Treat Forums Like Conversations

seeemilywrite · Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 5

When posting in a forum keep in mind that there maybe more than one page. While the original question may have been on one topic the thread may have gone to another conversation entirely. Before you post take a look at the entire thread and know whats going on the conversation before you speak.

va2ny · Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 9 Location: New York

I think a great idea is to treat a forum like a conversation. Get all the information before you actually make your comment. How many of us have wished that there was an "unpost" button after we realize we just posted the same thing as someone else.
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GeorgiaGirl · Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 7

I agree, there isn't anything more infuriating than realize you answered a question that is either been answered to death already, or posted something that is irrelevant by the time you are at the end of the thread. Best to read the whole thread before committing to a comment.

ghostryter · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Central Florida

Defiantly a good idea.
Posters have bad habits of reading down a list of post to a certain topic and as soon as they run across a post they disagree with they go straight to the ?reply? button.
Read all the post and replies, unlike joining a verbal conversation in the middle, with the chance to read all that has been posted you can at least join the topic without being oblivious to what has been already commented on or asked.
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NicoleJLeBoeuf · Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

I'd add to this: If you're going to get involved in a debate, continue reading the thread. As long as you're participating, read every post that's been posted since your last reply.

I was in a bit of a heated discussion on another board (on my own time, not a forumbooster job!) wherein this one person kept demanding explanations of, and making accusations at, the other side of the debate. We'd explain and defend. Then that person would come back and repeat the demands and accusations. Some five pages in, this person revealed that "I don't really have time to read every post, so I've only been skimming and looking for posts that quote my posts." So as it turned out, the reason this person sounded as if she wasn't reading the answers to her posts was... she wasn't reading most of the answers to her posts.

As you can imagine, a lot of people did the virtual equivalent of throwning their hands up in the air and storming out of the room in a huff. This person ended up on several people's ignore lists and got quite a few negative reputation points (it was that kind of software) for her behavior.

To summarize: Don't do that.
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