How often do you start to reply to a post and change your mind?

[displacedtexan]

I'm doing that more and more lately.

I'll start typing a reply, and I'll think, "I'm not going to jump into that!"

Then I just click out of the discussion thread.

Case in point: I almost jumped into the latest Schiavo thread a few minutes ago, but I changed my mind. That thread (about her parents asking a judge to grant their brain-dead daughter a divorce) is heating up quickly!

Am I the only one who does this?

[Ilsa]

At least once a day.

I'll change my mind about jumping into a long thread or decide to blow it off.

[Ninga]

7. Oh my gosh! I hope you aren't counting the number of times you've

seen me bail out of a post!

[displacedtexan]

16. Aren't you glad I can't find out?

I'm just glad I'm not the only one!

[dweller]

1. .

nm


..

[King Coal]

2. Not this time, anyway.

[Extend a Hand]

3. no...I do that too

estimating one out of every four posts
:)

[fob]

4. Self-Deleted

Nevermind

:evilgrin:


No, you are not alone.

[displacedtexan]

23. That was hilarious!

Thanks! I needed that!

[eallen]

5. Most times. Otherwise, I'd be ejected from the board, tarred, & feathered.

:bounce:

[mwb970]

6. Yes...

Especially on touchy subjects.

[cmd]

8. I do it all the time

In fact, I just deleted what I started with. I probably should delete a whole lot more. LOL

[quinnox]

9. Seldom

but it happens from time to time. Sometimes I make a reply then look at it again because it is a little too emotional or knee-jerk or offensive, so I don't post it.

[eternalburn]

10. 99% of the time.....

...thus the extremely low post count :(

[Journeyman]

11. All the time, dt. . .

if I can't think of a valid, intelligent comment to make, I pass on it. Same if it seems it'll just degenerate into a flame fest. Sometimes I'll post an initial response, but if I get attacked with no good reasons behind the attack, or others in a thread seem to be holding up my end of the debate, I don't chime in unless I have something intelligent to offer.

I've found that quite often people post on these boards just to hear the sound of their own keyboard clacking.

[uppityperson]

um, never mind

quickly edited to add
of course. Sometimes I don't want to bother getting into it, sometimes it is going nowhere, sometimes it is done. I end up editing after I post too which I find very annoying sorry. Except this time which was as a joke.

[underpants]

12. Well I......

oh never mind

[wideopen]

13. not the only one

I'm new here, I've done it like 500 times. Some posters just want to fight. I don't know my way around here well enough yet to get into anything to serious.

[Maple]

14. I do it a lot

I used to enjoy lively conversations, but I found there's no point, and it's not worth the hassle.

So most of the time, unless it's something totally uncontroversial, I practice 'read-only' visits.

[skylarmae]

15. almost just did it again. But, yes, me too....

[McKenzie]

17. loads of times

I type up what I think is a smart reply, look at it then I realise it's a pile of shite. Many, many times...ask the mods...bet the forum scripts show when someone is replying to a thread...ours do.

[seito]

18. Not so much anymore

It used happen all the time, when Kerry bashing was more rampant

[Toucano]

19. At least 1/2 the time.

I often conclude "why bother?" or "who really cares?"

Maybe it's because my first reaction is often to make a joke about something. A lot of those still get through, though.

Would you believe I started a thread about this very topic yesterday, but backed out before hitting "post"? It's an odd little world sometimes.

[notadmblnd]

20. 9 out of 10 times

other people usually say what needs to be said better than I do.

[jean]

22. same here. I try to be careful and thoughtful and by the time I decide

what to say someone else has said it already, and usually better.

[Ariana Celeste]

21. I do a LOT

And like another said, thus the low post count.

I like to try and make sure that when I *do* respond, my words will be taken the right way. There are a lot of times I look over my response, and feel that it doesn't properly project my thoughts. Also, I have had several instances where I want to respond to someone, who is dealing with rough times, and I just don't think what I have to say will help any. And besides which, you never know when a thread may end up becoming a flame-war.

:shrug:

[mordarlar]

24. 3 minutes ago i did the same thing in the Schiavo thread.

[Dervill Crow]

25. Practically every thread I read. n/t

[applegrove]

26. Maybe once every few days. I should probably do it more often!!

[KoKo]

27. ALOT...lately....Who Cares what I think, I say. I've got the "Blues."

Why bother....it's more important to wonder if Condi will run in 2008 or Edwards or Kerry...Who cares, I think...We haven't cleaned up the last two "Selections" and yet folks are running around trying to push candidates in our faces for four years from now...or other stuff that really isn't what we "could" be doing...But...hey ...it's just "Outrage Fatigue," as someone said...

:-)'s...

[Igel]

28. Maybe once for every 3 posts I actually make; maybe more.

Sometimes I decide it doesn't matter, there's no talking to some folk.

Sometimes I have no point. Or I'm splitting hairs for the sake of creating split-ends, which is to say ... I have no point. Or my point is tangential, and my post longwinded ... so I should have no point.

Every once in a while I'm ready to jump in and say, "No, you're wrong, you idiot!" (in nicer words, of course). But I do a bit of checking to post links showing that I am, once more, infallible ... and discover that no, I'm not, in fact I'm the idiot.

[vademocrat]

29. Most of the time - echo "thus the low post count"

If there's a direct question or request for a link & I have the answer or link, I'll post. Mostly it takes me too long to get my thoughts written out. By then, the thread's done. But I couldn't resist this one!

[dweller]

30. okay, since everyone else does... :)

i do it all the time. I usually read the op, and start to respond, and will read a few or all of the responses and see what i might have said is already said, or start replying to a responder and forget what i was going to say to the op.....sigh...

so i give up, alot, and suffice to just read as much as possible of all threads. My head hurts from info overload sometimes.

dp

[pintobean]

31. More often than not,

even in the lounge.

[Rowdyboy]

32. 1 out of every 4 or 5 never gets "entered"

And I briefly considered posting in the Shiavo divorce thread too. Its just not worth it sometimes.

[latteromden]

33. Funny - the Schiavo thread, I posted, got an error message, and decided

it was too much for me, so I just stepped back and didn't repost.

I do it a lot.

[omulcol]

34. I alwa .....

back space !

[LizW]

35. All the time

Sometimes it just feels good to type out a big old' smart-ass flame -- and then delete it without posting.

[displacedtexan]

36. So true!

:yourock:

[K-W]

37. Almost all the time.

Sometimes I decide my post wasnt really neccessary. Sometimes I realize my post is bad. Sometimes I realize I was wrong or I misread. Sometimes I know the argument is just gonna be too much trouble.

[CrispyQ]

38. Most definitely!

Some threads are way to volatile to waste my time & energy on.

I also wish more people would re-read their posts before clicking "Post." So many responses are simply rude & in most cases, I don't think the poster meant to be rude. If they would just read through it a second time they would probably pick up on the unintended tone of the post.

[in_cog_ni_to]

39. All the time. n/t

[LdyGuique]

40. At least half of the time

I'll even start typing -- and then decide to abort with the back button.

[PollyH]

41. Changing my mind

Quite often, as you can see by my paltry 26 responses. I realize that so many of you say what I want to say so much better than I ever could. I am so grateful that all of you are out there. You save my sanity.

[ComerPerro]

42. Sometimes I have it almost fully written out

and then think, "ah, fuck it".

[displacedtexan]

45. Me, too!

Weird, huh?

[SouthernDem2004]

43. 75% of the time.

[Melynn]

44. I do that all the time

I start to write a reply and then I think, "this really sucks" and end up not posting it.

The great thing about writing is that it forces you to organize your thoughts. If, in my opinion I don't really have a good view on subject then I won't post a reply.

[FM Arouet666]

46. I do it about half the time.... Damn, why did reply?

:evilgrin:

[Hardrada]

47. If I can't say anything nice

Then I don't say anything at all.

[qnr]

48. Quite often, recently. n/t

[enigmatic]

49. Often, when I'm reading GD..

I realize the effort isn't worth getting into a flamewar w/ somebody who refuses to listen, so I forget about it..