Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dalzig Jul 31, 2009 17:21:46	This might be a bit of a rant, but I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this. In several recent threads, the OP will give some background info and ask a question. A few people attempt to answer the question. The OP responds with "Oh, but 'this' is actually the case..." where 'this' is actually something that would seem quite relevant to the discussion (at least to me). The only example I have on hand is the thread, Speeding up combat... how? The OP asks about ways to speed up combat, giving some good information about their group. A few people respond, then the OP drops this bombshell: We don't play face to face, it's an online group that uses VoIP chat and and maptool, from rptools.net. This means that parallel discussion is slow, since players cannot talk to each other when it is not their turn without garbling things for the active player and DM.
#2 Seeker95 Jul 31, 2009 18:14:14	Am I crazy? Am I just getting cranky as I age? Yes. And yes. But neither of those is relevant to your observation. And although I concur that it is frustrating, and that I have observed it on occasion as well, I also don't think there is much to be done about it. The only times I see things like this are with new accounts, so educating the populace won't help.
#3 dalzig Jul 31, 2009 18:17:23	Yes. And yes. Ah, good to know. :D
#4 gregt_314 Jul 31, 2009 20:42:44	A lot of people pose what is supposedly an open ended question when they actually have a particular answer that they want to get. And they'll keep adding information to their original question until someone tells them what they want to hear (most often "Your DM/players are wrong and you are right" or "Your campaign sounds awesome" or "Your homebrew rules are a great idea"). I haven't gone to look at the thread you've pointed to, specifically so I could suggest the above without it being an implied dig at any particular poster. I think also it's not particularly a problem; everyone does it from time to time. I've certainly been guilty of it when younger and try to avoid it these days. To a certain extent this thread itself is an example of it; you're presumably looking for a "The people you're describing are annoying" response rather than a "Stop whining" response (and so it's clear, I'm not telling you to stop whining :P ). Everyone needs a bit of validation from time to time is all, and we're not all brave enough to just start a thread titled, "Hey, can someone tell me I'm awesome? Thanks."
#5 CCS Aug 03, 2009 15:13:53	I've noticed it. I've also noticed a fair amount of posters who ignore relevant bits of the original post. They then go on to suggest how someone should have done x - where x wasn't even a possibility.... Maybe the posters who leave out key info & the responders who ignore stuff should get together? That ought to make for some interesting reading.
#6 CoarseDragon Aug 04, 2009 15:42:27	Let us give a nod to the other side too. You know the ones who ramble on forever. I think the question is how much is enough information without being to much information.
#7 Duskweaver Aug 05, 2009 3:02:45	I don't think it's always deliberate. Actually, I tend to think it usually isn't deliberate. I think people often post without really thinking things through and properly organising their thoughts. They post what, to them, makes sense, without realising that they've missed some vital piece of information. Because that vital piece of information is obvious to them and they didn't pause long enough to realise that, oh yeah, nobody unfamiliar with their personal circumstances could possibly have any clue what they're on about. The most common case I've seen is simply forgetting to specify which edition of D&D the poster is asking about.