AIBU to skip threads with really long first posts?

[Sexisthairdressers]

Just get to the point, OPs!

What does TLDR stand for anyway?

Especially if they are one long screed with no paragraphs, yes.

Why TF don’t people put paragraphs in long posts?? Don’t they realise how off-putting they are?

Too long, didn't read

I do that. There’s either a lot of irrelevant stuff or just a lot of moaning. Saying that, I do feel
sorry for the OP when they get accused of drip feeding later in the thread. It may have been a genuine oversight on their part or they may have felt it wasn’t quite relevant to ‘set the scene’, forgetting that, for everyone else, it’s the first time they’ve heard the story.

The first thing I now do if I see a wall of text is see if the OP has updated (especially if the thread is a few days old) - when I see 0 replies from OP I move on and don't even bother. I suspect the AI post above is accurate

I find it more annoying when people reply just to say “TL:DR” or “I couldn’t read all that”. It’s clearly meant to be a dig at the OP, but it also makes that poster sound a bit dim. Find a nice, easy thread with short words and short paragraphs, then!

I don’t mind person A, person B etc. It’s much better than the OPs which just refer to multiple people as he, she and they. They’re the only OPs I genuinely struggle to follow, as it’s a guessing game as to who did what.

This. I am not interested in the light blue touchpaper and retire posters even assuming they are genuine and not AI.

I've just skimmed a thread with quite a long OP and hit "see all" just to see what the OP said subsequently.

The OP has quoted their own OP further down the thread. 😤

I glance to see whether the thread has plenty of pages already, which indicates there’s something juicy, bunfighty or worthwhile

If there is ever a worldwide poll of all of the English-speaking people across the world, seeking to find the single best word ever, my money is firmly on 'bunfighty' for the win

When the first or second response quotes the OP in full, it always makes me think of the character that Karen Taylor used to do in her sketch show - where she would say "Right, I hear what you're saying", pretty much repeat what had just been said in full, in a whiney mocking tone, and then follow it with "Booooo-hoooooo-hoooooooo!!!"

Most OPs put a massive amount of irrelevant crap in long OP though, so it’s fine to point this out. I find person A etc harder to follow on the whole than a properly explained description and it’s annoying when an OP posts in AIBU but seeks to obfuscate who the I in AIBU actually is.

Yes! This is incredibly irritating. I once put a thread about it on site stuff to ask if we could have a “didn’t read the OP before answering” button.

Most OPs put a massive amount of irrelevant crap in long OP though, so it’s fine to point this out.

I don't mind this too much. Not everyone is an expert writer (editors exist even for professional writers,) and if you're confused enough about a situation that you feel it could be useful to post in MN, you're probably less likely to be sure what is relevant. If you could sort it all out in your own head and make it all neat, you might not bother posting at all.

Yes! This is incredibly irritating. I once put a thread about it on site stuff to ask if we could have a “didn’t read the OP before answering” button.

Yes! then, if they press the button, it 'shadow bans' their post, so THEY can see it, but nobody else has to!

People would just lie about having read it though.

Yep. Totally with you. Can't be arsed!

🙈🙈🙈

If there's a long first post, I go immediately to the second post and other replies, then check if the OP has come back or not. I often go through first few replies and then filter for OP, go to their last post and continue from there

What's TLDR?

Lighten up! My post was just a bit of fun ;-)

Love this! The cups thing made me giggle :-)

It's annoying when people quote the very long first post.

Cracking up at 'maybe I should have been concerned when I found out he'd been to prison for murder' 😂😂

Sorry, have now worked out what TLDR means after reading replies.

I've posted on long opening posts a couple of times about paragraphs and clarify of the story behind the post.
I was told off a couple of times for doing so by other contributors. I tend to give them a swerve these days.