I notice here, and other internet forums, that quite often there is no response at all to interesting posts. Also whenpeople ask a question and are offered a reply, in other words someone makes the effort to find a solution and takes time to post it, often there's a deafening silence. Nothing, no response, no acknowledgement, no indication the reply had any effect at all.

This always strikes me as odd, and sometimes as quite rude especially if a poster goes to great lengths to provide an answer to a question. Do people asking a question who do not bother to respond to a reply really expect to get a reply to their next question? Resources will be used up quite quickly that way.

Sure, It is odd, Peter, the no responses and acknowledgments sometimes. We're all fallen from the garden though and some didn't bring their tools along and have to go back looking for them, I guess. I was going to wait to see if anyone answered your post, but the suspense was killing me.

Your tune comments and transcriptions on Brother Steve's tin whistle site have been real helpful to me. Thanks!

.....................it's possibly the case that people respond with thanks off-forum.
I've assumed this because, yes, it does seem discourteous.
Robin

In my experience they say thanks here or not at all.

Daniel

Or maybe we're just good at sticking to the rule "if you don't have anything interesting to add, better say nothing at all"?

No, didn't think so, either.

Maybe it's just me but somehow you'd expect some interaction, 'discussion'forum and all that.

Peter,

I see some definite parallels with the discussion threads in the online anthropology courses that I teach. In this case, the discussions are graded, and students are told they should *include* one another's ideas in their comments, because everybody likes to feel their discussion posts have been read, and everybody likes to be acknowledged. My students are mostly teenagers and twenty-somethings, and I have been thinking that the Deafening Silence has more to do with their not having read the textbook so that they have some knowledge on the topic and can respond appropriately. Alternatively, I have also thought that perhaps this generation is so self-centered and spoiled that they simply don't know how to treat one another respectfully. The most considerate and responsive students have seemed to be the folks past 40. Maybe that's not always the case.

You've raised a point which is difficult to ignore, especially when one takes into consideration that many of the folks on C.net are past 40; seems as though age doesn't make a difference, and that people of all profiles can be equally disrespectful. Does the anonymity and "distancing" of the Internet make us insensitive to others who are helpful or who offer interesting ideas?

Barbara

Hi Folks -
I'm one of the people that is guilty of not always replying. I agree with the quote earlier, that if I have nothing further to add of relevance to the topic, I do not post anything further. I accept the other persons reply, and assume that they realize that since I asked the question I would naturally be interested in the response and would take the time to read it. I'm sorry if such is perceived as rude, and will try to reply, even if it is to say "thanks".

The reason people like myself get this way is because I may view it akin to e-mail. An inbox can get full quite rapidly with unnecessary responses, and it is one more thing to wade through.

Anyway, apologies to any who are offended, but I would not take it as intentional rudness on peoples parts, probably more of a "I don't want to clutter the board approach".

And hey - No reply to this is needed

Jay

What Jay says seems quite reasonable, and I suspect many of us are guilty of not replying to everything. Since this topic was posted I have tried to make a better effort myself.

I believe we are in a transition phase culturally, getting used new methods and opportunities of communication, where country and state matter less, at times, than affliation to groups centred on pass times and hobbies. Considering the diverse mix of nationalities on this site, it is no wonder we have different views on what is polite, what is unnecessary and what is rude. The etiqute and cultural norms will develop but we are not there yet... and there may well be disagreement at times caused because we are simply acting within the norms of the culture of our birth.