Ever noticed that sometimes somebody starts a good thread, then one poster comes in and posts

[raccoon]

something ugly and/or snarky.

Then nobody posts anything else. The thread dies.....

[Renew Deal]

1. Nice post Hitler

[Enrique]

2. post something after the snarky post

bring the thread back to life.

[marym625]

3. Yes

My favorite is correcting people on grammar, especially when the person doing the correcting is incorrect. Snarky, pompous replies should be ignored.

I need to start doing that. Ignoring the snark.

[pipi_k]

5. I know, right?

Besides the fact that correcting someone's spelling or grammar in public is obnoxious and rude, there's always the chance that I might be wrong, so those are two very good reasons why I don't do it.

Although I'm not above pointing out to a rude grammar nazi if s/he is wrong for correcting someone else who actually had it right in the first place.

[pinboy3niner]

6. It can be done tactfully

But usually it's better to give the OP author a heads-up by PM.

[HERVEPA]

8. exactly. (unless it's a poster you hate, of course. :-)

[Wounded Bear]

7. Generally, I only worry about grammar or spelling...

when the meaning/intent of the post seems threatened or even reversed by the error. Even then, I've been tripped up by attempts at sarcasm. I know some refuse to use them, but telling me I'm too stupid to get your inside joke is kind of counter productive IMHO.

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. I had one post hidden. I was so devastated that I made a positive change in the words I post.

I chose to lose the snark. That was one of the best moves I ever made.

So cheers to you marym for your good advice, ignore the snark beer or wine

[hobbit709]

4. Or it gets swarmed by a bunch with an agenda.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. ^this is the worst^ like a brazillion bee stings^

[hamsterjill]

14. I agree!

I hate when this happens. It's almost a form of bullying.

I also hate it when a brilliant post is made, then someone else posts some off-shoot comment because they really didn't read and comprehend the original post, and then the whole thread goes off in some completely unrelated direction.

[hunter]

10. That's very inapproriate behavior in the DU Lounge.

But expected in GD.

You shouldn't have to wear protective clothing here in the Lounge.

Posting in GD I aways wear this:



And I do confess I will occasionally stomp on a thread with ugly/and or snarky if I think the original post warrants it. But when I do, I usually try to explain myself further in a way that provokes additional replies and conversation.

A G.D. post has to be pretty far out there before it earns a or some other rude smiley from me.

[In_The_Wind]

11. At one time, in the old DU, we called those Thread Killers!

[steve2470]

12. tons of what I call "gratuitous rudeness" in GD

People disagree. It can be done in an agreeable fashion, but call me old-fashioned. I have to admit, my sarcasm got the best of me about the thread about DU self-destructing.

[olddots]

13. I feel guilty of this

my sense of humor is pretty shitty and I am very sorry if I have killed threads because of my need to be dopey .

[In_The_Wind]

15. Once upon a time

I was the biggest thread killer of all time.

[bigwillq]

16. Life on a message board.

That's the way it goes sometimes.

[Baitball Blogger]

18. Sometimes, I like the off-tangent threads.

It's like holding a conversation in a real setting. Things you say might trigger something in someone's mind and it's interesting to see where that thought might lead you.

[Sherman A1]

19. I have to say

that I have not really noticed this, however I am certain it does occur.

[UTUSN]

20. Yip, the first post is like the keynote, can boost or doom the thread.

Corollary: Spending 45 minutes on an O.P., with a bit of originality, thought, effort (honing, editing, highlighting), and whether from that 1st post torpedo or just who-knows, and it sinks like a rock; while a total throwaway shooting off of the mouth gets scores and scores of flames and 300 Views.

[Populist_Prole]

21. Yes, and not just the lounge either

It's a beautiful thing to see an interesting thread grow yet more interesting from cogent comments or input/sharing of notes. Every bit as disappointing to it go off on to a short tangent before it dies.

To add insult to the poster of the OP, one may see a proliferation of OP titles with the same words altered or juxtaposed by lame comedians.

[raccoon]

22. Copycat threads? I admit I like to do them, but it's been ages since I have.

I don't think they should go anywhere except here in the Lounge.

[AwakeAtLast]

23. Yes, the Lounge had some great copycat wars in years past.

Do we dare bring them back?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

24. Ever notice how some douchebags will always whine and complain about their threads getting ruined?

[olddots]

25. bring back the copy cat threads !!!!!

please ....

[DeSwiss]

26. Threads are like seeds of ideas, thoughts or perspectives.......

[center][/center]

- They don't all take root or we'd be up to our ankles in dandelions all the time......


The TRUTH blurted-out in an on-going conversation will sometimes have the same effect......