Please answer me, and everyone else......

Ok, so I have been a member here for a minute.  I have lost a couple pounds and I like everyone I have had online conversatoins with.
So having said that, I need to ask this question.  And I am on day one of my time (TMI) of the month, if I seem overly sensitive about this subject.

Why do we read posts and then not post responses.  I am just as guilty as the rest.  If we read a post we are bound to have an opinion.  i know everyone is not thinking negetively.  You know "don't say anything if its not nice".  I know I need support going thru this.  I am lucky to work with 8 other post RNY ladies and men, but I still appreciate you guys. I am sure that others posters do also.  I only say this to say we, yes we, should at least post a lol, or like or something.

Have a fabulous day people.....

I read a lot of posts that I don't leave a response to -sometimes it's a post about a subject that I know nothing about and sometimes I have nothing of value to leave.

if someone already said it I don't reply.

I read post and add what I can if there is something to add.  Not all have the same experience and maybe the post is something they aren't familiar with.  Also, if other posters have answered the questions, concerns, etc. and I can't add additional insight then I won't add just to add.

This is how online forums are please don't take it personally.  One reason I hate the hit counter on OH because people can read and the OP knows how many have read and may not have answered.  Sometimes I'll go back to a post multiple times to see the answers for future knowledge which only adds to the hit count more.

I was thinking the same thing after I posted the post.  I just happened to notice a post and it seemed like a hell of a lot of people stopped by but no one said a word.  i am not taking it personal, it more like and observation and thinking maybe we as a group could do better by responding more often.  Thanks.

There are lot sof reasons I don't respond to some posts.

Actually, I am not bound to have an opinion about everything.  I know I have opinions about many things, but not everything.  And if someone puts something clearly in the subject line, I generally don't even open posts I'm not interested in.  But many people write "PLEASE HELP!!!!!!" and don't say what it is they need  help with.  So I open the post only to find it's a question about how to change their avatar here on OH or how to log something in myfitnesspal or some other thing that I know nothing about.

Sometimes I just don't have the energy to answer something again.  People ask some questions over and over again.  For instance, we probably get an average of two or three posts per day where someone is panicking because they have not lost any weight in the last four days.  I get tired of explaining how that's normal.  And I figure, if the just read a few posts before their's, they see the answers to their questions.

Also, I do have a little bit of a life.  I don't have time to answer every single post on here.  I do answer a lot but I can't answer all.

I'll read them and then decide whether or not to respond.  If I think a previous post answered the question and I have nothing else to add I won't post.  If I truly have no opinion I won't post.  If my opinion is not helpful I won't post.  And if the thread is not what I originally thought it was about and I can't offer anything I won't post...

I have lots of reasons!  :)

sometimes i just feel like reading and moving on. i do feel bad when i see a post with lots of views but no responses but sometimes i just dont have the time and/or desire to respond. for instance i almost didnt respond to this post but then i said "what the heck" and i responded.

Sometimes, I just don't have the emotional energy to answer someone's post.  I have a lot of life on my plate right now.

Sometimes, I just need to back right out of a thread because the poster is an idiot and I really want to tell them that.

Sometimes, someone else already said what I was going to say.

I’m going to come off sounding a bit mean, but here goes because I think it's important to be honest, especially as a "vet" (because folks are often looking for our input and these reasons are often the most common of why we don't always give it).
 

Sometimes I read and don’t respond because I answered this same question ten times already within the last few days. As opposed to telling the original poster to look further back in the boards (these tend to be questions that come up a lot), I leave it for a person who doesn’t mind answering the question again.

 

Sometimes I read and don’t respond because I can’t identify with the person at all. In such cases, I put myself at risk of being insensitive to their needs. Words can be damaging and I don’t seek to harm people with my words.

 

And sometimes I read and don’t respond because said post got on my nerves (not necessarily by any fault of yours - I may be hormonal, or having a bad day. I am human.) and I personally have a hard time not sounding like you got on my nerves on the post. I’m not the most diplomatic person in the world. If you annoy me, I SOUND like you annoy me. I’m pretty sure my annoyance isn’t what you were looking for or need, so I leave the post for people who are either a) not annoyed or b) a bit more mature than me!

 

Those are honest-to-goodness top three reasons why I would read a post and not respond. And again, that's not to be mean. I honestly feel like there's a time to speak and a time to be quiet. Sometimes the most respectful thing I can do is remain silent.

ETA: When I am around consistently, though, I actually seek out posts with no responses and post something to them, just so the person knows somebody cares. Sometimes that's nothing more than "I hope someone comes along that knows more than me" but I do do that. I felt like I sounded like the Grinch above. :)