Do you have to rack your brains to start discussions?
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
China
March 20, 2010 9:30pm CST
Hi, friends. As you know, it is not that easy to create discussions that may probably draw more people's attention. We've seen lots of discussions that fail to receive any responses cheifly because no one is interested in them. So do you have to rack your brains in order to start interesting discussions? Or you just start discussions on any topics you come up with regardless of the chance that no one might be interested in them?
As for me, I usually deliberate for quite some time on what I plan to start, but the outcome may not always meet my expectations. Nevertheless, I'm still trying to make my discussions as interesting as possible. Sometimes I even have to rack my brains for several days to start a discussions as it is not an easy thing for me.
What's your idea on this topic? Be kind to share! 
3 people like this
17 responses
@ckyera (17332)
• Philippines
27 Mar 10
hello there,
when i am just starting here, i also love starting discussions and i really think of discussions to start...but i don't think that much! haha i just post whatever comes to my mind. if i have some questions that i want to ask, or questions that i want to get others opinions/point of views...
but when i can't think of any topic to discuss, i just take a break.
and right now, i guess its been months since the last time i open a discussion, its really not easy to start one and i feel like i ran out of topic to discuss coz i guess most topics that come to my mind are already been discussed, and so what i do now is to respond, respond, respond & comment, comment, comment!
1 person likes this
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
27 Mar 10
Thanks for sharing, friend. I was much the same as you at my initial period of being here. I just didn't know what to share, so i focused more on responding rather than started my own. I guess every newbie has to experience such a stage. They just need to take some time to get familiar with mylot, including the skills of starting discussions. Now i'm more experienced than before and i begin to start my own discussions. But i don't share whatever comes to my mind as some of them may fail to engage any attention at all. It makes no sense to start that kind of discussions. I take more time to think of topics that others maybe interested in, which is of meaning because i can share ideas with others rather than keep waiting impatiently but get zero response.
@myzire72 (1154)
• Singapore
21 Mar 10
No, I don't. I won't start a discussion unless I am sure that it is a fresh topic where it has not been raised by other mylotters. Also, I don't compel myself to start a certain number of discussions on every visit to myLot. In fact, I participate more in discussions than starting discussion topics.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Thanks for responding, friend. I'm in favor of what you pointed out. All of us should not be in a hurry to start a discussion which might have been discussed some time before as there is no real meaning to repeat the same topics over and over again. I don't do it either, nor do i compel myself to come up with new ideas. To be more accurate, i need much time to think about the topic i want to share with others.
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
28 Mar 10
For me, it's not hard. Nowadays, I just create discussions based on what I really want to inform/discuss or am curious for the answers. I don't find it hard to create, but I don't start many anymore. I'm happy to answer and comment, and find others with more interesting discussions that I am happy to answer. I'd say if it's getting a bit hard to start discussions, then just answer the ones others started.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
28 Mar 10
I agree. If i feel a little bit difficult to come up with a topic, i just give up trying and focus on responding to others' discussions, from which i also get a lot of fun. Perhaps after some time, inspirations will come to my mind again. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes!
@marguicha (215707)
• Chile
21 Mar 10
I don´t feel mylot is a site where I come to work. I felt like that at the beginning, but now I feel like It´s the family room at my home and Im having friends for coffee and a good conversation. So I don´t feel compelled to making posts if I don´t want to anymore than I feel compelled to say something new at a friend´s reunion.
The way I do it starts by checking my mail. My mail tells me a fried started a discussion and I can read it without even login at the site. Then, if I feel I can say something at a particular discusion, I go to mylot and start.
Happy postings!
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps I should adopt such an attitude too. I'd better regard mylot as a place for me to relax rather than a tough assignment waiting for me to get it over with. It seems I'm giving myself too much pressure on initiating new discussions.
@Trykro (241)
• Romania
21 Mar 10
I agree with Marguicha - I don't visit mylot to earn money(in fact if you take a look at my profile you'll see I only have one discussion started here) but to learn; I visit the topic where my interests are, read the discussion and place a comment, only if I can be helpful and not to earn money. I'm here to learn, and help others learn. I am involved in online earning but I'm doing it using other programs, on MyLot I'm comeing to learn and make some friends.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
Thanks for your attention, friend. Your words strikes me as if you hold such an idea that only when our chief purpose of being here is to earn rather than simply enjoy sharing views that we need to start discussions. As you mentioned, you are here more to learn than to earn, so there's no need to initiate discussions on your part. I can't agree with you on this point as starting discussions is also a way of learning. When, for example, you start a discussion asking for some advice, then you learn from your own discussions. At least this is what's on my mind all the time. I take starting discussions as a double-earn process. I learn and also earn.
@Ladyslipper (1327)
• Philippines
21 Mar 10
I don't do that as I just usually start a discussion when I have something that I really want to say in writing. If I'm not in the mood I don't post. I just read the discussions and respond to those that I'm interested in. I also go over to my mails in my yahoo account to check out for discussions started by my friends and responses to my comments or discussions. If I have something to say about a certain comment or discussion I log in and respond if none then I don't force my self to come up with a good one. For mer responding and posting should come out naturally.
I also don't expect anything whenever I post discussions. I am aware that sometimes people will not be interested about something that you're interested in. What matters for me is that I was able to express what I feel and my idea. I'm very careful though with my posts and responses as the last thing I want to do is offend other people.
Take care Chenxiaoyue and have a nice day!!! :)
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
Thanks for sharing, friend. I understand your views. When i'm in no mood, i don't force myself to post either. But i also don't like responding to others' discussions all the time without starting my own as it seems that i have no ideas and knowledge at all. So i try to start a couple of discussions within a week and learn about others' opinions. In starting an interesting discussion, i think about it for a long time, taking many factors into account. But I'm not really at my wits end and have to rack my brains. I just rack my brains to make the discussion more interesting.
@shynepapin101 (1879)
• United Arab Emirates
28 Mar 10
I rarely create but when i do it's about me or my
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
28 Mar 10
Hi, friend. Thanks for your feedback. I see what you mean. I suppose it's common that we like to discuss topics on things happening around us in daily lives. Hope to see your discussions soon.
Have a good day!
.
Have a good day!@shynepapin101 (1879)
• United Arab Emirates
28 Mar 10
Family,friends and my environment,all that happens
@subhadra123 (75)
• India
22 Mar 10
personaly I dont create many discussions. But I easily respond to many.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Thanks for responding. Hope you'll have the same pleasure in starting and responding discussions.
@mzz663 (2772)
• United States
21 Mar 10
I've answered more discussions than I've started here. Seems that when I think of something for a discussion here, I'm not around my computer and by the time I get to it, I forget what it was.
I find plenty of great discussions here to answer, like yours! Thnx!
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Thanks, friend. I'm flattered. I've never thought that this discussion is a good one, rather, i think it's a failure as i didn't receive as much responses as i had thought. I find that we have something in common. When i'm away from computer, i often come up with good ideas. But when i'm back and want to share them with mylot friends, i can't remember them anymore as if they never came into my mind. So now i always bring with me a notebook listing all the discussions i want to start. I find it a good way as we can never expect ourselves to remember things for a long time, esp good ideas that more like inspirations which disappear quickly.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
22 Mar 10
I agree with you that it is not easy to start a discussion. It has been quite sometime that I have started a discussion. My being busy with other things gives me no time to be here.Mylotting is a lot of fun and it is difficult for me to stop. So the little time that I have is spent on Mylotting.
Have a good day.
Have a good day.@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Just take a look at the growing population, it won't be difficult to see that there isn't a better place than mylot. However litte time we have, we manage to spend it here, as is what i'm doing all the time. I rack my brains to start a couple of discussions every week to share my thoughts with others, which brings me lots of fun. Thanks for your attention, friend.
@momtrying2makeit (3270)
• United States
21 Mar 10
For me I tend to have a little trouble coming up new ideas to talk about. What I try to do is look at my daily life and see if I can come up with something from what I have been doing or learning in school online. So far I have some luck in having some people respond to my discussions. I know it can be hard and it all depends on what you have going on in your day for me. Like I plan to start at least two discussions today and see where they go. Nice topic and happy mylotting to you.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Thanks for sharing. I believe thinking of a good topic is not easy for everyone. We need to pay more attention to what's happening around us and give thought to them. Constant observation of things in our daily life helps us to be more thoughtful, which is of great significance in starting good topics.
@rosekiss (30380)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Mar 10
Yes, I do have a hard time thinking of a good discussion, and that is why I don't start all that many. It is hard to come up with one that others will be interested in responding to. I haven't had any discussions, without zero responses, so I guess I am lucky on that score. Some of my discussion will get more responses than I thought I would, and other times I get less than I thought I would, so it really does depend on the discussion that I am responding to. I do have to think about what I want to say before I do post a discussion. It is much easier for me to post responses, as I don't have to think about what to discuss, as it is already there. Good luck to you and happy mylotting.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Yes, responding to a discussion is much easier than starting one as we don't to think about what to say to draw others' attention, but only have to give our opinions on a given topic. This is why it takes me a long time sometimes to think of a good discussion. Some people may don't care whether their discussions receive responses or not, but i see no meaning in an unsuccessful discussion.
@moribus2 (106)
• India
21 Mar 10
Human mind and experience is just too resourceful, isn't it? A direct answer to this question is, NO. I am here to enjoy a platform (as I am sure that most of the others are for) that provides me to contemplate and understand my thought in a completely different (and in some cases a better) light. Also, that I am not intellectually developed enough to sustain and flourish in this world and that, I have a lot of loose strings of Knowledge in my mind to connect with help of some veterans like yourself, who shall, ultimately guide me to the path of success. Simply speaking, I have a lot of issues that need to be answered, and each answer leads to new question. I mean, that is the way of life. Only with collaboration and mutual sharing of knowledge shall we succeed.
Another statement, no one deliberately start a discussion, just that our hunger for knowledge is so intense that we are forced to bring it to our society.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
You have a rather philosophical response, friend. I believe most people are here mainly to enjoy sharing views and enrich their knowledge in different fields. Racking one's brain, however, implies much effort. But i don't take it wholly from a negative perspective. For me, when i rack my brain for a creative thought, i take it as a way of practising my thinking rather than suffering. As the proverb goes, "if i rest, i rust". I seldom allow myself to retreat from the difficulty of thinking, as it may probably lead to my mind's rusting.
@umit_umit (1984)
• India
21 Mar 10
yeah,one has to rack ones brain for the discussions,as always we have to sort out the new ones!
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
22 Mar 10
Thanks for responding, friend. Enjoying your time being here.
@silverjapan (233)
• Romania
21 Mar 10
I don't care, popular or not I start discussion that I want in that moment, why even bother starting a discussion that you have no interest in. And if you do have interest in, you don't have to think.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
Thanks for sharing, friend. Yes, i believe we start a discussion because we are interested in it and want to share it with others. But i think i focus more on whether this discussion will draw attention or not. After all, we start discussions for the sake of listening to others' opinions. If it ended up arousing no one's interest, then it has not much meaning.
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
21 Mar 10
I haven't really had the time to post on MyLot for awhile but I know when I am on MyLot, I normally just start a discussion about something that is going on in my life or something I want to share with people, etc. Maybe some of them are good ideas, maybe some are bad but either way, I'm having a great time discussing here on MyLot!
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
The common things happening around us are the most well-welcomed topics, i believe. Not all the members here have sufficient knowledge of every field, but nearly all of them have something to share about things happening in our daily lives. So it's better you just keep on. Thanks for responding and happy mylotting.
@kaylachan (58027)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Mar 10
Not usually. I don't worry about what's going on or rather its interesting enough. If it strikes I write about it. If its not that important I promptly forget about it and that's usually it. If it gets replies great, if not... oh well. Most of the time it does.
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
I think that kind of attitude is great. Forgetting all about a unsuccessful discussion is something hard for me. I mean if it received only a few or even zero response, i'll perhaps bother with it for a long time, doubting my knowledge, perspective and interest. Only after a long time can i face it with a quiet piece of mind. Maybe it's because i'm always too hard on myself and want a perfection in doing everything. Anyway, that's not a reasonable attitude. I'll try to get rid of it.
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
21 Mar 10
that's always bound to happen, my friend. even ridiculous topics are posted for discussion. but that is understandable. mylot has more than 200,000 members and that would mean more than 200,000 different minds also. i think, allowing a broad expanse of discussion topic would elicit a greater expanse of views, and that's what's being achieved here, irregardless of the quality of topics... more on the quality of responses...
@chenxiaoyue_713 (2165)
• China
21 Mar 10
Thanks for responding, friend. Your points are very persuasive, I think. With over 200, 000 memebers from all over the world, we can never expect all the discussions to be reasonable and creative as we don't share the same culture and ideology. The topics may vary from reasonable and interesting ones to ridiculous ones. I think I'm kind of over fastidious about discussions.
