Short questions lead to short answers! Why?

This is interesting - and you're right about your observation! Perhaps it is a psychological thing. Short questions - it could appear as if they're just one of those myLotters who just ask away questions but never reply - they're not really looking to discuss. So if I feel like responding, I won't write a whole long thing assuming it may not be read, but at least I answered. Long questions - someone definitely took the time to elaborate, so they must truly want to discuss. If I respond, it means I read the discussion and felt it deserved the response it needed - assuming that person has the same attention span as I do. I tend to write in length anyway, so in a way it doesn't matter if the question is short or long . . . I have "much to say" and will write my 2 cents about it.

Hi liquorice..I already posted this, but something happened and my response vanished into thin air..story of my life!! Anyway, just in case it was a glich and shows up, sorry for the double post. I agree with you 100%. I was thrilled when I found this site as there arn't too many sites where you can have discussions with others and have some good comversation. My problem is that I dont find too much that interests me and get annoyed at the too short question and shorter answer as if on a game show. I don'tot think thats what mylot had in mind when creating the site and I think that if you like the one liners, than maybe Twitter is the place to be. Discussions like "What time did you go to bed last night?" and "Do you like pizza" aggravate me. Do you really care what time they went to bed or whether or not they like pizza? I dont and would never respond. Notice, however how many responses those questions get...lots, while I once posted a discussion on a very important issue, Global warming and the effect its having on the polar bear whos existance is going to end in extinction if something is not done. (Read it under my profile and tell me why I got only one response) I came to the conclusion that, and of offense is intended towards anyone here, this just isnt the place for that type of topic..obviously, with one response. Then a mylotter told me that people dont respond to "newbies" or people with under 100 posts which I had at the time. That to me is very juvenile but I think its true. The folks who post the quick easy discussion I believe are more into quantity rather than quality and probably think they will earn more money that way while I think the exact opposite is true. I think the staff of Mylot is looking for good quality discussions and responses that require a little bit of thought and are interesting enough to spark the attention of another person. Isn't that what a discussion is? I don't come here for the money..While it is nice that they pay you, lets face it, you are not going to get rich here and I look at it as a bonus and leave it in my paypal account to pay shipping and handling on something etc. Its never enough to withdraw, at least not for me. Dont get me wrong, I love the site and come here often to browse the topics. I just wish that I would find more things that I think are worth contributing too. I usually end up in cooking as I am a recent grad of cullinary school and can always find someone to help out there and have received help myself as in my last post about being a cookie failure. Take a look at it, I got lots of responses, probably the most ever for me. If you look at my 0 responses, my list goes on and on. Its embaressing!! In any case, thanks for the great discussion today and I hope to see you again. If its ok, I'm going to add you as friend so that I'll be notified when you post. Have a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year..J

if nothing more to be talked then it will be write with short word, every person try to speak more longer. You make me remember "talk less do more", I don't wanna write too long if suddenly my connection down.

Hi liquorice..Great discussion..Its not often that I find something that really catches my attention as this did, so thanks for that. I often get fustrated here because I am under the impression that it is a place to have "discussions" not quick questions and answers as if one were on a game show. You can usually tell immediately the folks that are only interested in quantity, not quality. I guess they think they will earn more money that way when in actuality I think the opposite is true. I think mylot is looking for good, meaningful discussions and responses that require a little bit of thought and that have something to offer and possibly even keep the discussion going by interesting others in participating. I do not come here for the money..Lets face it, you are never going to get rich here. While its nice that they pay you, its not my priority, at all. I enjoy good intelligent conversation while meeting new and interesting people. There are not too many sites on the internet that offer what mylot does but it needs to be used as intended. If you like one line conversation than possibly Twitter is the place to go. I just cant get enthused about discussions that start with "What time did you go to bed last night?" or "Do you like pizza and ice cream?" Those are one line questions and one line responses. Do you really care what time someone went to bed, or whether or not they like pizza and ice cream? I dont. I once started a discussion about an extremely important issue, Global warming and the possible extinction of the polar bear. (you can read it under my profile I think) In any case, I got one response. Its an important issue and deserves discussion but I guess this just isnt the place, no offense intended to anybody, to discuss it. As a test, I posted a discussion about a movie starring Beyonce and got about 10 responses. What does that tell you? Don't get me wrong, I have had many good discussions here and continue to come here everyday and browse the topics I just wish there was more that interested me. I am a chef, recent grad, and spend most of my time in cooking. If I cant find anything else, I can always participate there as cooking is my forte. I have helped many with cooking questions etc and enjoy doing so. So, thats my take on the long/short question issue. Hope to see you post more often as you are exactly the type of person I'm looking to share with. If its ok with you I am going to request you as a friend so that I will be notified when you share. Thanks for the great topic..and Merry Christmas to you and yours...J

Most short questions are always going to be a short answer. Reason being that I found is most people are answering as fast as they receive the question. Plus were all getting lazier so questions are getting shorter as well as answers. However short questions I have found can sometimes lead into huge discussions.

no.

I don't know, but if it's me, you're likely to get a short response anyway, unless it's a topic that I have a lot to say about.

I guess it actually depends on how much somebody has to say on the subject. Sometimes a quick answer is all they really have, sometimes it may strike a nerve and they will expand even more than somebody else does. I sometimes read what people write because it says something about them.

I whole heartedly agree with you. I have also observed the same thig and gone through it too. I also tend to write short answers to shorter disuccsions and without noticing it, give bigger answers to longer disucssions. I doubt how does this automatically happen without the brain knowing to much of it, or like a subliminal effect. Whatever be the reason, there is 100% truth in what you are saying. My Second observation is that, if the discussions are shorter I tend not to give it much importance. I wonder how many of us might be doing the same. The bigger the discussions, the bigger the possiblity of answering. Why I think so is because others get more ideas to answer the question according to the started discussion. Because there are sub questions in the original disucssion.

Yes but your longer than needed elaboration had me stopping not even halfway through and it might be the reason you don't get as many responses as you want. The thing is if a topic can have a short response then of course there are going to be a ton of short responses.

Hello liquorice. Is this the reason why you wrote a pretty long discussion for a seemingly short topic? My views are: if the discussion is long, and elaborated, then there is the tendency of parts of the discussion making a connection to other myLotters. We may have no opinion on the subject matter, but the examples brought out brings to mind personal experiences that help others to respond.

Communication is an act of giving and receiving. We throw a ball and the other person trows it back, and if we catch it we close the circle. If someone makes a closed question -another way to call "yes or no" questions- that person can't expect to receive something else than a yes or a no. As communications involves this process, if someone asks something in a very short and brief way, the other person most of the times might can't help but answering in the same way. Just an observation from my part

My guess would be that they are posting a lot of little questions hoping to improve their earnings on here. Rather than a one word answer, I would usually just skip the question and not post at all. I have also written huge posts in response to a short question and vice versa.