How many posts can you go without receiving a reply?

I'm feeling old at the moment, because I find myself lamenting the loss of the old DU, back a few years. Then, there was a lot more discussion. People posted responses to other people's threads and posts, and threads had a lot more branches and angles.

In the last year, maybe a little longer, threads have begun to llok like straight lines, as people see a thread topic, post their response, and move to the next thread. The board has become more of a place for grafitti than discussion, except when someone posts flamebait. People don't even seem to read the threads anymore. I've seen threads with under twenty posts where three or four people have made the same comment, obviously oblivious that the same thought was posted five lines up, and sits there, begging for further commentary.

I noticed since last night I've got around fifteen posts with no responses at all. Most of them were responses I made to other posts to get a discussion going, but no one seems to discuss anymore, they just hit and run.

Anyone else notice this? Anyone have any tips on how to get a discussion going short of flaming Nader or Kerry?

Just curious. I still love hanging out here and seeing what other people are thinking. I just miss the conversations we used to have. Some of my best brawls have been on DU, but they are harder to start these days.

so I don't repeat it.

;-)

I'm hoping that, post-election and with the restructuring of the forum, there will be some places that we can actually have conversations about issues. I pretty much gave up on that the last year, when the only topics racking up the posts were campaign, rather than issue, related.

Of course, if we have real conversations, I'll have to scale down even further on what forums/groups I participate in; instead of browsing quicly past all, I'll have to settle down someplace!

:shrug:

It sorta makes you feel invisible. :hug:

how much I write in many of my posts!

Of course, that may be why no one reads them. :-)

:) Now you got a reply. Try a medium length one next

:pals:

With over 50,000 registered users, and thousands of threads, if a thread isn't found on the first page, it probably won't be read. Especially in the LBN and Election results discussion areas.

So, I guess that you could say that the problem is too much discussion. With so many different threads and topics, not much is said about any one in particular (unless you flame Nader or Kerry).

But it doesn't explain why people don't even red the threads they are posting in.

Also, I don't know if this feature is available to non-paying members, but the "My Post" button can be used to go back and see if anyone has responded to you, even when your topic has scrolled off the screen.

I remember when there were fewer people, we used to start threads on the best new members or posts. Will Pitt once pulled one of my posts out of a thread and started a new thread on it, in case anyone had missed it. There's no feeling like that, anymore, where people read the threads and posts to see what others are thinking, it seems to be more about posting how you feel and moving on.

As I said, that's not bad, just different.

I do remember the excitement around here when our membership total began growing. We past 5000, we past 10,000. These were big events.

There are so many more people, and so many more topics -- hell, not only do people not read threads, they don't even check the topics to see if what they're posting could reasonably be inserted in an existing thread instead of starting a new one.

I think this may be part of the intention of starting all the new forums -- if you narrow down the topics, people are more likely to post relevant material in existing threads than to start a new thread that's three degrees off one that's already there.

I often try to respond to another post, even if it's something similar to what I was thinking, just to keep the message kicked or the branch of the thread rolling. You're right that it's become more linear -- frequently, all the responses are to the original thread, even when a post gets a large number of replies. There aren't nearly as many 'sub-conversations' that go on around here.

I post a lot more than I used to, but I also use 'my posts' a lot. I think, too, sometimes people worry about being 'threadjackers' if they start a side conversation within a post. I doubt the original posters mind this, most of the time -- all the posts count in the total, after all, even if they deviate a bit from the original post -- but I know some folks are hesitant to do that.

"But it doesn't explain why people don't even red the threads they are posting in."

I know what you mean. I've been a lurker for about half a year. I've seen several threads where someone will come in with reply #21, raising an issue that had already been raised in reply #3, and answered in reply #12. However, i guess that it's faster and easier to shoot off a quick reply of your own, than to read through the thread to see if a similar question has already been asked and answered.

Also, I don't know if this feature is available to non-paying members, but the "My Post" button

The "My Posts" button is available to non-paying members. However, you can not click on the "Reply" links to see the replies. That feature is only for paying members.

There's no feeling like that, anymore, where people read the threads and posts to see what others are thinking, it seems to be more about posting how you feel and moving on.

Drive-by posting? LOL

I suppose that is one reason that I don't start new threads all that often. It can be rather discouraging to post a long and/or very thoughtful post and get no replies or even just a few. Sometimes, I think it is timing. Some posters are more interested in some topics than others and a few thoughtful or contraversial replies can keep a thread going. On the otherhand, posting during a busy time when the average thread stays on the front page for less than 5 minutes, can condemn a thread if no one with a strong interst happens to respond. I have tried to think more about how I title posts to be attention grabbing, accurate, and not too wordy.

REplying to already existing ones... not so much

(Gandhi) :P :hippie:

just to start something that visually looks like a branch.

like this

if the visual representation of a discussion would create more interest.

know?

I can relate. I've "expanded" on my own incisive thought sometimes, hoping that someone will get into some intellectual cosmic debris with me.

Sometimes I get some discussion. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I'll post what I think is pretty thoughtful analysis and will get nothing or a "gee how come they dont have grape popsicles at the store anymore?"

It really drives me nuts when I come up with something really clever and witty and funny, and the thread dies.

--IMM

oh crap oh crap...(ok, think fast, Fizz-O... )

uhh yeah..sure...I did not just hastily come up with some fake example just to make a point..yeah..I eat em all the time......

How does it know?

--IMM

I posted to your self-reply just to show you that it is being read. :-)

10 seems like a lot to me, but only because I consider my posts fascinating, or complementary, or funny, or something that should merit a response, assuming people read them. But obviously I could be wrong.


So I don't know if my posts are ignored because I'm a newbie, ignored b/c people are hit and run posters (as has been postulated here), are occasionally too long (as has also been postulated here), or are just boring (same as last parenthetical).

BTW, I think MrsGrumpy is never boring!

Joby, I think your post was interesting.

Here's a query for you. Have you ever started a post to which people replied, but their responses read like they only read your subject line? What's up with that? It is happening to me right now in the Election 2006/2008 forum. Bummer.

I always avoid the brawls on DU since I registered because I find most of them counter productive. And I love to argue. I used to lurk a lot, and got to know so many names, and would track these incredible arguments, great discussions. I learned so much, and I think that was got me to finally join in, even though I not entirely comfortable in an on-line community. After I was around for a little bit, I'd get a response here and there. I'll try to find better discussions, and do my homework a little more so I can involve myself. Sometimes the sheer volume of knowledge around here keeps me quiet. In general, DU expects you to be able to back up your opinion-- a very good thing mind you. Maybe that's why there are so many "hit and run" posts, it's more of a venting place right now. After emotions settle, (if they do) we can go back to good ol' political arguments. The new forum designs look like they'll help with that. Anyway, just my two cents.

I must have been really boring. :hi:

That you are ever boring. Ever.:-)

Sometimes I think I talk too much. ;) :hi:

Now I find it kind of funny. I'll start a thread and just watch it dive. Once in a while I feel a little bad that I thought I had something worth saying and then I wonder if anyone really reads my posts.

:boring:

Just kidding!!

:hi:

Now I can't claim that I am ignored here anymore...
lol..j/k :hi:

Take that!!

:toast:

:)

How can that be possible? Unless all your posts are one word only...

until you had to go and ruin it......

No just kidding... that was a poor attempt at humor on my part. :-)

and still i come here,the reason no one replys is that each one of us has a secret conspiracy program in our computers,there are no real replys,everyone you have ever met on the net is just part part of this sinister program,if you have met anyone in real life they are robots.........ooooooooo-ooooooo-ooooooo

If it's time for a thread to drop away and die, I generally come out of the woodwork.

I think I might have cooties.

Not this thread. I Expected it gone yesterday actually, and was pleasantly surprised to see it here today. Top o'the morning to you all!

Maybe it's because I'm a late-poster but damn near every thread I post to drops immediately to the bottom. Maybe I need to change my username to "ThreadKiller" just to break the curse? :shrug:

though I'm sure someone already posted that before I did.