Comment On Mylot Discussions First Or Read Comments First?

Photo taken by me – question mark
Preston, England
November 14, 2015 5:41am CST
When I read a new discussion I usually write an immediate reaction comment to it right away if I think of something to respond with, and then start looking at the other comments. Sometimes I then notice that other commentators have already said pretty much what I said too. Then again, if I read the comments before reading the article itself my response is likely to be tempered to the comments, if not a reply to those rather than a direct reaction-response to my impressions of the discussion itself. Which do you go for? Comment first or read other comments first? Obviously if you are the first to comment on some subject it is a moot question. Arthur Chappell
11 people like this
11 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
14 Nov 15
I quite often start to respond to an otherwise empty discussion only to find when I post that several others have got there before me and have said much the same thing. Most often, I'll read at least some of the responses and comments first before responding myself. It's the discussion as a whole that matters and not necessarily just the original post. It often means that I can make a much more informed response which deals also with inaccuracies and omissions in other people's responses.
5 people like this
• Preston, England
14 Nov 15
A good pragmatic approach - it is very much the discussion over all rather than just the opening article that matters
3 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
14 Nov 15
Comment as I go, usually - but the "View previous" and "Show more" prompts in long discussion threads catch me out now and then!
3 people like this
• India
15 Nov 15
@PhredWreck @Owlwings - I know one thing, if I see your comments on discussion then I have mostly nothing to add ! I will see if I can twist my answer or add links. If I can't I leave the post like that. See after reading this discussion- First point came to my mind about the rule which was covered by FTL
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
14 Nov 15
I respond first, because that's my response not tempered by others, then I scan comments and sometimes chime in there too.
2 people like this
• Centralia, Missouri
14 Nov 15
@Auntylou Ive done that some too, especially if I catch one that said the exact thing I was typing
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
14 Nov 15
I like to comment on the comments unless I just agree, when I just like them
2 people like this
• Preston, England
14 Nov 15
clearly every approach is used and there is no right or wrong answer - it's a whatever floats your boat kind of thing - I tend to look at comments after responding to the main article but not always
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
14 Nov 15
Sometimes I glance through other responses before writing my own response. However, I try my best to write my original response.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Nov 15
I seldom read through all the comments, especially those discussion threads with a lot of comments. There is no harm saying the same thing that others have mentioned.
2 people like this
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
14 Nov 15
I do read the discussion and then write my comment.
2 people like this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
14 Nov 15
I read first and then comment.Sometime I read the comment so that I would not write what they did. Make sense?
2 people like this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
14 Nov 15
Absolutely, very sensible!
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
15 Nov 15
Unfortunately, I hit like and respond before reading any comments, but sometimes if there are a lot of comments, I do pause and read before I write mine. Then I might find I have nothing to say after all.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
15 Nov 15
I write my comments to the posts that I choose. Those belong to friends that comment my own posts most of the time. After I read and comment some posts, see if I can write one myself.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 15
I do exactly the same as you, then look to see if I've repeated anything that someone else has said. If I have I will change it. I find that if I read the comments first, like as not, I forget what I was going to say.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
14 Nov 15
It's kind of half and half for me. Sometimes I read comments before I comment and other times I comment first.
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
14 Nov 15
I will often look at the other comments first
1 person likes this