How do you decide which threads to read?

[AreWeThereYet]

So I'm sitting here at much too early an hour checking some of my favorite threads and the tought occurs to me "I wonder what causes people to read the threads they read". So I start devising different theories, based on scientific (and extremely unscientific) calculations and come up with a short but workable list.

SO here goes a new poll for all y'all (yeah from the South...):

How do you decide which threads to read??

Me - I look for topics that interest me and hit those for sure, then I look for the hot topics that everyone who's in the hanname reads and posts to, and so it goes.

Place your vote - and your bets (paypal accepted).



AWTY

 

[bobbiwoz]

I really don't know how or why, but I did pick this one. So, I'm guessing it was the title!

Bobbi

 

[AreWeThereYet]

you can vote now...just finished the poll

 

[bicker]

Which really demonstrations just how important it is to ensure your thread title is appropriate. I have to sit back and laugh when I see that someone posted a thread titled "What do you think about..." Their only saving grace is that on some browsers, the next few lines are available via flyover text, if you hover your cursor over the title. However, that's surely going to be less attractive than if the title actually specified what the thread was about!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Hanname!

 

[Caskbill]

Which really demonstrations just how important it is to ensure your thread title is appropriate. I have to sit back and laugh when I see that someone posted a thread titled "What do you think about..." Their only saving grace is that on some browsers, the next few lines are available via flyover text, if you hover your cursor over the title. However, that's surely going to be less attractive than if the title actually specified what the thread was about!

Ditto!

 

[lllovell]

I pretty much read them all. I definately don't post in all of them though, or else you all would have run me off by now

 

[wtpclc]

I did hanname. However, if there were an optiong that said title is someting I want to know a little about, I may have chosen that one. Then again, hanname just says it all, doesn't it?

 

[JimMIA]

Which really demonstrations just how important it is to ensure your thread title is appropriate. I have to sit back and laugh when I see that someone posted a thread titled "What do you think about..." Their only saving grace is that on some browsers, the next few lines are available via flyover text, if you hover your cursor over the title. However, that's surely going to be less attractive than if the title actually specified what the thread was about!

Agree also.

I avoid cute thread titles and the "So...tell me about ___" threads. There are a few posters I always read and a few I never read, no matter what the thread is about.

I usually read and respond to rational questions about purchasing DVC -- but not those from insufferable people who ask an endless stream of BASIC, BASIC questions, but refuse to do any of their own homework. (I want to just scream at them -- "Call DVC! Call TTS!")

I also usually read and respond to inquiries about Florida topics, since I live here and have some local knowledge.

 

[dianeschlicht]

And JimMia, I always think your posts are well thought out.

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip).....I avoid cute thread titles and the "So...tell me about ___" threads. There are a few posters I always read and a few I never read, no matter what the thread is about. ..(snip).....

Same here.

Also agree w bicker - mostly depends on the title. Fortunately, I do have one of those "flyover browsers" to help me decide before I commit, LOL.

Must admit, I do choose not to answer some posts - some just have too many questions all at once.

Almost always skip posts that are written entirely in red, orange or yellow - Don't mind some color for emphasis, but those lighter colors are just too hard to read. Too bad for me, I know some who make posting in color a regular practice post some good stuff.

I also quit reading posts that turn nasty - don't mind disagreements but I do not like name calling!

Best wishes -

 

[jarestel]

Well, generally a few things come into play.

Some of the wittier ( DrTomorrow, Maistre Gracey, Granny ) or knowledgeable posters ( Doc, Caskbill, crisi, dianeschlicht, tjkraz, Dean ) always get read. ( note: I'm not limiting witty or knowledgeable posters to these few, just the ones who came to mind as I was typing )

Interesting topics also get a perusal, as well as the "hot button" topic of the day.

I also answer questions if nobody has done it by the time I get to the thread, though usually, there is no shortage of helpful posters willing to answer a question.

Also love to live vicariously through the TRs, so it's hard to pass those up.

 

[dianeschlicht]

(snip)
I also quit reading posts that turn nasty - don't mind disagreements but I do not like name calling!

Best wishes -

Same here. No need to waste time on most of those. I'll post for awhile, but nastiness turns me off on them.

 

[bicker]

Almost always skip posts that are written entirely in red, orange or yellow

I skip blue, green, purple, pink and brown too, and I also skip bold, italic and large-type. Actually, I typically Ignore the poster after seeing a few messages formatted in any distracting manner.

With minor but notable exception, I also unsubscribe from threads once they get to page 4. While there are many threads that are pretty decent well into double-digit pages, lots of them go south, and there are so many threads to read that there's no real driving need to stick with a thread that's gotten so long IMHO.

 

[MJTinNH]

I open almost all of the new threads and give it a quick glance. If it interests me I will read it and all the replies. If not, just a quick click out.