To wish that posters would read what others have said

And sometimes the whole lot will come out on just one page, the next time I look it will be divided over 4 or so pages

Paige not interesting just very weird

Have to say that I'm now feeling paranoid about answering any longish thread in case I've missed a post and am about to repeat what has already been said. And before anyone tells me this has already been posted I hold my hands up and say 'I'm speaking for myself and I'm human and make mistakes!'

Perhaps a good idea to preface a post with the fact that you have read all of it. Could we have an abbreviation or an emoticon.

I have to go through them just to check that I haven't already said something and then forgotten about it ....

I do find it a bit frustrating while I type something then during that time loads more posts have gone on and mine is now out of sync. Also sometimes I can't remember whether I said it or just thought it. I don't really mind - I just enjoy having a rant.

Me too, rockgran. Sometimes I wonder if I wrote it or mumbled something to DH. Or just thought about it in the middle of the night.

And mollie, I suppose we could just say 'to reiterate' or ' to reinforce the views of others'.
Covers a multitude.

I think that sometimes because we are not online all at once and can have gaps of many hours, going through ones mind is the course the thread was taking on one's last post. Also some threads go from one to forty posts with incredible speed and reading back is difficult. I usually try to read the last page before responding.

The other thing is that quite often when on Gransnet I am on it for 30 - 45 minutes the same so if other people have posted at the start of a session one doesn't always see the post until later.

Quite right. DH said I never used the tab he bought me, now he says 'haven't you got anything better to do?'. Must go and get his dinner.

On the scale of things does it really matter if we say something that someone else has ? When we have conversations with people you often hear the same sentiments repeated.

A conversation is rather different than an online discussion, though. In a real-life situation you'd just nod and say "Yes, I agree, that's just what I said."

If someone posts the same sentiment that you have already expressed on a forum, it looks as though they either haven't read your post, or have decided that they could put it better.

Of course it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things - I don't think this thread was started to prompt any feelings of paranoia or indignation.

Sometimes people ask the same questions on a post and clearly have not read the answers which are a few posts up.

Sometimes the answer to their question is in the OP.

Margaret when your DH asks ' haven't you anything better to do' reply, 'No, I have more important things to do but nothing BETTER' that will silence him.

I will try that, roses, although I have a feeling he may never say it again (enough said).

Elegran and Ana - I'm really very confused. Am I being thick?

No, you are not, Dragonfly. Certainly there were no particular posters I had in mind when I responded to the OP - just a general gripe some of us obviously share!

Well just for once I've read every post. And it's exhausting. I won't be doing that again in a hurry!

You are not confused, Dragonfly. There are no cryptic references or hidden agendas, just general grousing.

I usually read other people's previous comments before posting, but I have to admit that sometimes, if a thread is very long, I skip through to get the gist of things.

It doesn't really bother me.

I have to say I do find there are so many 'blued' references to newspapers I don't read most of them. To me I prefer to know what the poster thinks and see their point/question in their own words. Lazy on my part, maybe, but I have seen some threads rely purely on the argument between two or three papers and I think that's a shame as it is like arguing against the Daily Mail or the Guardian or Another instead of debating with other GN's.

When the 'blued' newspaper reference is put up by somebody who delights in declaring they never read that paper, then I just think , hypocrit.

Elsewhere I've asked GN for a delete (or post-posting edit button) so that those of us who sometimes make a hash of posts can at least get rid of the evidence! However, it seems that some prefer our mistakes are left intact for all to see on the basis that deleted posts ruin the flow... what you are saying here is that sometimes there is no flow, its disjointed and annoying if people duplicate and miss the point etc. Would it help if threads could be edited post-posting?

Having spent my working life in a classroom where not listening/asking questions someone else asked a minute ago/not concentrating/going off the point was the status quo, it doesn't bother me at all.

Having been married to DH for umpteen years I am used to someone not listening to a word I say.

margaretm74