Read the thread!

[Floatlikeafeather2]

AIBU to suggest there should be a law against people commenting on threads when they have not read beyond the OP? There is a very long thread currently running that is a prime example of this. It's a very divisive thread and, without exception, the people on one side are those who have not read the thread, and often even start off by saying "I have to admit I haven't read the whole thread but...." and their responses are mainly knee jerks, while the people on the other side have and their comments tend to be much more considered. If you can't be bothered to find out the facts, you're in no position to comment. You could, in fact, be doing harm.

This in spades. Drip feeds do my head in. When the situation is changing over the course of the day (or several days) then of course those are updates, but adding stuff that they didn't add in the first post is drip feeding.

Yet this past year or so, people have started calling them 'updates.' It's not a fecking update, if it's simply something you didn't mention in your first post!

All that said, people really should read all of the OP's posts before responding (especially if the thread has been going for more than 2-3 pages.)

Still don't get the elephants reference 🤔

I think that once a thread goes over about 8 pages, there is not going to be much more of any use, it's all repetition really. But as PP have said, part of participating in a general online forum is that you get people who don't read, people who misunderstand, and people who think that them wading into a ten page thread with the most blindingly obvious comment is somehow revelatory.

Are you the thread police?

You can change your settings so more posts are on one page. I have it set to ‘everything’ but I think the most you can do now is maybe 500 posts, so only two pages. Then click ‘see all OPs posts’ and it’s laid out very very clearly for you.

Id love yo know what thread op is talking about

Just read the OP's posts! Not that hard. Though whenever anyone suggests this, people come up with the excuse that they're on their phone, and the 'see all' function doesn't work for them. 🙄

It was just comical irony. OP said people don't read peoples posts properly, and the poster in question mentioned elephants, because the OP never mentioned elephants. Illustrating that she didn't read the OP properly.

There is no elephant 🤣. The joke is that people have gone back to check the OP, and read it again to confirm they’ve not missed anything.

Oh right

I think I know the one you mean. I commented early on based on the OP. Then keep getting quoted by people with the opposite view because pretty important details were left out of the original post and only revealed later when the comments all disagreed with her.

No, there are often a lot of posts to read, and about 80% of it will be drivel.

Easier to just scan the OP, comment, and never look at the thread again.

If there's a thread with 800 posts, no one is going to sit and read every single post before considering their reply. Especially if they want to rush in and answer the OP.

Those people who are saying they haven't time to read a whole thread - are they not aware of the 'see all' button on the first post of every thread? I can only assume they've missed it.

Yeah, I always click "see all" on OP's posts and give them a read before commenting. It really doesn't take too long and would definitely sift out a lot of comments that just muddy the waters.

No one is asking people to read 800 general comments. Just the OP's posts.

OP can't always put every single detail in their first post. Sometimes they remember things or in cases of trauma or abuse they come to realisations whilst interacting with the thread.

I see MN as a conversation. It is interaction between the OP and the commenters... And people complain when OP disappears and doesn't answer questions anyway.

Here:

I am on a phone, I've never used MN on a laptop and the "see all" function is definitely there for me. I use it on every thread lol

I think unless it's for goady reasons one person's drip feed can be another person's evolving conversation.

😆

This. @NotTerfNorCis Just click on SEE ALL. You can easily read just the OP's posts!

I get that people may not read the whole thread . But reading the ops replies is helpful.

It's not always easy to put everything in an op. Sometimes posters may be stressed. Didn't think certain things were relevant until it came up on the thread. People ask questions or make comments which means the op ends up explaining on a deeper level and may not have realised that would happen.

Is that not the ops fault for leaving out important information in her opening post?

Also- when will people stop quoting the OP's sometimes very long poster when responding. I let out a groan every time and my DH is wondering what I'm up to.

If the OP is expected to include everything in her OP and anticipate any question that might be asked of her, that will lead to a very long OP that no one will bother to read.

There is a level of arrogance to it I think. People are oh so busy and important but have to have their say so read very little of the thread and chip in anyway. Almost never are they contributing anything of worth and the upside is that you can see them for exactly who they are. They tend to show themselves up as akin to my neighbour who considers his opinions worth shouting regardless of whether they're needed. I wonder if it's the same group of people who post in AIBU for traffic when it's really not necessary. Again, they're very important people who need an audience.