to wonder what some people are doing on an internet forum when they're not remotely interested in having an honest discussion about anything?

[Lottapianos]

I keep reading the following or similar....

'Get a life'
'Get a grip'
'Well if that's all you have to worry about.....'
'You can always switch over/don't have to watch it'
And my personal anti-favourite:
'You're overthinking it'

I'm not perfect - I sometimes start reading a thread and then decide I can't be arsed any more so I move on and don't leave a comment. I don't decide to tear the poster to shreds on my way out though.

Why on earth do people make these ridiculous, fatuous, completely unhelpful comments? They are just more or less polite ways of saying 'shut up and stop feeling what you're feeling'. Just because you have no empathy and can't wrap your brain around someone else's point of view doesnt mean that they are wrong and have no right to feel how they do. By all means disagree but do it honestly and put some effort into the discussion instead of just brushing people aside.

OK, that was therapeutic. Thank you for reading

My personal gripe is those that do not read a thread.
I dont mind if people say they havent read it if it is a bit long,or say they havent got time to read all of it, but there do seem to be a few who have no intention of reading threads, and just reply according to the very first post, regardless of whether an op has backtracked, or changed their minds along the way.
I know that anyone can post anything though, so long as it is within the guidelines.

I must really make some people cross with my total lack of punctuation on posts random,commas are my thing

Meh!

see meh is just fab

And the usual crowd who think they are always right!

who is the usual crowd

Sometimes people panic about the strangest things though. Real inconsequential or worse something so banal it is bemusing as to why they made a thread about it.

Panickers do sometimes need to be told to slow down, gather themselves, get a grip. The inconsequential /banal ones are just the forum version of posting pictures of your dinner!

The ones that do get me are the ones who say "I know x is proven best but I believe y so I don't care what you all think!" I mean why waste the time it takes to post something if its not even to debate/engage/learn/take part?

Ffs ;)

You are overthinking it. It is an internet forum. People say what they think. Honestly. (So YABU - conversation here is far more honest than in RL, probably why you think it's unhelpful and lacks empathy)

Is there a grip shop round these parts?

It's like listening to a friend unload a problem that's upsetting them. Saying 'get a grip' and then walking away or worse....'meh' and turning your back!

Is there a word for a silly-shaped word, in the spirit of onomatopoeia?

::misses point of thread::

Some familiar names come galloping through when maybe you have stepped a little over the line, can't remember exact ones. Funnily enough!

(now hiding behind the door)

CodeDAzur, several other 'hilarious' people got in there before you

'Get a grip' is never appropriate IMHO - absolutely never ever. 'I think that's a strong reaction' or 'I don't understand your reaction' or 'there may be another way of looking at it' - yes, fine. But 'get a grip/life' is not that far removed from telling someone to shut the jeff up afaic. Which is downright bloody rude! and makes you sound like a twit

So I can't say Shut the Fuck Up then?

Damn.

Looks like you just did Exit. Well done

actually thinking about it is that all you have to worry about annoys me more than all of the others, it is rude and dismissive

Is there anything we can actually post on MN anymore, without someone starting a thread about it?

What annoys me is if someone starts a thread that's been done a fair bit, but is denied the chance of being involved in any new discussions because the old 'crew' have already done it, and any newbies must simply live off the scraps of their old threads.

What annoys me are threads telling other posters how to post on MN.

Apparently not, usual.

Perhaps a thread listing all the things we're not allowed to do any more? Just so we can all keep it straight?

No hand holding.
No grip offering.
No FFSing.

What else?

oh who cares

I can never be sure anymore whether phrases start on here, and then go into the real world, or vice versa!

I think that MN is now so big, that I feel life, including language is somewhat speeded up on here.
So a new phrase this week, is old news by the end of the month!

I mean...like this

usualsuspect, you just can't say anything anymore, can you?