Re long, long opening posts

[Misscromwellrocks]

I seem to click out of nearly every second thread I open nowadays because of the lengthy opening post going into micro level details about whatever situation the OP is describing.

I don't remember, when I first joined mumsnet, seeing so many overly long first posts. Aibu to find them off putting and often very confusing?

I'm not a frustrated English teacher, I just have a short attention span. Ain't nobody got time to read a big long essay about friend A,B and C.

I've forgotten what friend A has done before I've read half the OP.

Succint and to the point gindaddy - nice!

Totally agree, very off putting

Some people have a form of verbal diarrhoea.

Also, if you're including a lot of people it's much easier if you spell out their role in full rather than littering the post with dh, dp, ds, dn etc. I never know if you're referring to your father or your friend, your sister or your son, your niece or your neighbours et

Gindaddy, defensive and rude as per.

There is quite the gulf between English teacher and some of the unintelligible nonsense one encounters on here. Words are used to communicate, if the information is sent from person A to person B then fine, even if spelling and grammar is poor, the job is done. Long waffle where the point is entirely unclear is a different proposition altogether.

@NoSauce

Why do you claim I'm "defensive"? I don't write as the OP suggested.

I agree some are that long and confusing i just give up. I don't mind a longer post it makes sense but when it has no paragraphs, commas or jumps back and forth I get lost and can't be bothered
it's not bad spelling but the lack of basic grammar and text speak that baffles me

@PlatoAteMySnozcumber

And what are you or anyone else going to do about said posts?

I don't think most of the very long opening posts we see now are works of fiction. Extended used to specialise in those but I don't think he started a trend.

The works of fiction usually go along the lines of "I came home early from a business trip and found a strange car on my drive and as I got close to my front door I could hear shagging sounds coming from my living room. I'm just about to put my key in the lock ... what shall I say to dh and ow as I open the door?"

How is writing "my husband" instead of "DH" going to get the post length down to the size you require OP?

PS, you do know it's not obligatory to read every thread?

'I observe that men posting on the site tend to do enormously long opening posts.'

Yes and the ones who point out they're men always seem to write in tedious, pompous fashion. They always begin by telling us how amazingly well they treat their 'lady' and can't understand why she won't have sex anymore despite them asking at least 3 times a day and they kind of deserve it for doing the dishes every Sunday surely.

Definitely YANBU. Nobody needs an essay!
Surely as adults people can decide what details are necessary and what details don’t contribute anything to a story?!
The worst is when people write a full block of text without paragraphs.

I agree. Il

@Primrosepenny

I agree about the paragraphs it's frustrating.

The thing is, how many chirpy little posters have attacked an OP later down a thread for revealing information that they should have (in MN theory) included in their first post?

The site and its obsession with "drip feeding" is turning AIBU into a police hearing where the OP needs to provide a complete witness statement upfront. it's absurd.

It's much more annoying when OP reveals a salient fact 4 pages in though.

^ and there it is...

I saw one the other day that was so long the OP had to put it into two extremely long posts.

At least she has used paragraphs and punctuation (and even some bold emphasis).

I swear I've written court reports shorter than that was! Didn't read it.

@TheCanterburyWhales The long long posts I'm talking about won't be made any less confusing by specifying my sister or my son rather than ds which could mean either.

I do click off a thread if the opener runs further than the eye can see, but sometimes wonder if the op is doing themselves a disservice by putting off posters who might have something useful to add.

I also hate the ones that start off with things like:

-We're very fortunate to have (insert perfectly normal thing eg somewhere to live) - which is never relevant to the subject of the post

-We're lucky enough to be well off and can afford (insert humble brag about car/private schools/eleven holidays a year) - which are never relevant to the subject of the post

-A synopsis of all the bad things that have ever happened in their life - none of which are remotely relevant to the subject of the post.

Still, I do enjoy a game of mumsnet bingo!

The massively long replies where someone fancies themselves a counsellor put me off too.

God yes this ^^

I normally read the first line or two and scroll past the rest. Same with posters who fill threads up with massive copy and paste, like they don't trust us to click a link and read it