People who don't read the WHOLE thread before commenting

[ExpatInSlavikLand]

Unless you're completely new to commenting on MN and therefore aren't aware you can:

a) see how many pages of comments have already been made, and therefore check them before commenting, and:

b) click to read all of the OP's responses and updates

Why do you blithely ignore (what are often) reems and reems of comments and relevant responses from the OPs to put your two penneth'orth on a long-passed or clarified original post, usually parroting what multiple others have already written?

We've seen a great example of this yesterday, on the post written by a poor lady in the ME whose husband had clearly not really been in a barber shop for the two hours he'd said he'd be. We're currently on 36 pages of comments on this particular post, and we still have people commenting on the OP's original point, ignoring everything else she's since written (and in many cases being extremely unfair and nasty to her), promoting dozens of other people to kindly leap to her defense and ask these latecomers to read the entire thread before commenting.

What a mess.

^prompting, not promoting 🙄

I completely agree. I wonder why they do it? The justification when this has come up before is, they don't have time or can't be bothered to read it all. But surely if that's the case you just find a thread you can be bothered to read instead?!

I always read all of the OP's posts before commenting but rarely get past page 2 of the (drivel) posts from others. I then read the final page so I know which way the wind's blowing. What amazes me is that the original concern often gets buried under derails and nitpicking about something totally inconsequential to the poor OP.

Whilst I agree with you OP I think you are banging your head against a brick wall if you are expecting things to change!

Honestly baffles me how someone can come onto a thread they can see is hundreds of posts long and think they are so self important that no one will have made their often completely obvious point.

Since the introduction of the see all button it's also ridiculous how many posters still don't even take 5 minutes to read everything the OP has said.

Exactly, why do they even bother?

Recent example, the "what's in my wardrobe" thread. Op told us on page 3. Cue a million further posts still guessing 🤦🏼‍♀️

No, you're right of course, it's just really irritated me and I've had to vent 😂 Plus the OP on the aforementioned post has clearly been upset by some of the comments, so I kind of wanted to stand up for her somehow.

Who knows, maybe my post will reach a few MN users who'll realise they've been committing a big faux pax and be compelled to stop.

Do you really, honest and truly care about this?

Why wouldn't she? I do. It's the equivalent to crashing into a conversation at work or in the pub and derailing it with pointless contributions that have already been covered or boring derails. It's self important and dull and people should stop.

Well, it does make some threads totally incomprehensible. Love your user name.

LBT

It's not worth putting up with men who behave like that.

What an odd comment. Why wouldn't people care especially when the repeated comments from those who have not read the OPs updates are written deliberately to be unkind to the OP?

If you don't care enough to read the OPs posts don't comment. It's not difficult. No one will miss a comment made by someone who had just waded in and thinks their viewpoint is the only one that matters.

Many, many MNers are care about it, not just OP.
It ruins many a thread and is very exasperating.

Ha I knew this would be about the barber shop post. To be fair the OP did herself no favours by framing the post as “is it weird to go with my DH to the barber” as opposed to what she really should be asking (and still hasn’t really acknowledged) “I think my DH is cheating twice a month when he goes to the barbers for several hours”

Imagine they're the same people that wade into irl convos with the word "Actually...."

You are right that people thinking of commenting should read all an OP's posts first, to make sure they’ve seen updates.

But I completely disagree that they should also feel obliged to read everyone else's comments first as well. Presumably you think people should not then post comments if their view has already been expressed. But why not? They have as much right to express their view as the first person to do so. It’s not a rush to get there first. And as we don’t see how many "Agree" votes other people get, it can be useful to see the weight of opinion. Even if an AIBU poll is included, seeing the actual comments of individuals has more of an impact.

I’ve done it when drunk before. Shoot me

I think some people get caught out but there are def habitual offenders.

That ME barber thread was something else!

I read that OP and assumed she was in london and still thought her husbamd was in a knocking shop!!! And weird for taking 2 hrs...

I think there's alao a bad intent issue
Ypu dont need an echo chamber.and yes I AM judgey on some issues 🫣... but i do think some posters just want moral high ground on all things every time.

I always read the OP’s posts but I really can’t be bothered to read everyone else’s comments. Generally, I won’t bother with a thread once is gets passed a couple of pages though.

It does ruin threads. I find at the start of these threads it's an interesting discussion with back and forth from the op but as the inane, repetitive, irrelevant comments start from people who haven't even bothered to read all the op's posts it just becomes pointless. The op understandably gives up posting and the threads rumbles on with pages of drivel.

You're absolutely right.

It is tempting on Relationship threads, sometimes, to add a 'I agree - you shouldn't be being beaten up/financially abused/forced into sex and this isn't normal, no' for weight without reading the whole thread. Feels like the length of the thread might reinforce the depths of how wrong the behaviour is. But when I see it on AIBU when there's a poll for you to add a vote without anything new or interesting to say and people still do it, it gets irritating.

But yeah, I've also probably done it a few times for other reasons too

You're right, checking the OP's comments first is definitely more important, particularly when it's turned into a very long thread. The ME post is a great example of this.

Still, though, can't people skim read the general if the post isn't too long?

Oh the hypocrisy!!

2 mins before starting this thread the OP was pulled up for not readin all the OPs posts!!!

Is there a link to the other thread?

@ExpatInSlavikLand I agree. Threads where posters don't read the OP's updates just end up going round in circles.