OP should respond at least once in their post

[Moonshine5]

Has anyone else noticed that recently the OP has not responded and simply left the thread in lots of posts

Yep, happening a lot at the moment. I am starting to think they may be trolls.

Might be AI / bots masquerading as a human.

Or maybe they are just canvass g opinion rather than getting into a conversation?

I’ve started to check now before bothering to reply

I think basic good manners just to say thanks though ?

Maybe there should be some kind of MN HQ alert if OP hasn't responded in 24 hours. You can guarantee majority of threads would then get pulled as trolls.

Agreed.

Some seem to be where the op expects everyone to agree with them and then no one does.

I made a thread a while ago and never came back to it. I was struggling with something really hard and the first response ripped into me. Put me right off engaging.

Yanbu its exceptionally rude.

I guess it's often because they don't like the responses.

It’s so infuriating when you’ve gone to the trouble of posting a reply that you hope will be helpful. Even if it’s not an AI troll or market research or lazy journalist or whatever - it’s basic good manners to return to a thread you’ve started.

Occasionally I feel slightly sad for an apparently genuine OP whose thread dies a death because they’ve shown no interest in it themselves.

Me too.

Yanbu, the op should check for responses after 30 mins or so and start replying x

Well I'm currently on a thread in which the OP is asking if she should dump her boyfriend because when she's not around he sleeps with a 20 feet long stuffed dragon.

The OP hasn't been back since her first post.

Hard to believe she's a troll, surely?

Oh i clicked off of that, felt 100% like a well written troll post

What do trolls even get out of mumsnet? Are people being paid for engsgement?

Yes, it's most definitely a troll, I was being sarcastic.

I quite enjoy the odd silly troll post when I'm in the mood. Some of the comment can result in quite a funny thread.

Yes I do see this happen quite often- and it's often the first poster who is replying to the OP being really insensitive and bullish in their reply.

If I was the OP then and struggling with something I'd think 'sod this' and not respond again.

Equally there are some (Daily Mail journalists and the like?) who seem to be just setting a rabbit running to get the responses and probably never intended to post again, just glean responses.

Love it 🤣

The mental image 🐲

Agreed there 🤭

Yes it’s pretty rude not to respond.

Many of these have a long narrative opening post with lots of quite cliched stuff then nothing. Looks like AI to me. The more bullshit posts the less of a future for MN

Me too.
Not going down that rabbit hole otherwise

I can never understand why people keep responding when it’s days after the original thread and the OP hasn’t returned even once, usually to just say what everyone else has already said.
it’s especially annoying when there’s crucial details left out and people ask for clarity and there’s no reply.
I do sometimes imagine an OP sat with their mate and a bottle of wine going ‘watch this do you dare me to post xxxx and we can laugh at all the replies’

Maybe it’s mumsnet keeping the new threads coming.