Why is the first reply always a rude one?

[IfAllElseShouldFail]

Pick any thread and read the first reply. It’s almost always a one-liner, curt, rude reply. When did this trend start? i can’t be the only one who reads a thread question, skins to the first post, and thinks “fuck off”.

I think first replies often nail it.

You’re not the only one. Hopefully this post will be the first and buck the trend.
It is very disheartening- life is hard enough there is no need to be vile to strangers on the internet.

It happens so often I suspect it’s a bot.

Oh, I think the opposite. Occasionally it does but often it misses the point entirely or as the OP says is really rude but you get loads of triumphant ‘first post nails it’ even when the thread is thirty pages long and things have long since moved on!

@dairydebris came on to say the same, and there you were as the first reply 🤣

Maybe this ^ nails it!

Why does anything need nailing? Often people ask on here to get a range of opinions.

I agree, and your reply was the first which proves the point 😃

What I find worrying is that quite often it's not just the first post that is unpleasant and is dismissive of the OP and has a really weird take on the issue. It starts a pile on of other pp also giving really weird replies. And it's only after a page or so of these do helpful and rational pp come on to the thread. By which time I assume the OP must be quite distressed.

I totally agree and my theory was that pathetic and nasty minded people hover here madly clicking on unanswered threads so that they can stick the boot in with hopes to start a pile on.
Bots are a good suggestion though.

No -many of the posts are people simply wanting agreement with their own opinion and get angry and aggressive at posters who offer different perspectives.

Yeah I think people sit on https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/active?tab=unanswered and get the boot in, basically.

Years ago people used to check on that page to make sure people didn't go unanswered and you'd get people saying "didn't want to read and run" and then not much more - do you remember that era? Not seen that for years now I think about it.

Can’t stand people who think everything is a bot or AI. It must be exhausting

Often it's one of the menz trolls.

Yes I do wonder if it’s men trying to silence women

People conflate sarcasm and passive aggressiveness as intellect. It's boring. I mean, it may have been cute in sixth form, but I assume we're all of a more advanced age here, biologically speaking.

I often think the first couple of replies on a post set the tone for everyone else - nearly always negatively. It can be many many posts before another opinion starts to surface.

The follow-up "she nailed it" is 100% more annoying than the first rude post!

I think that the quick-on-the-draw nasty first-posters see a lone deer, and feel their bloodlust surging while the deer is temporarily without the protection of the herd.

Or perhaps a school cloakroom where the bully finds another pupil all alone and has a quick chance to lash out.

@dairydebris You had the opportunity to be funny there

Could there ever be a more useless reply! 😂

Agree, there are similarities to the school bully like this

I remember that era! The good (kinder) old days.