to wonder why some posters even bother posting?

[WriterofDreams]

Idle musings of a bored pregnant lady.

I am addicted to mumsnet and spend a long time every day flicking through threads, replying to some, just reading others. I often wonder, why do some people post pointless things on threads? For example (and yes I know I'm referring to another thread, kick me if you need to) there is a thread about sex in chat just asking questions about how often people do it and where etc. A harmless thread that you can ignore if you like. And yet, a few posters have posted saying "Why do you need to know" and suchlike. Surely if they're not interested then they should just get lost and not bother posting on the thread? Equally it annoys me when someone comes onto a long thread, admits they haven't read much or any of it, and then proceeds to ask the same questions or make the same accusations that have been made 15 times already in the thread. Now if someone does this with the intent of giving friendly advice and just doesn't have time to read the thread then I don't think it's too bad, but if they're out to admonish the OP about something, surely they should read the thread first to be sure their point of view hasn't already been addressed?

AIBU? Or do pointless posters get on your nerves too?

I think it's a shame that you avoid parts of the forum for fear of unhelpful comments angechica. I do think sometimes the comments have a sort of bullying tinge to them, almost a sense that a certain OP isn't "good enough" and should be treated with contempt. I say, if you don't like a thread, ignore it, don't go on and try to make the OP feel like shit by making out her or his thread isn't good enough in some way.

I see what you mean Pure and I get that your motives were good but the OP phrased her question in a certain way wanting certain responses. If you felt that wasn't appropriate it might have been good to explain that because asking "Why do want to know" comes across as a bit confrontational rather than helpful.

Plus is it very sad that I feel excited about meriting an entry on the spreadsheet? Doesn't this mean I've arrived??

I'd like to discuss existential nihilism. I love all that, me. Actually I do get some good ideas on here, interested to see if other people share my views, often they don't and that's helpful as well. I see your point about pointless posts, but just ignore them. As someone earlier said, its an online community, all life is here. Even the boring bits.

you're baroq'n round the tree! Lol, let's tango! Your tree or mine?

or we could have a conga and pick up a few bored pregnant ladies on the way, save them from their idle musings... (when everyone knows that bored pregnant ladies are supposed to be eating chocolate fgs).

not sure whether existential nihilists fit in but why not?

Well Dan get me some then! PM it to me, there's a love. Anything ridiculously fatty will do, a Mars perhaps? Good woman.

here you are chuck - a crate to tide you over today.

Who has been annoying you so much then? I like the biscuits tbh as long as they are not directed at me. Gives the eye a break from all the black and white words

NO ONE POST A BISCUIT IN REPLY, thanks

I've not bothered reading the whole thread but wondered if anyone had asked the OP what the point of her pointless pointy post with a point in it was about?

Had to, didn't I?

What annoys me is when people post responses saying: "what xxx above said", and that's it.

So basically saying "I have no opinion myself, so am piggybacking someone elses". Why bother?!

oh yes, absolutely, then you have to go fumbling your way back over 33 pages of the thread to find out what x actually said.

That deserves a which is a mince pie for everyone and a crate for DoW.

DoW?
WoD - sorry Woddy.

I often think there should be a delay on starting threads. So you type your op and press submit. Then a minute later it asks if you are sure you want to submit. Hopefully you'll look at what you wrote and think shit no, what a pile of kak, why am I writing that?? Would get rid of some of the nonsense that people post.

Smilinghappybeaver - I do that occasionally. Usually I'll read a thread, have something I want to post in reply but see that someone else has said just what I was gong to say or has put it better than I could. Mostly I wont bother but sometimes I want to make the point that the poster I am agreeing with isnt a lone voice.

the only posts I could really do without are the ones where the poster assumes a kind of headmistressy tone and tells you that you are somehow morally deficient/lacking...

This may be because I find the truth unpalatable. Those ones get up my nose but otherwise really I don't mind biscuits and all the rest of it.

I disagree totally with SmilingHappyBeaver.

"why do you want to know comes across as confrontational rather than helpful"

Aah so you're projecting. Hazard of a non ticker-ridden forum I'm afraid. Some assume the best of people, some the worst. Really there are just the words, you can't know the meaning behind them. I think 'why do you want to know' is direct and non-waffly. I read it as neither confrontational nor helpful. I was finding out more information before I replied further (see thread for further clarification)

But you seem rather angry WoD. The Irish business, this anger at the ways in which other people post.

Why might that be?

Wot pads sed.

There's a spreadsheet? People have spreadsheets?
[jealous]

Have we started the existential nihilism yet? And I want to see this spreadsheet too.

I'm on the spreadsheet, apparently

I am an angry angry woman, it's true. I blame misogynists and Primark.

Thanks for the mars bars, although you could have just kept the ones you took a bite out of Dan My you're a spitty eater aren't you?

The mince pies are great too, I do rather scoff a million a day at the moment like them.

agggh why does the crossing out thingy never work for me???

The threads on this forum are becoming more and more trite as time goes by. I wonder how on earth people have the time to worry about the things they post on here.
The amount of paranoia and angst out there is mind boggling.

But what I love most about AIBU is that the threads will grow arms and legs whether you want them to or not. Just like a real conversation does in the company of a group of people. So what? Not everyone gets up and leaves the table because they're not interested in the topic, some will stay and listen in anyway. Just because.

Some people will answer the OP's question directly, some won't, some will get bored and make nonsensical chat amongst themselves. It can get a bit chaotic, a bit confrontational and sometimes you can just hear tumbleweed... The "pointless" comments you speak of, although not exactly adding value to the conversation, don't exactly annoy me either. I think they give a thread some authenticity.

No simple 'answers on postcards' here!