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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be turned off by really long opening posts?

38 replies

user1485342611 · 02/02/2018 11:30

I know a bit of context and background can be important, especially given the knobs who will seize on anything to be nasty to an OP, but AIBU to think that an opening post that runs to several hundred words, goes into huge detail, and is peopled with numerous characters - DH, DM, Friend A, Friend B and Friend C, DSD and a CF thrown in for good measure are really hard to read and to just click out after the first para?

OP posts:
Haint · 02/02/2018 11:34

it's a direct result of the endemic nitpicking and accusations of drip feeding that follow even the most innocuous of posts.

you can't win - cover all bases and it's boring and too long, leave out any aspect in the interest of brevity and get harangued for it

MsHopey · 02/02/2018 11:36

I prefer it.
Means I haven't got lots of questions for the OP, where you wait all day for then to answer and drop feed a little.

AnathemaPulsifer · 02/02/2018 11:37

^ what they said

KayaG · 02/02/2018 11:38

Yup, what they said.

honeyroar · 02/02/2018 11:40

To be fair, that was quite a long winded opening post for what you wanted to say!

Original poster
user1485342611 · 02/02/2018 11:43

Really honeyroar? I did read it over a couple of times to make sure someone wouldn't jump in with that one.

OP posts:
BulletFox · 02/02/2018 11:45

I do zone out a bit and click off if it's loooong and not broken up into paragraphs

ApocalypseNowt · 02/02/2018 11:46

Don't mind too much as long as people use paragraphs.

Aridane · 02/02/2018 11:47

I agree, OP.

Especially where a friendship circle is defined by A, B, C, D etc - I can never work out who is who

Original poster
user1485342611 · 02/02/2018 11:54

Yeah, I agree that the nitpicking, pedantry and spiteful misinterpretation that some posters seem to think is clever is probably responsible for a lot of the overly descriptive and complicated opening posts.

It's a shame because I'm sure I click out of threads that could be really interesting, but I just find myself losing the will to live by para 2 and Friend D.

OP posts:
FuzzyCustard · 02/02/2018 11:55

I agree too OP. I'm, afraid if I see an opening post that runs more than a few paragraphs I move on without reading.

barefoofdoctor · 02/02/2018 11:58

Not if it's an interesting subject especially if it involves weddings, parking or a CF. The he said she said/person a-z ones i just ignore.

LadyB49 · 02/02/2018 11:58

Long is ok as long as it is as informative as possible and sell broken up into paragraphs. Sometimes it's impossible to respond if there's only half a story.

I think it's mean to accuse a poster of drip feeding when it's likely they were trying to be concise (and not boring).

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 02/02/2018 12:02

Unless it’s a really interesting op, I do tend to stop reading if it’s really long. That’s me being lazy though, rather than anything the op has done wrong.

I also stop reading posts with these.typos in.them. With all the full stops! Again, it’s not that the poster has done anything wrong, and I mistype all the time. I just don’t like having to read the ones with loads of random full stops. Ditto ops with no punctuation or paragraphs. They fry my poor brain. I sound so lazy, but in my defence, I have a newborn, so not getting so much sleep.

Laiste · 02/02/2018 12:05

Ooh i don't know. If it's something i feel i have some connection to or i'm fascinated by then i'll read it through even if it's war and peace.

If i read the first bit and it's all about something i have zero interest or experience of then i won't read on no matter how long it is tbh.

What does put me off is threads with more than 30 or 40 answers already on it. I will never post on a thread without reading it properly and if i think it's probably all been said already i can't be arsed Grin

Evenbetter · 02/02/2018 12:07

If there’s no paragraphs, or OP doesn’t use any commas or full stops I don’t even try to read it, I don’t think that’s me being a dick, things like that matter.

Too many characters ‘DF’-Father? Friend? Fiancé? DTSS Dbros GF mean i will not read on, I’m not code cracking.

noname687328 · 02/02/2018 12:07

Literally just left the post I'd opened before this one because it was too long 😂

Allthewaves · 02/02/2018 12:23

Don't mind ss long as there are paragraphs

lorelairoryemily · 02/02/2018 13:07

I agree op, if it's really long I don't bother reading

Bluelady · 02/02/2018 13:09

I don't mind if the post is correctly spelt and punctuated. I don't bother if it's one long misspelt para with confusing lack of commas and full stops.

halfwitpicker · 02/02/2018 13:10

YANBU.

I can't stand all this he said, she said shite.

GottadoitGottadoit · 02/02/2018 13:17

I hate the ones in relationships that run to several million pages and outline every spat and break up a couple has ever had. Just makes me think the OP seems narcissistic and self absorbed, so I just move on.

Conversely sometimes people apologise for their long post, when in actuality it’s three paragraphs, which is just about right for most situations in my opinion.

SilverySurfer · 02/02/2018 13:38

I think a long OP is infinitely preferable to a short one followed by numerous drip feeding posts. Especially if the thread is going against the opinion of the OP when the subsequent drip feeding gets more and more desperate and probably untrue, the more they try to convince us that they are not unreasonable.

HoppyHannah · 02/02/2018 13:46

What's wrong with adding more information to OP as it moves along.

Drip feeding is different, that means vital details were omitted from OP purposely.

I do not read blocks of text with no paragraphs.

Vitalogy · 02/02/2018 14:27

I agree, I move on and don't read it.

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