Read just the first post?

Read all the previous posts in the thread?

Read some previous posts depending on who has posted?

Jump in and start posting by the Title Thread.
without reading any previous posts?

Do you ever check to see the date when the thread was started?

I don't do the same thing every time. I always read the original post and then sometimes I will read other posts before I post. Sometimes I just post and then go back and see what others posted. I usually do notice the date, but not always.

Sorry, I got company before I could answer my own questions! :lol:

I use to read the first post to find out what the thread maker was thinking, then read the next posts to see how the discussion was taking.
Then depending on how long (pages) the thread , I would skip though reading maybe 1-3 posts every 4 pages.

Now, the first thing I check is the date.
If it is a "old thread" then I go to the last page, maybe read the 5 previous posts to see if it was still on topic and wonder if the last post was still relevant or not!

I usually read the first and last pages, and always check the date(s).

I try to read thru them :)

I personally think old TV show posts can be rehashed. If an interesting topic was going on at some point, reposting TV show posts would make sense rather than starting a whole new thread if you did find an old post on something you wanted to discuss.

But the rehashing of inane posts on chit chat that are so old and the topic wasn't that interesting to begin with all those years ago, I don't see the need to bump them up.:confused:

I personally think old TV show posts can be rehashed. If an interesting topic was going on at some point, reposting TV show posts would make sense rather than starting a whole new thread if you did find an old post on something you wanted to discuss.

But the rehashing of inane posts on chit chat that are so old and the topic wasn't that interesting to begin with all those years ago, I don't see the need to bump them up. :confused:


That is interesting. In general, when I started this thread I was just wondering if people read any of the previous posts on a new thread ( or - I guess an old threads) before posting in threads?

I was trying to get a better understanding if people read any of the previous
posts or just jump in posting based on the thread title. :)

What if we were to just remove the dates from all the posts? Isn't the subject matter more important than the dates in most cases?

I think it's pretty easy to distinguish a new thread vs. an older thread. If you put your mouse over a thread title, it shows the thread id number. Anything above 400,000 is going to be a more recent thread. Any threads with many replies or views is going to be an older thread.

I would use the preview option and then click on the down arrow to go the latest unread post or I would use the right arrow to start at the end and work my way backwards.

It's important that people use descriptive thread titles. Those types of threads are more likely to get views and replies.

I read the first and last pages.

I read the first and last post, then go back and read all the posts, then follow up and read all of the other posters previous posts for deeper context, then go and do my own independent extensive research using at least three different sources, then I flip a coin to see if it worth forming an opinion and following up with a corresponding post.

The first one and if it's a short thread I'll read a couple, but makes no difference as it's all old info and most posts tend to go off topic most times....many forums have a "stay on topic" policy and I prefer that, but not SO..

What if we were to just remove the dates from all the posts? Isn't the subject matter more important than the dates in most cases?


No. I need to know the exact date and time it was said Good Times is not a spin-off of Maude.