"Then I say to myself, "Ugh, this is nonsense." Sure! But I just keep typing and hit the submit button! If I wait to start making sense to participate in conversations, I'm sure I'll need to forever remain silent!

I do it all the time.

all the time lol!

I'm a prolific (non)poster.

Sure, especially if I can't express my idea to my satisfaction.

I do that, and lots of times I'll wish I'd done that!

Oh yeah, I do that. I see often that what I would contribute isn't really worth bothering people about, so away it goes.

The unconscious corollary is when I put a lot of time and thought into a response that finally meets my approval, click once, and then flit off after some new urgency and leave the computer. The post sits there sometimes for hours on end and sometimes, I don't know how, disappears altogether.

No, I don't delete stuff because your "nonsense" may be someone else's "ah-ah!" moment. I figure they can ignore me if they want to - my family does so why shouldn't cyber-people do so. (But that's a whole other post)

Now, see I probably should have deleted the above nonsense but I thought that someone might be able to identify with the comment about my family ignoring me sometimes and then they wouldn't feel so bad if sometimes their family ignores them.

Once in awhile I erase my responses but mostly don't even preview them before hitting submit. I can spend time on posts, often leaving in the middle to do something before returning to finish. By the time I've posted, there can be many more contributions that make my post look tired.

blfenton - I'm glad you didn't delete your original response. I laughed out loud, and I can relate!

All the time but I also compose what I think are good posts, hit preview and forget to hit submit! Which I realize when I come back later to read the thread and can't find my post.

I'd say at least 80% of the time, I delete. I have gotten a couple of shocking responses to posts that I intended as innocent or humorous--and I just don't have the stomach for that!

Usually, I try to edit my response, and then forget to fix something else, so I have a run-on sentence in which the last few words make no sense. I'm really a college educated woman, and sometimes my second grader's grammar is better than some of the things I write here. Then I read my post, and I see all the mistakes, grrrrrr, and it's too late to edit again.
My posts are often misinterpreted as well. I just find myself not posting as much lately.

Yes, and I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one!!! Sometimes I delete instead of submit because I'm editing myself and KNOW better than to post what I'm writing. Still it feels cathartic in some ways to write it out even if I know I'll end up deleting it. Other times, I think well, this is a waste of everyone's time and not a contribution to the topic at all. Other times, I forget to edit and hit submit when I really shouldn't have.

Frequently and my reasons are a combo of flyleft's and kkay_md's reasons - Does my post really add anything of use to the OP? Will my post be taken the wrong way? I don't want any drama...

All the t

hhireno - that's funny. (Minor coffee spit on the keyboard)

guilty of that ; I censor myself, I try to anticipate what others will think , such
as
" oh there goes mitchdesj again, we KNOW you dislike valances, enough about that already !"

I am going to submit this as is......

and while we're on the subject, does anyone remember someone starting a thread on " I'm a thread killer" years ago, I think it was mistybear.
A lot of people thought they were the ultimate killers, lol.... it does feel weird when you respond to a thread and it falls silent right after you.

Ha! I remember that thread. Everyone chimed in saying yup and it was so great to see that when it came to killing threads no one was alone as well.

Oh yes, for most of the reasons given above. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

hmmm..I have posted a few times ( maybe more than a few) when I had had a glass of wine ( or more) and let my thoughts flow through my fingers. I was then taken aback at the wonderful responses to what I thought were excesses best left in my pillow !

Then there are the threads where I dearly want to say something so I type it and get it out of my system and then never post it. Very cathartic and also self-serving..I don't want the flack or comments that would come from posting.

That is why I haven't posted anymore to the "growing older" thread. I have a lot of thoughts but they are my own and I don't have the energy to get into the discussion.

I think that explains a lot of my "no posts" . I have a limited amount of interest in other's opinions now that I am in my 60's. I know what I know and I am receptive to other's , to a degree, but only to a degree. I have no energy for controversy or antagonistic discussions. I used to , believe me. I could go all night long. Now I will sit by the pool with DH or by the campfire with friends and nary a word that is disruptive. We seek out peace. I suppose there are those that would say it is the "ostrich sticking his/her head in the sand". So be it. I don't care. I used to...stopped that too :) c

Caroline, I feel exactly as you!

I just typed a four paragraph response to the "growing older" thread and deleted it.

btw, Caroline, how is your daughter's skin cancer recovery? I had a skin cancer scare on my nose exactly the same time as your daughter. At 64, the thought of having a scar on my nose had absolutely no impact on me...but I would think it more concerning for a young person. I hope she is happy with the results and especially getting rid of the cancer.

Caroline and Marlene, wish you hadn't deleted your posts on that thread. I have a feeling many would like to speak up but don't for fear of repercussions.

Hhireno, I forgot to say in my first post....you are hysterical! I love your sense of humor.