Does anyone else find responses to an OP who hasn’t been on thread for ages, strange?

[Seymour5]

Several threads I’ve read recently have been started by someone asking a question. There have been answers and then responses from the OP. Sometimes a thank you. The OP then doesn’t return, but people still post, sometimes long after the issue has been resolved.

On long threads, I always look at the OPs posts, and check the date of the last one before considering responding. I just find pages and pages of responses to an absent OP a bit odd.

I wonder if it will happen on this thread? 😂

I do know what you mean - sometimes a fascinating thread pops up again, and when you look, it’s just someone saying ‘you go girl’ or someone who is too lazy to read the OP’s updates and is desperate to put the boot in - ‘take pictures of the damage and get a backbone, you sap!’ (See recent house exchange thread)

But sometimes new conversations or debates can arise on a thread which keep it current, so it runs for a while.

Its pretty easy to scroll on by, though.

I don't find it strange, I think sometimes it's done in error and then people don't realise and continue posting, which is on them for not checking the date of the post. Sometimes people have the same issue and are hoping the OP or somebody else who responded at the time of the original post might respond with an update.

Sometimes I look at threads I'm on and find threads I created ages ago and that were resolved have been revived months later and had people chatting amongst themselves, sometimes having more replies in a morning 6 months on than they ever had at the time or even have now become about someone else in a similar situation and people are advising them now.
I can't say it bothers me though.

Not strange, I just assume people haven't noticed the date.

It gets my hopes up thinking that the OP has updated but nope it’s someone who hasn’t RTHT

That was what sparked this.

@FeralNun I understand when people are having ongoing discussions, less so when the responses are directed at the OP who’s long gone!

I don't think the pp actually read your thread. Some subjects set people off and they argue amongst themselves for pages. I imagine the op cba.

I meant op, but maybe I misunderstood. Do you mean bumping old threads?

I don't consider responses to be exclusively for the OP.

If other contributors continue to post after the OP has indicated that the issue is closed for them, it's because they continue to have an interest in it. I don't see any problem with that. Few if any subjects are of interest only to the OP.

When everyone has finished having their say, the thread will naturally sink down the board until it disappears. That's how it should work.

or many of us will become invested in an OP’s emotional state, stay up with her offering support and advice, then Woomph !! thread pulled by OP, like the proverbial rug, or, OP offers no follow up, resolution, or OP dripfeeds information, occasionally conflicting, argues, defends abusive OH, becomes aggressive

there are many wind up threads which pp take seriously and respond to, drgging it out when it is obvious its a hit and run some of the commenters quite earnest in their responses

I did respond to one a while ago not realising how old it was, behind an updated comment, the OP long resolved her query.

there are many compassionate, kind, thoughtful, carefully considered, intelligent posts on here, offering sound advice often based on experience/s good or bad,
the articulate, pithy, wry, droll worldly travelled erudite often remarkable, thought provoking, some intellectually challenging, worthy

much of the humour, quick wit, cultural and literal references have melted away, which is a shame,
although the lack of comprehension remains
as does

irrelevant experiences served as empathy,
straw man / steelman arguments
arguing for the sake of it
lack of courtesy
bloody mindedness
barrelling (head down and charge in scattering the thread)
projection - this can be disagreeable enough to derail the thread
controversial views presented as a challenge
pejorative terms thrown as bait or consequence
and always with us, the Ad Hominem argument

ideally, comments would be forensically edited, preferably
written with the aid of a dictionary, all nonsense withdrawn
along with
misleading and provocative headings worthy of the DM

People find stuff through google and then add their message to the end, I think when they don't really understand how web forums work and don't realise they can make their own thread.

Or sometimes they know it's an old thread but they are asking for an update, however then people see the thread in Active and respond without noticing the date.

Or sometimes it's a spammer looking for people with the problem their product is supposed to solve so they go looking for threads all across the internet and post their ad on the end of it.

Also I think the "Similar threads" function on MN is unhelpful because it encourages people to bump old threads maybe not having really thought about whether their response is still relevant.

It’s those pesky ‘Similar Threads’ suggestions at the bottom of the page…they’re all ancient!

No. The OP just starts the discussion. We often carry on chatting to each other about the issues their post raises, or some tangential points after they've left the thread if the topic sparks enough interest. Nothing wrong with that, surely?

@SerenChocolateMuncher a discussion continuing is quite different to ‘why don’t you do xxx OP’ long after the question has been answered and the OP has happily (or unhappily) disappeared.

Example https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5066357-to-forcibly-ask-why-you-pulled-out?page=1

I agree with much of your post @SOxon, I don’t understand the level of aggression and lack of courtesy shown at times either. People can disagree without getting personal or nasty, surely?

I think it depends if you mean posters continuing to discuss things that have been raised, in a more of a general discussion way - I think that's fine
or
Sometimes the thread can develop into pages long during one day - the OP maybe has to work or do other stuff and might come back the next day - that's also fin
or
Reviving a zombie thread - that's just annoying. Not helped by MN introducing the "suggestions of threads" bit though.

Nah, because on a long thread the conversation tends to evolve and it ends up being less about the OP.

Plus, the OP is probably still reading 😉

I don't find it at all strange if the topic is still of interest to other contributors. It's strange if brought up again weeks or months later.