poll: do you read the comments before, after, or neither?

[belenen]

icon: "curious (my face, looking straight forward with one eyebrow up and a sideways smile, head tilted down a little)"I realized just now that I usually do not read other people's comments before leaving my own, because I do not want to sway my response -- yet I often do read the comments before adding mine in places that aren't LJ. So I want to

Comments

[kehlen]

Last but one question: my answer was not exactly accurate. The larger number of already made comments serves as a deterrent quite often, because I feel that the subject has already been well discussed (and/or my comment may be redundant) - and this without reading the comments. This probably stems from my experience in certain language/question communities where members only care to write their own answer, even if it's exactly the same as one of those already given.

Hmmm. So probably my answering personal post is a twofold: if it is a question directed at others, I would check comments first, to see if someone has already said what I want to (and maybe +1 their answer), and if it is a reflection, then I react to it first and (maybe) read others' reactions second.

[belenen]

Hm, interesting! thanks for sharing!

[brujah]

The last question: My commenting is also greatly influenced by my mood and social ability. I have days when communication is generally hard.

[kehlen]

True for me as well. I ~might comment on such days, but not read others' replies.

[belenen]

*nods* I understand that.

[daphnep]

Failing to be able to fill out this survey, I realize it's because my commenting depends entirely on the journal, my relationship with that journaler, and the type of topic it is. With many journals I feel like I have a relationship with the writer and I want to respond to them and support them, regardless of others being there, also supporting them. So particularly with "yay" type posts, I comment without reading. Some advice posts I don't comment because mine echoes that of others, but some I do for the exact same reason, when I think echoing voices strengthen the position.

I have at least a few journals I read where I know the writer has cultivated a really good group of commenting readers, I know I will find much value in the comments section, and I may even go back and re-read in a day or two, just to see what has been contributed there since it was first posted. In some journals I've gotten to know others through the comments quite a bit...while in some other journals, I find the journaler unique among their peers, and their

[belenen]

Interesting! thanks for explaining!

I also read more regularly in journals where I have learned that the commenters give in-depth responses (though, always AFTER I have commented). I often find those as interesting as the post itself.

[cactus_rs]

A lot of it depends on the kind of post. If someone posts good or bad news, I try to comment regardless of how many other comments there are, even if it's just "yay!" or "*hugs*".

If I'm prompted to have more of a response, like if the news is complicated, or if the OP is asking for advice or just hashing out problems, I'll read the other comments first because lots of people are way more articulate than I am, and I think it's better to just support a really good answer than offer my own mediocre answer.

[belenen]

mm, I get that. If I am not sure what to say because it is a sensitive topic and I don't know the person well, I will often read the comments to see if 1) anything has been left out and not yet responded to, and 2) if there are any patterns I want to agree or disagree with.

[ladywind]

re: when am I more likely to comment:
I'll comment if I feel I might have something worth OP's time to add 9so...depending on how bitey my brainweasels are being on a given day, that bar might be reasonably low or reeeeeeallly high), or if someone has already said what I intended more elegantly than I could think to ("THIS!" and then a tiny bit of how-this). OR! in cases like this one, where OP's genuinely interested in results from their poll and there's a question I couldn't quite answer aright via tickybox.

[belenen]

*giggles and nods*