Do you reply to all responses for discussions you've started?
By fluffysue
@fluffysue (1482)
United States
June 22, 2008 10:13pm CST
I'll admit that as a fairly new member, I have not started many discussions. In any forum I go to, I'm always more likely to reply than to start a new topic. I had thought that it is polite to respond to everyone who responded to the discussions I started. This wasn't too difficult until I posted a topic that was very easy to reply to, and I ended up with 7 pages of responses. I am looking at all the responses, but there is only so much I can say on the topic.
So, since I know that there is no way I can come up with a brilliant response to all the responses to my discussion, should I just thank people for responding, as I have seen some people do? Or is it OK not to reply? I know that sometimes if I see discussions where the original poster doesn't reply, I generally assume he or she is not reading responses, and that can affect my decision to reply.
7 people like this
21 responses
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
23 Jun 08
i didnt know it was expected of me to reply till a few people mentioned it on here a few days ago.. i read every reply but noticed other people thank or something to that person.. so i went back on i dunno how many post and replied to every one and now i do out of habit
2 people like this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Yes, I'm noticing the consensus seems to be that people want replies, so I will have to work on that. :)
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I can't be certain on this so I advise looking at mylot's discussion guidelines, but I think it is against the rules to just say "thanks for the reply". I do thank my responders but try to add a little extra. If I can not I do not reply until either I think of something, or I just don't reply. I understand what you mean about people who do not reply to other's responses on their discussions and I try to stay away from them to. It is okay not to respond if you feel you have nothing to add. Have a Great day.
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I also thought those "thanks" responses might be against the Mylot guidelines, but since I was unsure of that, I didn't mention it. I think that's just because I have seen it done so often.
Sometimes I will also wait and see if I can come up with something later. I think I finally finished responding to some replies from a couple of weeks ago. It is not even that I have so many discussions out there, but sometimes I just need to think awhile before replying, and don't have time at the moment.
Thanks and you have a great day too. :)
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
23 Jun 08
You could mix up your "thank you" comments with a few others, including:
That's cool!
I see what you mean.
Guess I never thought about it that way.
I could see that point of view.
I've done that before!
Tell me about it.
And, of course, those are just more generic responses
that you could use in place of the traditional "thank you".
If you feel that someone has put a lot of effort into their response, then
feel free to post a heart felt response for them.
That's what I do!
Sometimes I simply can't bear to just leave a response blank
especially if I know the person has put in real effort to respond.
And I do worry how a person will feel if I've responded to everyone BUT them.
So I do post a quick sort of thank you comment.
But it's from the bottom of my heart, or I wouldn't say so!
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
24 Jun 08
I appreciate the ideas beautyqueen. They are very good ideas, and I think that I might start to use them. Also Fluff, I agree with you. It does take me a little while to respond if I don't know what to put, because like Beautyqueen, I don't like seeing a response and not commenting on them. Have a Great day to both of you! I enjoy reading your discussions!
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
before, i reply to all the responses that i've got from my discussions because i have enough time to respond to all of them, even if they are many. but now, after losing my own internet broadband, i just can't respond to all of them since my time is very limited. but if i do have my own internet connection again (i change my broadband connection to a dsl connection), i would make it to a point that i could respond and thank them again for spending their little time on my discussion
1 person likes this
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Yes, I have the time issue too, since I just started a new job, and don't want to spend all my free time online...it's summer too, so I like to be outside! So I am trying to go back now and respond on the weekend, but the pool is calling me....
@padmameera (952)
• India
23 Jun 08
Hi
I reply only if there is any thing I have to add to the responses. I would like to thank them who responded and shared their ideas but it is against myLot rules just to say thanks. I always read all those responses I recieve.
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Yes, I thought it was against rules to just post thanks, but I see many people do it. Some people do it with EVERY response. I guess I will try to think of something to say along with my thanks, to keep within the rules. Thank you. :)
@moneymint18 (481)
• India
23 Jun 08
exactly i can't say you about this question.I do respond and talk about that they have mentioned in their response and i simply don't end up with thanks.
It is not suggested to just put thanks to all.
If i like some points of some one then definetely i put my comment with some extra text which has some meaning .
Sometime i don't respond becuase i don't have any thing to put there so better not put just thanks.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12821)
• Australia
23 Jun 08
no i don't actually to be honest... i just reply as much as i can to the people who reply to my discussions... sometimes, it is impossible to reply to all as it is just too much work... but i try my best though... take care and have a nice day...
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
I do agree that it is a lot of work, but the consensus seems to be that we should be responding, though mylot rules indicate that a simple "thanks" is not enough. There you see the problem...lol... thanks and you have a nice day too.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
6 Apr 09
8 times out of ten i do.
the ninth being incomprehensible,and the tenth needing nothing more added,really.
sometimes you just can't come up with a response to what they've written.
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
6 Apr 09
Wow, I just realized I didn't even respond to all my responses in this discussion! OOps! 
Sometimes I do have those problems, too, where either the response doesn't make sense, or I just can't come up with anything. (That is not the case with this discussion, I was just lazy!) I think according to MyLot rules, the best thing to do in that case is not respond, even though people don't like that.
Sometimes I do have those problems, too, where either the response doesn't make sense, or I just can't come up with anything. (That is not the case with this discussion, I was just lazy!) I think according to MyLot rules, the best thing to do in that case is not respond, even though people don't like that.1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
7 Apr 09
LOL!that's kind of funny when you think about it
yea,sometimes people grump,but if you can't,you can't.
just happens,y'know.
yea,sometimes people grump,but if you can't,you can't.
just happens,y'know.
@aseretdd (13729)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
In my case... i got so used to commenting to all those who responded to my discussions... that i can no longer break that habit... even if there are like 9 pages of responses... i always have something to say... from agreeing to disagreeing... welcoming new members... and thanking all of them form taking time to respond to my discussion...
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
That is nice of you. I think to reply to everyone, you must be doing it as you go along, as opposed to waiting like I tend to. I can't imagine going through 9 pages of replies and responding to each one! Luckily most of my topics aren't that popular! LOL Thanks!
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Oh I get those emails too, but I made them go in a special mylot folder which I look at when I have a chance. Otherwise, they drown all my other emails, which was especially bad when I was job-hunting! lol
@vicneedscoffee (1259)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I reply to as many as possible. I find it is a good thing to do. However, after having written my piece to start the discussion and then after so many replies I find I have nothing left too say. I try my best, but sometimes I just run out of things to add. You may have 10 people saying the same thing in their responses and there are only so many comments to that thing.
As for discussions I respond to, I notice a lot of people who just post discussion after discussion and never reply their own or any started by other people so I avoid discussions by them. if I notice they do reply and may have run out of things to say I don't worry about it because it happens to me too.
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Well, that is the problem I have run into in some cases, having the same replies. I guess I have learned now not to start certain types of discussions (my post about "what was the last movie you saw in theaters" is what prompted this). I will stick wtih real discussions that require slightly more complex answers and this should result in fewer replies, but also ones that have more to reply to. (I hope that made sense).
@Tianna2 (1273)
• United States
23 Jun 08
Hello Fluffysue, I've had this happen too. I had a discussion that had more then 50 responses and I know its hard to come up with something original for every post. My opinion is that a "thank you for your response" at least lets the responder know that you read their post. Otherwise, how would they even know that you read it? Just my opinion anyway!
Cheers, Tianna
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
I agree, I would like to post a thank you, but it seems that mylot does not want that, according to the rules? That is a good point though. I personally do like knowing someone read my response to their discussion.
@thaMARKER (2503)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
Yes I do, every response I get from all of my discussions. Thank goodness I have only 6 discussions and it's not that hard to reply them. I love the interaction I get in here, I guess it's what I'm enjoying right now being part of mylot community.
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
I think maybe that is the key, to not start more discussions than you can handle! Though I really don't have that many, but one of them somehow ended up in one of the digest emails, so it got way more responses than I could manage. Plus now am falling behind as I started a new job. But I will try to respond to everyone sooner or later. You are right in that the interaction is nice, and I don't like "discussions" where no one ever comes back to read replies.
@Jhordie (5115)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
I do try my best to comment back on the response posted on my discussion. I truly believe we owe them even a small way of appreciating their time and effort just to read and respond to your topic. It will not consume all of your time but rather just a very small fraction of it. Not a lost but a GAIN FOR SURE!!!
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
13 Jul 08
Thanks Jhordie. You are right about that. I will try to respond to all replies, it just might take me awhile. :)
@p3halliwel2005 (3156)
• Philippines
23 Jun 08
Thanking people for responding is much better. I don't have time to do it all but when I do I will thanks everyone even if the response is over a year or so. I read responses although I am real busy at times. But will give it time one of this days. Thanks to all who responded to my discussions and as well to the responses I made for them. I appreciate it loads.
@Margajoe (4747)
• Germany
23 Jun 08
Yes, I would answer them all.
Even with just: a thanks for your comment.
Because I always read them, so at the same time
I can answer.
Maybe not in one day.LOL!
But, I like to be answered too.
Take care, Margajoe.
@zhuuraan (961)
• United States
23 Jun 08
The guidelines say not to thank everyone who responds to you. They say it will not affect your earnings. They also say that if you don't have anything of substance to say, don't say anything. That being said, I would only respond to the responses where I could come up with a quality response. If that means I am able to respond to them all then I will but otherwise, I'll just reply to the ones I can.
@SwtJenlove (1090)
• United States
23 Jun 08
I try to reply to most of them. I dont reply to all of them no. I dont think its wrong to not reply but i do think its wrong it you totally disregaurd all of your responses. try to acknowledge everyone but putting one general response for example "thank you all for your responses they really helped" or something along those lines.
I hope i helped YOU :)
@fafinette79 (943)
• United States
23 Jun 08
This is not a right or wrong thing, but more a do I have time to do it. To make good earnings, I gotta post new discussions, responses, and comments. At times it can be hard to make sure you have time to reply to all of them when there are pages and pages of them. I'm a newbie also and I spend a few hours a day on mylot and still find myself missing a lot of discussions.
