To think place marking ruins threads?

[QuacksLikeADuck]

I appreciate that people "mark their place" on a thread because it's the most effective way for them to find that specific thread again. I know that the "watch thread" function doesn't work for some people, and that posting on a thread informs you if the thread is deleted whereas watching a thread doesn't.

But I've been on many other Internet forums in my time, and have never come across one where the users fill up pages and pages of threads with "place marking" posts - which means they take ages to read! Surely MNHQ could solve this by making the "watch thread" function work as well as posting clearly does, to help people follow a specific thread?

And so in the mean time if you have nothing to add to a popular thread other that writing "marking my place", and it is the kind of thread that is very unlikely to be deleted, and if the "watch thread" function works perfectly well for you - then would it be unreasonable to think you should use it, rather than filling the thread with pointless posts?

I haven't seen an example of pages and pages of place marking, but it does sometimes happen. I am a bit thick in the ways of MN though and can't work out how it marks your place. I Know it puts it in 'Threads I'm On' but I can't work out how to jump in where I last posted. I don't suppose you will be inclined to teach me, though, given your post, even if I promise to only do it when I have something useful to say.

Yanbu. I always want to comment when threads are filling up quickly with place marking comments but I don't as it would add another message to the thread and help fill it up. I use the watch button and bookmark where I have read to.

It's lazy posting. Use the functions available or say something to contribute if you're interested.

It is not about the 'Watch Thread' function not working for me, it works perfectly well for what it is designed to do but you still have to trail through the whole thread to find where you last read to.

I will place mark so when I scroll back through that thread I only need to read from where my post is highlighted. It really is much easier than watching a thread.

"...filling the thread with pointless posts?"

That's what a lot of MN is, though, place marking or not

I don't like blatant place marking much (or any signs of rubbernecking really) but don't think it's a big problem.

I am not a prolific place marker btw, But I can see why it is done :)

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Marking place.

I feel your pain not place marking

Holden

It does annoy me, but then I started using the Android app and you can't bookmark on there, so you need a place marker to find where you are. Not the posters fault - problems with the app!

cats if you use the bookmark function you don't need to scroll through it goes there automatically.

Gets my goat, too, OP.

The thread recently regarding a stranger randomly parked on her Mum's drive was just clogged up with place markers it was unbelievable! No exaggeration, it was pages of markers.

Do you say anything at the time? What's the point. Your message now becomes an irrelevant post complaining about other pointless posts on the thread, and possibly steering the topic away onto the merits of proper 'watch' usage.

All gets a bit silly really!

If you see it as rubbernecking then I can see it's irritating, but really it's just a way for people to say that they are interested and reading and acknowledging that they are there. It shows a thread is popular I suppose.

Problem with that thread is that it will be full so if the OP ever does come back to update, she won't be able to due to hundreds of place marking posts.

Perfectlypurple How do I bookmark a page? I'm on mac using safari.

Annoying yes, but where on earth is the OP and is the car still parked on her drive??? lurks back to other thread to mark place again

I'm not really blaming people for doing it, as it is clearly effective to mark your place!

I think MNHQ need to implement some kind of feature to allow you to bookmark a thread position without posting.

I think if people put some effort into their place marking post it wouldn't annoy me so much. At least try and add something to the conversation, or speak about your own experience, or make a joke, or swear, or something! Just boringly writing "marking my place" adds nothing!

cats at the top of the page there should be a 'customize' button. Click on that and scroll down until you see the bookmark function (fairly near the bottom) and change it to yes. Then on a thread at the bottom of each post where the top, reply and report button is there will be a bookmark button. Click on that and it changes to saved.

no it does bog a thread down in spammy posts really - watch the thread and change your settings to view the whole thing - so scrolling through is simple

If you highlight your posts in a certain colour, you can then pick your post out.
If you highlight the OP's post in a diifferent colour, you can then find their update after your place mark.

There may be other ways to do it but I haven't worked out how to.
On another forum I frequent, there is a 'take me to last unread post' button that works well.

Yes, adding something would be good, even if it's 'how exciting!' The dot is annoying.

I lurk which is possibly worse? Often can't think of anything good to add if a thread is 100s of posts long.

You can book mark a thread without posting.

You see the deletion message in your watch list too.

It's the full stop posts I don't like. I totally see why people post marking place, as pp said, it's like saying I'm here and part of it but I've got nothing to add.

I don't find that it actually makes it harder for me to rad the thread - I can skim past fairly effectively.

I don't mind it at all.

I don't do it often because I know it offends, but I think it's actually intrinsic to lengthy threads on MN.

I don't really actually understand why it annoys posters tbh. It's easy to skim over the place marking posts.

I prefer dots to people writing place marking, as I don't have to read all the dots.