Reading the long posts...

[Sapphire Harp]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering what your individual reactions to really long posts are.

I've noticed my posts are growing ever longer, so I'm a bit concerned... Particular examples can be found here and here.

Do you read these things whole, or just groan and scroll to the next one?

Does it make a difference if it's the starting post, or a response?

Thank you, everyone.
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[cheese]

I tend to read the long posts as well. Sometimes if the thread is very long it can be too daunting and I end up skimming over most things.

Brevity is appreciated, but length allows for more meaning and information.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

I guess I try to look for a theme or motif that is similar to an interest for mine. I skim similarly for things that interest me, starting post or response post. It's kinda selfish.

And of course I read completely posts that are posted in threads I've made... just because I feel a responsibility as OP to add fertilizer to the topic. It's kinda selfish.

edit// lol I went back and checked the links of the posts you cited... they're your own posts! Don't fret SH, your posts are great; we get intimidated by every long post. I feel socializer's remorse too. :/

 

[Felan]

It depends on the quality of what is written rather than it's length. I haven't thought your posts too long. Its always a good idea to go through trim excess without taking too much time to do so.

 

[Fedayeen]

I generally out more effort into trying to finish reading a long post if its the opening one, if its a later one I usually skim/skip it

 

[NoID10ts]

Honestly, for me, it often depends on who's writing it. For example, I'll read anything that loveofreason writes, but I completely ignore Melkor even if it's just a one word post. ( kidding of course)

Some arguments are just repeated ad nauseum from thread to thread and I tend to tune those out, but that may be because I've been here long enough to see the same old shit replay out over and over.

But usually I don't mind reading the long posts if I sense they have something new to offer regardless of who writes them. I've written some big ones on occasion myself.

 

[Ermine]

I don't mind long posts just so long as they're broken down into paragraphs rather than a meter long mass of text. And it would be appreciated if they're concise and avoid redundancy like the plague.

Unless I'm really interested, I tend to skim long posts.

 

[mikal]

I always read Coberst's long posts. they make me think..

 

[snowqueen]

As a confessed long poster I have nothing against long posts but wouldn't care if people couldn't be bothered to read mine - but I'd be annoyed if they responded without reading it (thought I know I am guilty of that myself sometimes)

 

[Sapphire Harp]

Thank you, everyone who's replying. This is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to find out about. ...Are there some trend-breakers out there yet to respond?

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And of course I read completely posts that are posted in threads I've made... just because I feel a responsibility as OP to add fertilizer to the topic. It's kinda selfish.

I hear you on that business... I feel obliged to nurture threads I created until they've reached a point where they simply need to be put down...

lol I went back and checked the links of the posts you cited... they're your own posts! Don't fret SH, your posts are great; we get intimidated by every long post. I feel socializer's remorse too. :/

Errr... yea? I was asking cause I'm getting a habit of it and am pretty sure I'm wading into treacherous waters. I know I'm not the only one, of course...

Some arguments are just repeated ad nauseum from thread to thread and I tend to tune those out, but that may be because I've been here long enough to see the same old shit replay out over and over.

I'm guessing the religion and spirituality threads frequently repeat... but most others do not, right?

I always read Coberst's long posts. they make me think..

I hear you, Mikal. I've lately resolved to be more involved with Coberst's threads, but it is takes time since you can never approach them lightly.

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[NoID10ts]

I'm guessing the religion and spirituality threads frequently repeat... but most others do not, right?​

Religion threads are the primary culprit, but also some of the INTP/Mbti type threads as well. There's nothing wrong with it, though. It's just that the longer you are here, the more you see the same old arguments get cycled through with new faces. That's good for them, but for me its just the same old stuff.

But I'm not complaining, it's just why I don't always read the long posts. I've always liked your posts though, Sapphire Harp. Maybe it's the blue letters. I like blue.

I hear you, Mikal. I've lately resolved to be more involved with Coberst's threads, but it is takes time since you can never approach them lightly.

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I'm the opposite with Coberst, I must confess. It's not that I don't think his posts are insightful and well written, but it's the fact that he almost never interacts with the discussions and he never, ever, interacts with a discussion he hasn't started. He posts on forums all over the web, not just here, and it annoys me because it's like he is always the teacher, always teaching us, as if from some exalted pedestal.

But that's just me. I'm easily annoyed in my middle, getting older by the minute, age.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

Coberst's writing style throws me off too. It's too formal and has too much repetition. I want concepts to enter my brain fast! Like looking at a piece of art! Show me the big picture, and then if I'm interested you can get me to look at details.

 

[phantome]

I usually end up reading all the long posts there are on a thread..usually. When I begin reading it, if it catches my attention, I continue. If however, it does not, I skim through. Simple =]

 

[Red Mage]

I guess I'm the oddball. I skip all long posts instinctively. I miss out on a lot, but oh well.

I find it hard to read long anything. For some reason when I read articles online I find it easier to jump to the last paragraph and work my way up. I read the sentences in each paragraph in the correct order, usually, but the paragraphs themselves out of order. I process the information better for some reason.

 

[preilemus]

For some reason when I read articles online I find it easier to jump to the last paragraph and work my way up. I read the sentences in each paragraph in the correct order, usually, but the paragraphs themselves out of order.

haha i do this alot with longer posts. i goto the last paragraph in hopes to find a concise summary, and then skim back up through the rest and pick out the most interesting paragraphs and read those.

 

[jarred]

It depends on whether I am interested in the subject or not.

I also won't read anything that isn't broken down into separated paragraphs.

 

[cheese]

I wonder how this works with MBTI types.

Are Ps less likely to read long posts?

NTs on average should be more interested than SFs, assuming the post is written well enough.

 

[LucasM]

I find them daunting. But I do read them every once in a while, and then I am more inclined to frame a response; I might as well after exerting that effort. I find though I have a hard time with concentration at times... :/
(My brain just jumps all over the place)

Usually, I don't leave long posts either, but that is my preference. I guess I just don't have much to say.

 

[echoplex]

I have a hard time making myself read them, although if I'm really interested in the topic, I will. Yes, brevity is appreciated whenever possible, but a long post is good if it's full of juicy wholesome goodness.

And I can't stress enough: Paragraphs! They make it seem less daunting and easier to read.

 

[Anling]

I read the long posts, but if they're not interesting or well written I'll skip to the next post half way through. Or if it's arguing back and forth the same blasted thing over and over.

 

[Sapphire Harp]

All the more responses are appreciated! It's a census after all...

See, I was thinking I was an oddity in the forum. Unless I'm fairly disconnected or uninterested in a thread, I'll be reading 85% or more of what's written. If I'm posting, I'd say at least 95%, or all of it multiple times if it's getting serious. And I personally don't find much of a difference between long and short, unless it is badly arranged or redundant in a severe way.

This is all about forming my posts in the best possible way... Like right now, I'm thinking of putting the most important content at the top of each post from here on out. Prior to now, I tended to just respond in the order that everyone else replied. I think I can add a dash more brevity, too.

Thank you, CivJones, Felan, and N~ for the compliments... I wasn't fishing for those, I promise!

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Coberst posts on forums all over the web, not just here, and it annoys me because it's like he is always the teacher, always teaching us, as if from some exalted pedestal.

Hmm, looks like Coberst does exactly that... He has posted only in threads of his own creation here (and sparsely at that...) and his latest one is duplicated word-for-word on a dozen forums. I sent him a PM a few days ago applauding his threads, but I never heard anything back. It's rather disappointing to realize this, isn't it?

I wonder how this works with MBTI types. Are Ps less likely to read long posts?

Could very well be. I'm finding I sit right on the divide between P and J, so that translates into an intense focus for long periods... Unfortunately, I've got none of the self-assurance of a J.

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Oh, yes... The thumbs down icon for the thread? It looked like a question mark to me when I merely glanced at it...
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[sagewolf]

I don't mind reading long posts, as long as they're interesting, well-written and not repetitive, so on and so on. There is one thing that really turns me away from a long thread, though, and that's a really long quote from an outside article in the middle of it, especially if it's the opening post. I don't know why this is. It might be that I resent having to read through so much of what I see as supporting information before I get to what the poster actually wants to discuss, but whatever the reason is, I'm really unwilling to wade through that in an OP.

 

[bdubs]

As long as I am not looking into a giant block of text I generally have no problem reading the longer posts. When the information is interesting enough, I will even read the text walls. It is simply an eyesore to read an unindented block of text. I try to read the majority of what is posted before me so I can be certain that my post will address what is currently being discussed in the thread.

 

[Prof_Pointless]

Generally, if I reply I read most (95-100%) of the posts in full. Not always obviously, in fact I only read like 5 posts in this thread lol. Also, I try to be concise when I can b/c I feel it will be more likely to be read by others.

Very situational, but my posts are rarely, dare I say... pointless.

 

[cheese]

Harp:
Interesting, because I am a huge P and quite likely to read through everything. It's partly determination and partly respect for the posters.

I think perhaps people in general are too lazy to read long posts. The willingness to wade through them is possibly a purely individual trait, unrelated to type. (I still think it correlates though. I will think more about this later.)

 

[meshram.alok]

I have no issues reading long posts, as long as there is a certain "flow" to them. If the post keeps on deviating or is unorganised, I get turned off (though I am still interested in what the general idea behind the post is).

I've no specific qualms against the tone of the voice of the post, I can read extremely dry material (Blame it on all the research papers I need to read). But there has to be a structure or a respect for aesthetics on part of the writer.

That said, however, I enjoy this forum most for all the brilliant humour and EVIL

 

[Red Mage]

I think I'm going to start purposely writing long posts that begin with a seemingly interesting point but really just go on tangents that have nothing to do with anything at all just to spite all of you compulsive long post-readers. You know, as opposed to accidentally doing this.

 

[Sapphire Harp]

I think I'm going to start purposely writing long posts that begin with a seemingly interesting point but really just go on tangents that have nothing to do with anything at all just to spite all of you compulsive long post-readers. You know, as opposed to accidentally doing this.

Are there going to be giant walls of text, too?

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