Hounding OPs for an answer?

[MaryIsA]

There's a couple of threads at the moment - probably more than that - but two I've noticed in particular where there a poster has gone quiet.

The threads have continued, but not as a chat or a discussion on the topics raised - but basically just hounding the OP to come back and update.

I'm as guilty of blatant placemarking as the next person for a thread where someone is engaging on a living drama. But, particularly in one case where the OP has come back to say 'I don't want to update' - what do people get out of this? They aren't coming back and a bunch of people asking them to won't make them.

It's pure nosiness and rubbernecking disguised as concern. Multiple pages of nothing but "hope you're ok OP ". You can practically hear them salivating for the gossip and drama.

It's fucking awful to be honest. An OP doesn't come back? Fine. Leave it, don't pester.

Many posters only seem to read the first post and have no idea that OP has come back to post that they do not want to update.

I don’t think that’s completely fair @Lockheart. Surely “I hope you’re OK” can be a genuine offer of empathy.

I agree that if someone says they don’t want to update, they shouldn’t be asked to, but maybe that gets lost in a thread with hundreds of replies.

Can OPs ask for threads to be locked so, they stay up but you can’t reply?

The option is there for the OP to hide the thread, which I suspect a lot do. So PPs are just wasting their time pestering for an update.