Starting new discussions

United States
June 22, 2008 5:32am CST
When you are ready to start a new discussion, do you use the search feature to see is someone has started a discussion on what you want to talk about? Or do you just go ahead and start one? Sometimes I do; sometimes, when I forget, I don't. I have found some really good topics but they don't have a lot of responses. What would do that in that situation?
4 people like this
23 responses
• Philippines
22 Jun 08
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't use the search feature. If I have enough time to spare, okay, I will use the search feature. At least I would know if the discussions I would like to work on have already been discussed previously or something to that effect. But when I only have few minutes to spare to do myLot activities, I would just start working on topics I have in mind and start my own discussions.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Jun 08
I agree. I know if I am not in a hurry, I try to look, especially if it about a movie I have seen recently. Sometimes responding to an older discussion will get it hot again. Thanks for the response.
@mialei23 (2385)
• Philippines
22 Jun 08
No I don't search it. I just start a new discussion it doesn't matter if I have the same discussion that started the same interest. I t depends on the person who made the discussion, you still have to manage commenting to their responds. "Discussion" refers to exchanging some ideas, so I think you have to participative on your own discussions also, so people will be interested on your discussions.
1 person likes this
• United States
24 Jun 08
You bring up a very valid point about the word "discussion". That's what I think some people don't get here. LOL Thanks for the response.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
22 Jun 08
I have tried to use that before but it was b=never helpful to me. I would still have to start my own because my question was not answered in the others. I have to start my own and word it different to make sure I get the reply that I am looking for and to make sure it is different from the others.
1 person likes this
@pangeacat (619)
• United States
22 Jun 08
For me, it really depends on what kind of discussion I'm starting. If it revolves around something I've personally witnessed on a particular day, or a personal experience I want to share and get some kind of feedback on, I figure those are unique enough, it doesn't warrant a search to make sure that no one else has a topic on the same theme currently running. If, however, it's about a news story, or it's a question regarding the site, I'll usually search for it, before I start a discussion on it, assuming ofcourse that I don't forget to do so before writing it all out. If I find a really good topic that doesn't have many, or any, responses, I respond. I figure someone put a great deal of time and effort into formulating these discussions, and if they're interesting and I have something I think I can contribute to the discussion at hand, I do it. Whenever I get on mylot, I try to respond to a few of the discussions under "discussions with no responses", and I try to pick the ones on the twentieth page, or earlier, so I know they weren't just posted and it's just that noone's seen them, and/or noone's had enough time to post anything yet. I figure that this helps the community as a whole, helps people to feel less discouraged about participating in starting discussions, and gives me more things to respond to.
@gemini_rose (16264)
22 Jun 08
Whenever I search to see if there is a similar or same discussion to what I want to start nothing ever comes up. Sometimes I put my discussion on only to find that there are similar ones. Now I just put it on and hope that I have worded it completely different to anyone else! If you have some good topics that you want to do, I would just do them. I would not worry about others discussions not having many responses, use your wording style and you will probably get a different reaction.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Jun 08
if i have a doubt about anything in my mind..i post it here.i dont do any research
1 person likes this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I do sometimes but really should do it more. Also, I think the number of responses could have to do with who is seeing it and if the poster made it interesting.
@Fishmomma (11378)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I use the search feature, but many times receive a lot of discussions that aren't like mine at all. The search depends on good tagging and that isn't happening more than 1/2 of the time. The system allows 5 tags and they are the first 5 posted. It would work better, if Mylot did make tag changes. They don't and if you send a complaint its ignored for that subject.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
23 Jun 08
No. I want to know what my friend's here at myLot think about what I have to say. I don't post just the post. I Post because I want to know… Thanks for the post Zelo
• United States
23 Jun 08
It's so hard to find out if anyone has posted a similar discussion. You can search for hours and find nothing. And then when you post, a similar discussion pops up at the bottom of the page! It's frustrating. When I first started another member of mylot suggested this to me. He said, just make the discussion your own and add your own story or experience and it will be yours. That way, noone can accuse you of copying their post. Best of luck on mylot. Happy posting.
@hopejordan (3561)
• Australia
22 Jun 08
hi there kimbers867 i never use the search bar i don't need it but if i need to search something i would but i have never done it take care
1 person likes this
@figjam00 (1445)
• India
22 Jun 08
When I want to post something I don't do any kind of searching for that topic. It doesn't matter to me if anybody has posted the topic same as mine. Although it will effect discussions but I want replies for my discussions.
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I try to use the search feature, but it does not always work. For example, I just started a discussion inquiring whether people reply to all the responses for their discussions. I first did a search using various combinations of the words "reply", "response", and "discussion". I only came up with a couple of results, which were not quite right. So I posted a new discussion. Now, under my discussion, I see related discussions, and they include posts on the topic, which did not come up when I did the search. (And I did search with the "full text" option, not just by tags). So I don't rely too much on the search feature. Another thing I have found, is often the topics I find are a year old. I don't particularly want to reply to an old topic that no one is probably reading anymore, when who knows if the original poster is even still on the site. So if I come up with discussions that are more than say, 3-4 months old, I will start a new discussion.
• United States
23 Jun 08
I always try to search and make sure it's not repeated. It's bad to have so many of the same discussions over and over. It's hard to come up with new discussions but it's not right to post a discussion that has already been posted, even if it was years ago. I will try to post to discussions that I think are good but haven't received any responses as of yet.
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
23 Jun 08
Hi Kimbers, Nope I don't use the search feature, I just post my discussions as I think of them. In the situation of the old posts that have few responses, if you have a different view, start your own discussion on them and see what happens. As long as you are not coping what they wrote or the discussion topic, I don't see the harm. ~Icy~
@marababe (2503)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
Hi kimbers! Most of the time I search before I start a discussion but every time I do, nothing of the SAME topic that I'd like to start appears, just something a little similar but not the same which is good.
@twallace (2675)
• United States
23 Jun 08
The few times that I have started a discussions some have been off the top of my head. Then others I have written down and I have a file just for discussions to start. But most of the time I comment more than start discussions. Sometimes things I have wanted to discuss other have already started a discussion. So I will comment. Have a good one.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Jun 08
kimbers867 mostof the time I do remember to use the search feature but sometimes I do forget.there is not a whole lot of things you can do once you have posted your 'discussion. just hope later people do respond to it would be my guess.
@DCMerkle (1281)
• United States
22 Jun 08
I usually go to the top discussions of the day. If I see a thread that I am reading through and another question comes up, I'll start a new topic from that. DCMerkle
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
22 Jun 08
No, I just go ahead and discuss what I want to talk about. But, sometimes, I do wonder how you can find out on how to find what topic has been discussed. When I try to look it up, I am not getting the answer on how to search for it..