Animation Source Forums

Let's imagine for a moment:

You see a popular topic in the forum. It highly interests you, and after reading all the other numerous responses, you decide that you will reply too. You pour your heart out into your post, and make sure you've got everything right, and you try to make it as interesting as possible. You then move on.

You come back 24 hours later, wondering what responses you might see. Surely your carefully constructed reply will add more to the discussion? You open up the topic and you see:

Nothing. Zip. Zilch.

It seems that your long, detailed and intelligent post has made a topic 'die,' or so to speak. Beforehand, the topic was lively with conversation and as soon as you come on the scene, it's as though everyone's just vanished into thin air.

Okay, I'm not saying everyone has a duty to reply to a topic, but I've noticed that whenever someone posts something long and detailed, a once popular thread just comes to a stand still. What's the matter people? Since when did a bit of depth and intelligence become so deadly? If you insist it is too challenging for you (which I assure it probably isn't), then don't read it and just post your own thoughts. It won't make you look stupid if your own reply isn't as long or detailed. You only look stupid if you are spamming or trolling.

The world doesn't have to work like that. You give a little, you deserve a little. You give a lot, and you deserve at least a little something in return. The fact that someone even bothered to post an interesting response should be enough to grant them at least some merit. Although on here, it's seems I'm asking for too much.

I've seen both sides to this issue myself. There have been plenty of times where I posted a long and intelligent response to a topic and nobody really posted on the topic anymore but There have also been times where by posting a longer and more insightful response to a topic and it actually got people really motivated and interested in what we were discussing.

I've noticed this a lot around BS. It seems most people are more than happy to keep a topic going by short posts.

It's a shame so many topics end like that but it doesn't really surprise me too much considering a large amount of members don't like having to research their point before posting.

Yeah, I've noticed this too.. it gets quite frustrating, when you've put so much effort and care into crafting a good, intelligent post - one that should actually fuel some more conversation - and it ends up having the effect of some kind of repellent I guess you could chalk it up to a lot of the younger members not wanting to read through walls of text, preferring a quick and easy-to-get "I agree " or something... *shrug* But I don't get why *so many* people shy away at posts that actually have some meat to them... shouldn't it give you more points to think about and discuss? I usually don't like replying with quick one-liners, I prefer to have something more to say if I'm going to say anything at all... and I like to get the same in return... putting so much time and effort into a reply only to have it kill the whole thread is more than a little offputting... "death by intelligence" indeed :/

There are several factors at in play here that determine why long, detailed responses often go unanswered.

First of all, it's important to remember your audience. A younger crowd, though there are quite a few teens on the site too. There are only several people I've seen that actually put detail into what they say on this site. If I were to write a long and in-depth post, I'd rather see it go unanswered, than answered by a bunch of one-liner responses such as:

"Dude, I so totally 100% agree. "

"No! I don't care what you say! You're wrong!"

Now, look at it from this perspective for a moment. Say a forumer really seeks information on a topic. They go to that topic and see all those spammy comments, and will most likely be more inclined to leave the topic altogether, not reading my or someone else's response. Under those circumstances, I'd rather see my comment go unanswered. Though that's a preference, and I can't speak for everybody.

There's also another factor. Big, long posts seem to divert people from replying because of the information within it. It can be intimidating, perhaps even moreso if something is being debated. The person that is considering replying to the in-depth post may be worried that what they post may be replied to in a similar manner.

I can understand in a debate, but when someone is sharing something personal (as JC knows), I don't see how it can be off-putting. I imagine everyone here reads big blocks of text at school, so really it shouldn't be a problem, because often long intelligent posts here tend to be more exciting than any dull old textbook. Well, at least I find them to be that way.

Well, there's that other possibility that the majority of the information has been presented by a previous poster....and then there's not much more to post on said topic, other than discussion of the points in the person's reply.

But what I find is, those who tend to have a voice and put thought and detail into their posts are generally responded to by those who do the same. At least, that's what I've gathered from experience. In a detailed discussion, someone who jumps in with a one-liner is ignored more often than another poster, much like how some roleplays work out.


But I'm getting off-topic.

It can be irritating, I will agree, when effort is put into a post and it goes ignored.

I agree with you completely,I feel this way very often,most notably with my scorpions and canines topics.Makes me want to shout out"COME ON PEOPLE,DON'T BE SHY".It makes me feel like what I put on this site is a load of garbage.Either way my most recent "rabies" topic was somewhat of a requirement,but I'm going to be really #####ed off if it is ignored.
Anyway,I just want what I make on site and forums to be noticed and commented on,but people can rarely be relied on for anything.


If this comment kills your topic,sorry

Shame, because your rabies topic was excellent as far as I'm concerned. I don't think even I could put something like that into words.

You seriously need a Perma Ban.

How ironic it is that the same kinds of people we're talking about make a post on the topic where we're talking about them and they end up proving us right.



Definitely. I'm sick of people like this on this site.

But I bet all he gets is a little 1/2 month Ban.

Seriously. You people need to REPORT him, not say how someone needs a perma-ban and other stuff like that on the forums. -.-

And yes, I do agree with this. It's rather irksome when you put a lot into a post, and then the topic just dies. It's there to try and make it more interesting. But children can be afraid of words they don't know I guess. xD