100% My Own Thoughts...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
May 22, 2008 7:32am CST
Yesterday Hubby asked me a question that got me to thinking. Do I read other ppl’s responses to a discussion before responding to it? He says it’s in the FAQ that you are supposed to read all the responses to avoid making the same or close to response of another responder. I looked it up and it does say that.
I guess that is the one rule I have the hardest time following and in fact don’t follow. I rarely if ever read other ppl’s responses before responding. The reason is simple…if I read other ppl’s responses my own response becomes jumbled up and confused with everyone else’s. Now I will read some after I’ve responded to it if I’m interested in what everyone has to say. Once in a great while I’ll read responses first if I’m confused about the discussion topic or something but usually I write my own thoughts first…that way they are truly my thoughts and not bits and pieces of other ppl’s. Besides since they are my own thoughts there is no way that they could be just like someone else’s.
Do you read all the responses to a discussion before responding? Do you think it’s better to read first then respond or respond first then read? Do you ever change your thoughts on a discussion after you’ve read other responses?
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
23 people like this
52 responses
@wooitsmolly (3613)
• United States
22 May 08
Sometimes I will read other people's responses first, but I usually don't. Like you said, it makes my response become more jumbled. I also find that when people read other responses first they tend to just agree with what everyone else says.. I wonder if they would have said something different if they didn't know what everyone else had said. I know it's a rule that you are supposed to read all the responses first, but I don't really like that rule personally. I'd rather people respond to my discussion without reading so I get their untainted opinion and thoughts on it.
@dragonfly242 (1060)
• Bahamas
22 May 08
Sometimes when i go to a discussion from my friends email i dont read other responses. I just write down my thoughts on the subject, then i brows the other responses.
Sometimes i read other responses and then if it reflects everything that i would have said i dont respond, but if i feel as though i can add something more to further the point then i'll add to the discussion.
I've changed my thoughts a few times, but that's after reading something that the person that started the discussion may have added to a responder.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160702)
• United States
22 May 08
I think that is a good point, when the posting person adds to the discussion it may change what you would want to say.
2 people like this
@dragonfly242 (1060)
• Bahamas
22 May 08
Exactly!!
When that happens i find myself with a different train of thoughts.
1 person likes this
Good point you have there!
@christymac (150)
• United States
23 May 08
Yeah that makes since. I figure there is no sense reading everyones posts to be able to add my own input.
I only read comments if the topic was leading to some interesting stories from responders.
2 people like this
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
22 May 08
I also respond first when I get it in email. After I respond and post it then I will read and see what other's have said. Sometimes while reading other's responses they might trigger another thought and I will add it on the bottom of my own response. I think if they wanted us to read then respond then they should not make a link in the emails for us to respond before we read all there is to read from other people. Did that make any sense? hahaha
3 people like this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
23 May 08
I usually do read the other responses first unless the topic is something where I know my response will by definition be utterly different from what the others are saying. It is not much of a discussion if everyone says the same thing! What if you were trying to have a conversation with a group of people and nobody listened to what you said. I think of myLot discussions as being like a conversation. It isn't all about me.
2 people like this
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
22 May 08
I agree with you, if you read other peoples responses first then your thoughts don't come out as easily when responding to the discussion. I like to respond straight away with my own thoughts. I am sure it may overlap a little with what some people are saying, but it will still have its own uniqueness. If I am really interested in the topic I will read other peoples responses after I have responded.
3 people like this
@nannacroc (4049)
•
22 May 08
I usually just go from my e-mail and go straight to the response. If someone else says a similar thing to what I've said why should it affect my own response.
I understand about checking the questions first but see no point in checking the responses as I don't think they help with my own response.
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
22 May 08
Sometimes I do but often I don't especially if it has a lot of responses or the other responses aren't pertinent to my response. If someone is asking my opinion on something or the price of gas in our area I don't really see where the other responses would affect mine.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
23 May 08
I do not read other responses before posting mine. I know what the guidelines say but then why when I answer from my email it takes me straight to the response box? I am not going to waste time trying to find the originators profile, then look for and find the discussion then read everything before I respond...what a huge waste of my time. Plus no matter what anyone else has said it is not going to change what I intend to say.
2 people like this
@mamacathie (3928)
• United States
22 May 08
Usually I write my own response without reading others unless I am sort of not clean on what the discussion is about and then I might read some to get the idea. There are some discussions that I do read all the responses and catch myself posting to more than one of those responses.
2 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
•
22 May 08
I totally agree on this one twoey! 99.9% of the time I respond straight from notifications not because I am being lazy or anything but because I do not want to be influenced by anybody else til I have put my own opinion down, once I have done that I then read other peoples responses to see what they have written and take their point of view into consideration!
If mylot thinks that we should read all the responses before we do ours then why are notifications sent where all we can do is put our own responses? That has always confused me! xxx
2 people like this
@ajayrekha (491)
• India
24 May 08
I normally have a look of other people's discussion on discussion. Also if my answer is similar to some one, it will always contains some thing new as replies for no 2 users can be alike (same) it will be similar onlt and it is always good for person asking questions to find something extra in every asnwer even if 2 asnwers are similar. It also puts and extra weight to a suggestion if many people are responding the same way.
2 people like this
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
22 May 08
It certainly is good to read what other members have to say. Some times very interesting , the way people think and react to life and circumstances. No, that doesn't change my views or my thoughts at all. I would respond as I see it. That may be in agreement with some of the other responses or may be different. As I see it, each one has the freedom to say what wishes to say !
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
22 May 08
I am exactly like you! I don't read other's responses because I don't want my opinion to be clouded by theirs. So, each response I give is all my own. If it is similar to someone else's, it is simply because we can't all be 100% original. Someone else, and likely many someone elses will have my same opinion. I do occasionally read some responses to make sure no one asked a question I might have asked for clarification on the discussion topic. That way, I won't force the discussion starter to answer the same question more than once.
And, sometimes I read before I respond simply to guide me in a direction if I am on the fence. But, it is rare that I read other responses before I respond myself. I like to speak my mind, uncorrupted by other's opinions.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160702)
• United States
22 May 08
I read from my e-mail for the most part, so no I do not even see the other responses. The exception to that is if someone asks for a specific solution (stain removal, for example) I will check to see if someone has offered the response I was going to offer.
2 people like this
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
22 May 08
I have the same problem. If I read others then I forget what I wanted to say. What they say becomes what I wanted to say.
You see I have seizers and if I do not get out what I want to say when I want to say it, well it's gone in an instant. I have short term memory loss. Oh, I get it back sooner or later, but it's not usually when I want or need it.
Sometimes I look to see if there are just a few and I read them first.
I apologize now if any of mine replies duplicate any others.
2 people like this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
22 May 08
I have no time to go over with all of that kiran especially if the topic has more than 50 responses!LOL! I will be consuming my whole time reading. I don't read aside that I want to maximize my time, I also don't want that my idea will be affected with other's people opinion. There are instances that some responses are influential.LOL, but, there are cases that I have entirely no idea about the topic, so reading like 2-3 responses will help me come up with my own idea, but very rare!
2 people like this
@girlgonefishing (2174)
• United States
22 May 08
I think it's best to not read everyone elses responses before responding. What if reading them makes you change your mind about what you were going to say? Then would it truly be YOUR response or would you just be going along with the flow? Not to mention the fact that if you are replying the way I do, through a MyLot email, you can't see other people's responses before you respond. You just respond.
2 people like this
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
22 May 08
I read the responses if I enter the discussion from the Mylot home page. But if I respond through my email notification I can't see them until I am finished with my own response. It is irritating that the email doesn't have a view discussion option like they do on the comments notification.
