly just reading the op posts and a few others that catch my eye (short ones lol)

[ShadowFall]

I think that as a minimum, you should skim through and read the OP's posts.