Other members posts!

First let me say that we should not quote other people's posts and say what we think they really meant!

I wonder how many members read another's post & question what they are really saying. I do it all the time and have found:-
Cries for help
Boasting
Pride
Disappointment
Anger.....and many other emotions!

I have always been an amateur psychologist and when I feel the the other person isn't really saying what they mean, I tend to adjust my replies so they are more gentle.

Do the rest of you try to assess other's personalities & emotions before you reply?

Re: Other members posts!

Interesting concept, Twink.

I only ever post what I mean to say - and have assumed other posters do the same. Will have to look more closely in future!

Re: Other members posts!

I think that most posts are very evident in what they are

One poster I always try to respond to because its obvious to a blind man they are cries for help, another I totally ignore because their posts are just totally narcissistic

Re: Other members posts!

It's quite easy with "older" members to judge their sensitivities but newer folk can be puzzling sometimes.

Re: Other members posts!

I regard forums as the virtual world, unless you have actually met a poster in person you have no idea what they are really like. The ones I have were nothing like the way they portrayed themselves on social media.

Re: Other members posts!

I would agree with you Missy, but what if we are wrong?
People you chat with frequently are easier to judge, but what if somebody responds in a different manner to normal. Maybe they are having a bad day or have misunderstood somebody's post?

I try to be analytical of regular posters so I can understand why they think the way they do... and I am usually a good judge of character, but that doesn't mean I always get it right.

I think that bad feelings are often not created by what you say, but how you say it!

Re: Other members posts!

And maybe we can all be a bit cryptic, sarcastic or worse at times but not all the time.

Re: Other members posts!

Tara how do you judge them better by meeting them?
I chat to a few forum members, on the phone, but I have never met them....... yet I would say I understand them better.
We find it easier to talk than read the written word, but just because we talk we think we know them better. Are we saying that the written word is an easier way to lie to people than word of mouth?

Re: Other members posts!

As in our everyday life when we meet people we either take to them straight away, maybe need time to get to understand them, or dislike on sight.

To get a 'sense' for a member I have always read their various posts for awhile before deciding whether to get involved.

Some are are what you expected and are a pleasure to post with, others you tread carefully with what you write and there are those that are best left alone.

Re: Other members posts!

It takes all sorts as they say, but I guess we can at least on a forum choose whether to respond or not, something which is more difficult to do face to face...