to think it's only polite to address other posters by their name

[emkana]

instead of just "to the OP?

YANBU and I am guilty of this myself but mostly I try to use the name, it is nicer I think.

No I don't think so. Sometimes if you've got to the end of a mammoth thread you can't remember who started it so OP is good enough.

It's another acronym, we use lots of them.

I say the OP. usually lost the name of them by the time you are typing your post.

Dear Emanka,
By the time we have got to the 7365th post on a thread, we have all forgotten who started it, so OP is much simpler.
Kind regards
Senua

i think op is enough...

see, and I got your name wrong.

emkana...not everybody has cute little names like yours!!

YABU and probably a little too easily offended, IMO

I would if I could remember - and when I scroll / click back, I lose the post I'm typing.

So ideally, yes, it's more polite to use the poster's, er, made up name , but in the absence of any short term memory I think I'll just stick with OP, or maybe we could agree to another : "yoo hoo Margot", or "she wot started all this".

nah, OP is shorter.

It is polite, but sometimes I am too lazy to check or posting on my iPhone where the scrolling up and down is a pain.

I will if it is a name I recognise, or can remember.

Some names are difficult to remember, or I worry about spelling them incorrectly.

second that MmeLindt with regards to iphone!!!

If the name is easy I say the name. If it is long winded I say OP.

No biggie to say OP. Especially on AIBU where everyone's ripping each other to shreds.

Oddly enough I always say OP, never really thought about it before.

yabu as I don't see the problem. But then again I really fail to see in RL how people get offended or interrupt with indignation if you refer to them or someone else as "he" or "she" as I just don't see how the use of a pronoun is insulting or rude. different strokes and all that.

I rather like "OP" in AIBU. I suggests a poster is attacking responding to an opinion or situation rather than the person.

You know how mnet now have the replies of the OP in chats with slebs and politicians highlighted? I think it would be fab if that could happen to the OP's initial post and replies in each thread. It would help stop some of the bunfights, where the OP has already clarified that no, she didn't mean xyz, she meant abc, but 200 replies later she's still being asked about xyz. I often miss the OP's replies as I can't remember their name after 200 posts...

Lymond - good idea.

That is a good idea.

OP when refering to, name when responding to.

It's not rude to type OP, it's just convienient. No offence is meant. (: