To wonder why people wade in on threads that clearly they can’t contribute to?

[wannagotoaustralia]

Does anyone know what I mean? A thread will say something like ‘Dog owners - I need your help’ and someone will post to say ‘well I’ve never owned a dog but I think …’

Or you get something like ‘AIBU to think Friends is really misogynistic’ and someone replies with ‘don’t know - never seen it.’ Or ‘what would you buy an eight year old boy for Christmas.’ ‘Nothing, I only know one boy and he’s two.’ Sometimes they’ll admit ‘so that doesn’t really help.’ So what’s the point? Are people just that desperate for attention?

It’s not to aid sinking threads either, it happens even on busy threads that a lot of people are enjoying.

So - AIBU to ask if you’ve noticed this and AIBU to think it’s really annoying?

On an unrelated but similar note, my DH, who is lovely and v intelligent, cannot deal with

"On a scale of 1 to 10 how likely are you to recommend The Mumsnet Co to a friend?"*

Because he says his friends aren't currently buying a house / getting Sky so wouldn't discuss those sort of questions and he's not going to phone them up randomly to talk about banks. He always puts the lowest score even if the service has been amazing.

I sort of see where he's coming from, although I would figure that the impetus of the question was clearly assuming you would have a friend who might be interested, for the purposes of the question. The question could be better written, though.

Then again, maybe they're basing everything around a younger demographic (no offence to your DH) of people who apparently can't eat a sandwich without telling all of their friends about it. I play app games with my DS (quiz/gameshow type) and enjoy doing so, but am always open-mouthed at the end when they invite me to 'share' my (not particularly impressive) score with others. Are they trying to lose me friends by boring them all to an early grave?

Actually, Amazon do that as well, when they confirm your purchase and then urge you to tell all of your friends that you just bought an economy pack of wire coat hangers and a kitchen roll holder. Even if I were the hottest celebrity going, I still don't think the fatuous gossip mags would be in the least bit interested in reporting my latest ultra-boring purchases!

YANBU
It happens on so many threads in chat and AIBU in particular.

Any doctors around to diagnose my potentially rare condition? First PP says they’re not a doctor but it sounds like a vitamin D deficiency because they had exactly the same symptoms and that’s what they had.

Or someone asks how long it’s likely take for their new driving license to come in the post. Cue replies like, well I’ve no idea because neither myself nor anyone I know has applied for a new license in the last 6 years but I should think about 5 days.

What possible use do people think their reply is going to be ? That’s the problem i guess - they don’t think, they just plunge right in. Maybe they’re bored or no one asks for their opinion on anything in RL?

@Wainwriter reading the legal 'advice' people dish out on here is horrifying.
If you're not currently practicing in the field SHUT UP.

It’s the online equivalent of the person who imagines conversation requires them to find some personal experience or anecdote they think in some way relates to the topic you’re talking about. Unfortunately this may mean you tell them you’re studying physics and they interrupt to tell you their hairdresser’s auntie once had a budgie called Einstein.

I know they force them to do it (and those who apply to go on aren't usually the shrinkingest of violets), but I was watching a vintage gameshow on Challenge the other day (don't judge me) where one contestant's 'funny story' revolved around the fact that she'd once (probably decades previously) bought what she thought was a PAIR of shoe accessories at a jumble sale, but later discovered they were actually FOR THE SAME FOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@FakeFruitShoot then you have people like myself who have KPIs/targets with these specific kinds of questions, where you bend over backwards trying to make sure people get good service for them to give you a low score even though they had a good experience.... where I work we are actually paid bonus (or not!) based on this "recommend a friend" question alone. Its so disheartening to read about people like your DH who, probably, have no idea about the impact of these irritating questionnaires on other people's lives! This is why I always give a 10/10 for any customer service questionnaire unless truly not deserved for some reason.

Because some people are just here to have a chat and pass the time, rather than taking it that seriously.

Any doctors around to diagnose my potentially rare condition? First PP says they’re not a doctor but it sounds like a vitamin D deficiency because they had exactly the same symptoms and that’s what they had.

Come on, the problem with those threads is the question itself not the replies.

Or someone asks how long it’s likely take for their new driving license to come in the post. Cue replies like, well I’ve no idea because neither myself nor anyone I know has applied for a new license in the last 6 years but I should think about 5 days.

Ooh, if anybody ever watches Jeremy Vine's show on Channel 5 when they have Mike Parry as a guest, he is exactly like that. Full of "Well, I should have thought that...." and "Surely a sensible person would do...." He's actually very (unintentionally) funny to watch, but probably not so much for the people in the studio (and irl) who have to act civilly towards him!

@FakeFruitShoot

On an unrelated but similar note, my DH, who is lovely and v intelligent, cannot deal with

"On a scale of 1 to 10 how likely are you to recommend The Mumsnet Co to a friend?"

Because he says his friends aren't currently buying a house / getting Sky so wouldn't discuss those sort of questions and he's not going to phone them up randomly to talk about banks. He always puts the lowest score even if the service has been amazing.

Similar to this.

Clearbloo

It must be so extremely frustrating to get the brunt when you have nothing at all to do with it. Like when people are irritated at having to wait 20 minutes to get through and then give the (helpful and friendly) person the lowest rating purely on the strength of that - and then the poor, rushed customer service advisor ends up being hauled in by the bosses to explain themselves, when it's the big bosses' fault in the first place for not employing enough people to answer the phones.

slashlover

That is amazing

I'd also like to see "How likely are you to buy another of the same brand of washing machine in the future" answered with "Highly unlikely - because I'm 108!"

Somebody once commented (I think it was Dave Gorman) about those response buttons they sometimes have in stores, with several faces on traffic-light-coloured buttons. When they ask "How clean did you find these toilets?", exactly who is it who is going to dare to press the red button on the far left with the scowling grumpy face on it?!

the problem with those threads is the question itself not the replies

I can't bear the posts that are just links to the daily mail or faceache, and the post is just "what do you think of this?" - well I think you're wasting my time, if I wanted to read the daily mail, I would.

I think some people think everything is addressed to them personally.

Yeah, this. As if the entire internet was waiting with bated breath to hear their words of wisdom.

Including gems like “I don’t know”, or “do what feels right” or “just wear what you feel comfortable in”, like a mediocre human fortune cookie.

Maybe they are the people who are sharing every mundane event of their lives on social media and think that people are interested in their every thought and deed?

The S&B virtue signallers wind me up.
"Shall I get a pair of X for the summer or is that a dated look nowadays"
"Who cares, wear what you want, why would you worry about what's "on trend""
"I want a reasonably priced midi school run dress in blues/greens for Spring"
"Why on earth would you care what you look like for the school run?! It's a chore not a fashion parade!"

The OP cares. That's why she's posted to ask those questions on S&B.

But there's a special place in hell for the people who dive into Legal threads with shit they've either half remembered from an episode of CSI: Miami or just plain made up.

Yeah, this. As if the entire internet was waiting with bated breath to hear their words of wisdom.

Same as the people who don't bother to RTFT and then, when challenged on it, splutter that the thread is far too long to expect anybody to read it all. Well, why did you just make it even longer then, you doughnut? Whom do you expect to be reading your gem - advising the same thing as the first 43 people said - before the thread moved on significantly and long since completely nullified what you've just said anyway?

That’s so weird, because not 10 minutes ago someone asked me what distro of linux I would recommend for a Mac.

My favorite version of this (surprisingly common!)

OP: my best friend called me a 5 letter word, punched me in the face and shagged my husband, is the friendship over?

Poster: have you considered that she might have Tourette's/ Bipolar/ some other random illness. I have "the rarest condition known to man" and have done all of the above, and knowing that my friends would drop me breaks my heart, thanks a lot OP!

I think they're the same people who answer those randomised pointless Facebook questions, such as 'If you had to eat the last thing that passed your lips for the rest of your life, what would you be eating?', loads of people respond with what they've just had for dinner or pudding.....like it matters!😄

ThedaBara

Have you ever read through the question and answer section of an Amazon listing? Exactly the same: Q. "Was this product any good for...xyz?" A. "Not sure - I didn't buy it in the end". Gets me every time - who are these people?

@mustlovegin

You sound like the thread police OP

you are the problem

YANBU, but an exception to this is "Am I pregnant?". Because when you come online to say you've had sex and you have a working womb and ovaries the answer to that is so obvious that it's fair to just comment "POAS.".

You do you, op

Glad I'm not the only one who's a bit at some of the replies in the teenager threads.

Q: how tall is your 14yo DS? Mine is towering over us at 6'0!
A: mine's 6'4
A: mine's 5'3
A: my 9yo DD is 5'0 she's gonna be tall like her dad haha

@ThedaBara

My favorite version of this (surprisingly common!)

OP: my best friend called me a 5 letter word, punched me in the face and shagged my husband, is the friendship over?

Poster: have you considered that she might have Tourette's/ Bipolar/ some other random illness. I have "the rarest condition known to man" and have done all of the above, and knowing that my friends would drop me breaks my heart, thanks a lot OP!

When It's about "non standard" behaviour it's always autism under 40, dementia for over 40. With occasional other ideas thrown in.