To ask if there’s a case to be made for MNHQ telling people to RTFT

[IvanaPee]

Hear me out!

More and more lately there seems to be a huge amount of posters who don’t RTFT and who don’t even read the OP’s posts.

This irritates the fuck out of me I won’t lie.

But worse, it happens on sensitive threads.

Just the other day there was a surge of posters who couldn’t be arsed reading a thread about the OP’s childhood abuse.

Today, I’ve read a thread where posters were offering answers to the OP two days after the whole thing had been resolved.

It’s asked on here every now and again why people don’t RTFT and there are always shouts of “it’s too long” or “I’m answering the question asked in the OP”.

Well, if it’s too long to read why post?

And pages and pages after the OP people don’t think there’s the slightest possibility that a thread has moved on??

The whole MNHQ thing stepping in is no doubt ridiculous but ugh, I wish there was a rule where you’re not allowed to post without bloody well reading!!!

To me it seems so disrespectful to the OP.

And the people who announce that they haven’t read it, then plough in anyway as though announcing it has justified it!

I can’t be the only one who thinks this should fucking stop! Can I??

I also like the 'conversation' aspect and hate forums that have post in a non chronological order, they're beyond irritating.

The funniest one was on the thread where the OP was asking if she should go to hospital as she was in labour and they were ignoring she was supposed to have an ELCS. The baby was born, the OP posted a lovely picture even and... Another poster tells her she has to go in!

I think the key thing is the attitude of the poster. I have made the mistake in the past of missing a couple of more recent posts from the OP, but I've been very apologetic about it when I've realised my mistake.

Non-RTFTer: "Prune juice and a fag and it won't touch the sides OP!"

Everyone else: "FFS she had a shit 3 pages ago, we're onto possible Brexit compromises now."

@Sparklingbrook

Re drip feeding, I find that this accusation is often made when the OP's update shows them to be a lot less unreasonable than some posters have been insisting they are and they accuse them of drip feeding because they have spoiled their fun.

It's impossible for an OP to include everything in their opening post. They don't know what questions will be asked.

I personally prefer a bit of drip feeding to a ridiculously lengthy opening post, which completely puts me off bothering about it.

I think the key thing is the attitude of the poster.

Yes to this. But as you can see from this thread alone, some people really don’t care.

Everyone else: "FFS she had a shit 3 pages ago, we're onto possible Brexit compromises now."

😂😂😂

'DD is 4..'

How is dc? Can't comment unless I know age..

READ THE FLIPPING OP!!

How old 🙄

I quite agree sadly, OP. But I've also seen plenty of other posters like me who apologise if they've missed a key update.

I don't know the answer to the problem of posters who don't care. It's an open Internet forum after all. Best thing is just to ignore them and not let them derail what often is a very interesting discussion.

cancel the cheque...

I still have no idea what 'cancel the cheque' actually means but I see it all the time.

If the issue has been resolved and people continue to post then it doesn't matter at all. I'm not sure why that bothers you in the slightest. Don't go on threads after the issue has been resolved?

In regards to flicking through and reading only OP's comments I totally understand where you're coming from but I use my phone and it isn't easy to do that. I've heard on the laptop you can do some sort of search or highlight thing that shows you just OP's comments but I can't do that on my phone. If I am able to read absolutely everything then I will, but sometimes it isn't possible.

Having Mumsnet HQ post under one of the offending posts telling people to RTFT because they're clogging it up with irrelevant posts seems ridiculously ironic to a level that makes me think of Office Space or Little Britain. I'm laughing just thinking about it .

hi poster, just posting on this thread to let you know that your post isn't relevant as you haven't rtft before you posted. We like to post about these posts in order to avoid clogging up the thread with too many irrelevant posts. Any questions about the posts can be directed to me in another post under this one. Thanks for posting.

OP I am in complete agreement with you, and I started a thread under site stuff a few days ago to suggest highlighting the OP posts by default.

My other issue with it is that posters who don’t RTFT and carry on posting their by now irrrelevant pearls of wisdom keep the thread in Active Convos, and long after the cheque has been cancelled the thread is featured in Trending and Discussions ofThe Day.

It’s truly horrible when an OP has posted several updates, and is feeling fragile, and gets endless irrelevant rude posts from arrogant twats who wade in without RTFT berating her for not havjng LTB.

Mumsnet is not compulsory.

@Sparklingbrook

Cancel the cheque came from a thread where, in the OP, a cheque was mentioned. In one of the OP's updates, she said the cheque couldn't be cancelled (don't remember the details tbh). 800 posts later, people were still posting 'Cancel the cheque' type replies. So 'Cancel the cheque' is sometimes used as an example of when people don't read the thread or the OP's updates and post meaningless replies.

On really long ones it can be inpossibke to see OP posts and so many people go off subject and start arguing with each other that I really can’t be arsed.
So yeah, sometimes I just answer the original question and if that gives you the rage maybe spend less time on here?

A feature to filter the thread to only the OPs posts would be great

I read MN on my PC, phone and tablet. I don't use the app. On all three the OP's posts are green and mine are pink. All easy to read.
MN have been looking to make this automatic for yonks. Wonder why they can't.

Would reporting this thread make MN read it?

I have tried multiple times to get the OPs posts in a different colour but I cannot do it on my tablet for some reason. I think it should happen by default too.

OP’s posts highlighted by default might improve things a bit.

All time worst was the people on a long thread still posting advice on diets to help with the OP’s bloating after she’d been to the doctors and received a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. More recently (but an example of something I’ve seen a few times)
OP: OMG I’m so shocked that a judge has ruled that a man must be allowed to rape his wife!
First poster: OMG
Second poster: If you read the news story more carefully you’ll see that that’s not what has happened...detailed explanation and further link
Subsequent posters: OMG

Which is why it’s often good to at least skim through other people’s posts as well, because if you don’t think that MNers have views worth hearing and useful information to impart why are you even here?

Nanny Ogg
Mine are the same and I've never customised them, I wouldn't know how to do it.
Op is green and mine are pink. I don't use the app either

It’s an Internet forum.It doesn’t matter

Yup

Lol at Mumsnet not being compulsory.
And there's me thinking it was.

Thanks for the cheque explanation Jennifer for some reason I thought it would be more interesting than that.

I think there's a case to be made for people getting over it when posters respond to the first post only, or post on old threads, or say hubby instead of the nauseating "DH." Seriously, get over it.

Who has said that mumsnet is compulsory?

Who has said anything about “hubby”?

Honestly, it’s almost like people are exaggerating just for the opportunity to be scathing and “witty”...