Why do some posters NOT read the full thread.

[Meandhimtogether]

A few threads now where people don't read the full thread and come back with a completely different take on the problem.

Are they lazy, stupid or can't read/understand the written words.

They don’t have to reply though. If I don’t have time to skim a long thread, I won’t reply. If I think I have a valid contribution, I will quickly check I’m not repeating others or worse, causing distress so someone. If someone is posting a thread about a terminally ill loved one, for example, and I don’t even bother to check the latest, I could possibly cause grief and upset to someone and ask “how is your dad? when he passed away some days ago - all because I didn’t check. I am sure it’s not someone’s intention but if I have something to post, I’ll check it won’t purposefully cause harm first.

Too long, too boring or the answer is obvious - like this one. Because of course people aren’t alll stupid.
PS. I only read your OP for the reasons listed above, not even going to read all YOUR comments… you’re welcome!

It's what's easier on a phone I answer through the email link

🤣

If it is an emotive subject and i have strong feelings of what i want to say after reading the initial post (where all relevant information should be for AIBU or advice seeking in relationships, which are really only the 2 topic boards i visit)
Then i don't want to lose my train of thought to go reading every other reply first, on multipage threads that could take hours! Even just reading OP further posts can get lengthy, plus my response is to the initial post, not potential drip feeds or side tangents and debates etc made later that completely change the situation.

This!

Then those 10 page long threads with people saying the same unfunny "joke" from page 1 alllll the way through.

So when you say 'are they lazy, stupid or illiterate', you must be assuming that this thread will only be read by people who read whole thread, but not by the people you are referring to.

Or is it that even you, somehow, are dimly aware that saying 'are you lazy, stupid or illiterate' might be a bit provocative, or even just very rude?

To help you along, yes, I am lazy, stupid and illiterate. Happy now?

(Oh, and you might need me to tell you that 'illiterate' means 'can't read/understand the written words' That may come in useful to you later.)

So would just reading the OP's posts be possible?

That usually works and they're easy to find if you've changed the colours of the posts

Can't be arsed to RTFT, but YABU in the way you've approached this post.

And sometimes it's a more upsetting/distressing thread than that one so answers can be inappropriate

I think some people are just desperate to jump on the OP for some small detail, so much so that if they took a few minutes to read all the OP's posts they'd see that it's already been raised and explained.