People Who Must Make Their Opinion Known

[the_std]

On every possible freaking topic.

I am referring to the people who post in every thread, even if their post is nearly identical to one someone else had already made. Or they'll post in threads that have been dead for weeks or even months and don't even bother to add anything new or interesting, they're just either rehashing the OP or, again, expressing an opinion that was already expressed.

When I log onto a forum and check the unread posts, and see one person's name as the last commenter on every single one, I just mentally check out. I don't even bother reading it, because none of it is interesting, or funny, or usually worth reading at all.

[HYHYBT]

The last is probably just timing. Naturally, the threads someone reads and posts in will tend to all be at about the same time.

In particular, on a debate site, it especially makes sense to add your own opinion even if others have said more or less the same thing. Because when there is a dispute, it *matters* how many are on each side, and there is no thumbs system here.

As for dead threads... it depends on the forum. Some places, people will get all pissy if you bring up a topic that's been discussed before instead of finding the old thread. Sometimes people don't realize how old a thread is; this is particularly easy to do if the very last post is new and either the thread is so old you don't remember it or else is one you didn't happen to read the first time around. And once in a while, an old one will become relevant again and truly deserve the bump... but that's rare. And sometimes the person adding to the old thread intends their contribution to be different than those already there, even if you see it as a repeat.

But to your opening statement: why *shouldn't* someone make their opinion known on every subject, or at least every subject on which they have an opinion, when that's precisely the purpose of the board?

[the_std]

Of course they're allowed to post whatever they want. I'm not suggesting anyone stop. I just see it as repetitive, dreary and above all, boring when someone does this, ESPECIALLY on this site. I read this debate forum for intellectual stimulation and having my eyes opened to new ideas. When I see particular people who engage in nothing but "me-too"isms or repeating their story in every situation, even if it's not particularly relevant or applicable to the situation, I just roll my eyes. In very extreme circumstances, I put that person on my ignore list and I find I never find myself missing their opinions or contributions to any subject at all.

The dead thread thing - like you said, the resuscitating a thread for good reasons is rare. Even if the person thinks they're being relevant or they intend for their opinion to come off as a genuine contribution, when they do this for almost EVERY THREAD on the board, it's overkill.

I think a lot of this particular behavior stems from people only reading the OP and not going through the responses to see if what they have to say has been said already. That I find particularly annoying, because if someone has said what you have to say, if you absolutely must repeat it, at least add some new information or phrase it in a way that shows that it's unique or relevant. I just get so bored with people who do this over and over and over again.

[Andara Bledin]

This OP is not really in the best interests of the forum, methinks. It's stuff like this that will have people thinking, "Was it me that so-and-so was talking about? Maybe my opinion isn't unique enough so I just won't post in this topic."

I can understand the frustration of opening a topic with a new post to find that there's no real new information there, but that's how a forum like this works. You will have a lot of "me, toos" posting, even to older threads, because there are a lot of cases where the topic is fairly black and white.

People should not be penalized or marginalized for sharing their opinions just because they weren't the first one with that opinion to post in the thread.

^-.-^

[the_std]

... I'm sorry, isn't this the Things I Hate subforum? Am I not allowed to talk about things I hate?

I'm not talking about anyone in particular. I used this forum as a reference because this is where I was posting. It happens everywhere. On the ICHC forums, I detest the posts that are just "LAWLZ" or reposting what someone has already said. The IMDB forums have it where people just copy and paste reviews they've read on other forums or review sites, and it drives me just as batty.

There are examples everywhere and they're no less frustrating. I was using this forum as an example. I said before, I am not telling anyone they should stop and I realize it is a byproduct of EVERY forum. That doesn't mean it's not frustrating as hell.

[Rageaholic]

... I'm sorry, isn't this the Things I Hate subforum? Am I not allowed to talk about things I hate?

I'm not talking about anyone in particular. I used this forum as a reference because this is where I was posting. It happens everywhere. On the ICHC forums, I detest the posts that are just "LAWLZ" or reposting what someone has already said. The IMDB forums have it where people just copy and paste reviews they've read on other forums or review sites, and it drives me just as batty.

There are examples everywhere and they're no less frustrating. I was using this forum as an example. I said before, I am not telling anyone they should stop and I realize it is a byproduct of EVERY forum. That doesn't mean it's not frustrating as hell.

Well that's different than what you were ranting about in the OP. I definately agree that shit posting is a waste of time and can really bring down the quality of discussions. I wish I could count the times that I clicked on a potentially interesting thread only to see the topic quickly change to some other bullshit. People wasting 2 pages of the thread to discuss some minor issue. They quote entire posts and add literally nothing else or they'll make short and pointless posts like "LOL you're right" and then continuing some pointless... I don't even know what to call it, but it's of absolutely no value.

A lot of the time, the problem starts because some nitpicky douchebag has a problem with something in the thread. It's already been posted somewhere else, a word was used incorrectly or spelled wrong, or they just don't like the thread. So instead of simply not contributing to the thread, they have to make it known their problems and start an unnecessary debate about what ever issue they have. Then, instead of simply ignoring the trouble maker, people start arguing back and forth, drifting the discussion further and further off topic until there is nothing to discuss. As a result, this interesting and original discussion turned into generic nitpicking and flaming.

Luckly, I haven't seen it too much on here or CS.

[SkullKing]

... I'm sorry, isn't this the Things I Hate subforum? Am I not allowed to talk about things I hate?

Of course you can, but as a forum we can also respond, agreeing or not.

[the_std]

Yes, I know that people are going to disagree. I wouldn't post on a debate forum if I didn't expect or encourage it.

However, Rageaholic, I do disagree that my last post was "a whole different topic". It was part of my original rant. I apologize for the brevity of that post; I was at work and just needed a little break, so I didn't have time to go as full into it as I would have liked.

It's all tied in together. The me-too-ism or the posting just to make your opinion known. The way I approach this forum is that I read the debates and, if someone is making a case for the way I see things, I don't post unless I have additional information or another viewpoint to add. Why? Exactly because I find it frustrating, boring and repetitive. Especially if someone comes along after the fact and clearly has not read the responses to an OP and responds to something said earlier in the thread that has already been resolved or, more likely, beaten to death already. Also, I hate posters who seem to have nothing to contribute to the forum itself insist on chiming in anyways. For example, I was following a thread on a fanclub forum where they were having a real and frank discussion about the pros and cons of genetic babies vs adopted babies. It was going as smoothly as such a topic could, when this poster came in and started talking about how cute babies are, and weren't they the best thing ever, and why did everyone have to be so mean and serious, couldn't we all see that babies were just SUPER? It practically killed the thread and turned off any serious discussion that was going on.

So I guess my complaint has many sides to it, and I've been seeing it more and more lately in many places, and it's just starting to drive me up the freaking wall. If I had to sum it up - I hate boring, repetitive people. There.

[blas87]

I guess I'm probably guilty because I have a lot of opinions that go against the rest of the crowd, and I also tend to post a lot in a small time frame only certain days of the week because of the shift I work.

Occasionally, I pop in on a Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday morning quickly to see if anything's good before I go to bed (whilst paying bills or checking my bank account and FB), but otherwise, my main activity is (some Thursdays) Friday, Saturday, and Sundays in the afternoons or evenings. Most of the time on weekends, I'm home with no money or no plans, so I just sit and respond to new threads or add to on-going ones that got more activity while I was sleeping or running errands throughout the day.

Yeah, that dribble explaining when I post was probably not necessary, but hopefully explained as to why I may go over-board in responding to threads on certain days or times.

[Ginger Tea]

The times here I've seen the same name in the top 5 posts of a subfourm is because at the time it might be bed time for you but early bird or lunch for the poster and Like Blas I sometimes pop in at hours convienient to me before work, like today (which should have been my day off) when I start at 11, I've got time to kill but nothing new on TGWTG, don't fancy a DVD at 7am when I wake up, so I read here CS and another site.
It's half 8 in the morning here in the UK*, I have no idea what time it is where you might be (could look at american time zones, but again what if you are in Aus/NZ thats another time frame.
So if it I'm the only one online at this hour due to the lateness there or whatever then it yes, I might have the top 5 posts with my name at the end due to it.

The first post might be due to this kind of time zone issue, which implied it was a member of fratching with most of the threads 'marked' yet your clarification post implies more other sites and I am well aware this is metooist of Rage's points, but it did read "every time I log in at 9am in my country I see nothing but posts made by someone who is going to bed at midnight there time and has just logged out." even if noone else was online to begin with, I rarely see more than 8 names listed online at any time.

And ICHC forums, I rarely read em as the picture is what im at the site for not 200+ posts of LOL
Same for TGWTG forums, I'm there for the video and rarely read threads as most are "reviewers name you are so awesome" and infrequently about expanding on the subject matter

*ok by the time I hit send after writing more and going over it a few times, its now quarter to

[blas87]

It's going on 3 am here in Central Time in the US.

I am up all night on Sunday nights simply because if I go to sleep too early, I won't sleep well enough or long enough to be awake for the upcoming 12 hour shifts in the evenings the following days.

Any other night off, I'd be asleep or at least, laying down no computer on at about 1 or 2 at the latest (or asleep with the computer on lol), in attempts to be up for most of the following day to be a normal person for a while.

[the_std]

But see, if you're posting a contrary opinion, that's different. You'll note how I continuously talk about people who are simply repeating what has already been said, and that's what I find truly boring. If you're giving us something new to think about or a different perspective, then I'm actually grateful if you post a whole bunch of times - it gives me something to read and something to think about.

[Andara Bledin]

So, you're saying that if you happen to be of the same opinion as someone who was able to get a post in before you, you should just move on, then? You're not allowed to go, "Oh, hey, I agree with this poster," because they got there first, and it bothers other people if you don't write a dissertation in your own words, despite the fact that someone else has done so already, and more eloquently?

^-.-^

[the_std]

Oh, sure, they're allowed to say whatever they want, even if it's just "I agree". But I'm allowed to think it's boring and irritating when they do it on every.single.topic on a forum.

[Rageaholic]

However, Rageaholic, I do disagree that my last post was "a whole different topic". It was part of my original rant. I apologize for the brevity of that post; I was at work and just needed a little break, so I didn't have time to go as full into it as I would have liked.

I guess I saw it as two different extremes.

1. Those who copy and paste, post pointless "I agree" comments and don't really contribute anything other than to get their post count up.

2. Those who do contribute, but it's simply repeating what others have said (perhaps worded differently.)

I think #1 is definately annoying, but I'd much rather have more #2 posts than have them not post at all. There is only so many original opinions one can have before forum activity becomes very limited. And considering that this place only gets a handful of posts a week, it's probably best for those #2 people to get their opinions in, even if it is repeatitive.

With that said, I understand the frusturation. Even if it's not completely justified, I have my own unexplainable pet peeves when viewing message boards. Like you with the repeatitive posting, I don't think they're doing anything wrong, but I'd be lying if I said some things didn't get under my skin.