Do You Read the Whole Question When You Answer a Post?

Some questions are SO LONG and DETAILED that by the time you get to the end you forget what the actual question is.... I've answered some wrong due to this on occasion.

Yes.
But then sometimes the asker will come back and change the question after answers have been posted.

I do read the whole question.

When they are rambling and long, especially with no paragraphs and just running on, it's VERY hard to answer the question correctly.

Yes. there are some posters who need to give better or background information on the question...without making a book...I know I've been guilty of rambling once or twice....when I just put it out there without reading it and looking at it again...

When someone answers a question - someone may catch on to or get "hung up" on ONE sentence instead of the whole thing....it's called diversity and experience as well as different ways people's brains work and how they are thinking.

Yes, I read the full question. I skipped yours because I know NOTHING about dogs, but after I read this, I went back and read your post word for word. I honestly think you are being a little hard on people. You said the problem wasn't the barking but the behaviors. But you mentioned your dog barking 3 times as part of the problem so people commented on the common theme, which seemed to be barking.

I am not trying to be mean at all, just trying to clear the water a little. The responders have a responsibility to read the whole question, but we all need to realize that what we write will not always translate to exactly what we want to convey.
Hope this helps!

edit* Dang girl, you are picky about how people answer you! :) Gotta let go! :)

I do read the whole question unless it's a long-winded thing with no paragraph breaks, misspellings and no capitalization on new sentences (NOT saying that's your posts, I haven't gone back to read yours). But when I click on those, I read two sentences and then I'm done. And no, I don't comment on them.

Added: you got other training suggestions on your SHOCK collar question because a lot of the responders don't agree with that method and they gave you other ideas, like me. Kind of lame to try to control your answers, in my opinion. Sorry, but I just don't agree with hurting animals in order to train them.

As a rule I do and if I don't I say so in my answer. I looked at your other question and I have to say I would not read that whole question. My advice, paragraphs are your friend.

It is too hard to read something that is all bunched together as that is. Just because of how you typed it it is easy to skip lines and not realize it.

Yes.

However...sometimes people are way off base, sure. And sometimes what they include is relevant even if you didn't ask for it. It makes sense for someone to suggest how to get a better answer since your question wasn't just "do you read...?" You added more information and so did we. I think on a conversational forum you need to expect lengthy answers that might not be straight up yes/no, *especially* if you include a lot of information. It is the nature of this forum and if the nature of this forum does not suit you, then perhaps you would be happier elsewhere.

I've found that when someone wants an answer to only the specific question they're asking (i.e. your shock collar question) the fewer details they include the more direct answers they get.

For example, asking: "What are your thoughts on shock collars for dogs? Cruel? Helpful? Not useful?

BTW - I'm not looking for alternate methods of training. If all you are going to do is give me options for training, please don't respond. If you think shock collars are cruel, just say that. Thank you."

The more details given tend to allow the reader to fill in missing peices/ask questions in their heads/etc. When your question is detailed I think responders think their answers should be detailed.

I read short questions word for word. Posts that confuse me, I may read 2 or 3 times to sort out what's being asked.

Questions that are 20 or more lines with no paragraphs are a challenge to me, so I may just skip them unless the opening lines hook me. As I have gotten older, my eyes tend to jump a bit from line to line, so I keep getting lost in solid blocks of text. So, even if the writer doesn't actually use the "rules" for good paragraphs, it still helps me tremendously if there are line breaks at least every dozen lines or so.

But if I'm going to answer a post, I make sure I've read the whole thing carefully. I may one of the people you think adds extraneous advice. I do often see a bigger picture than what is being asked, and I don't see any harm in sharing that. To me, it may be even more important than the "main" question. I try to be kind, and figure if the receiver doesn't appreciate my thoughts, she'll just move on to the ones she likes.

I just answered your post about the shock collar. I only read the first paragraph first. Then after I posted and read your SWH I went back and read the whole post with difficulty.

Your second paragraph is way too long and doesn't really add anything to your question. It's confusing in that it makes it sound like you're open to other ideas even tho you say you aren't.

If you want to include more information, try breaking up your writing into paragraphs or at least separate statements with a blank line so it's easier to read.

Just an idea of how to make this happen. When I answer questions I sometimes write everything down in one long paragraph. Then I reread it and edit it into several paragraphs.

Whoops, HenrysMama 1. Guess you weren't in a problem solving mood, tho your post sounds like you'd like something to be different. Your post is complaining about the answers you get. If you want better answers you need to write better questions. Makes sense to me. Sorry it doesn't you. I was letting you know how you could control the answers you get.

Consider my suggestion as an idea for those who want to write better questions. Your post isn't the first one to mention this difficulty.

Yeah, if I am going to answer it than I am going to read the whole post. If it's a long post with no paragraphs I wont even read it.
L.

Yes. And if the question is too long and I'm not wanting to read it, I don't bother answering it either. Don't get me wrong: both my answers and questions can be long and rambling....but I read a question before I answer it.

Sorry, didn't read your whole post, but to answer your question. Yes.
BAHAHAHAHA
Is that what you mean?

If I feel like the question is too long and I dont feel like reading it through then I will not post because I technically dont know what I am posting about but I have to say that it makes me laugh when I read a question that reads something like this: "My son/daughter is 2 years old and they......"
and then you see many responses that read: "How old is your child?"
I laugh everytime =)

lol, to be honest, if someone posts a long question, I normally skip it because I don't want to read the whole thing... UNLESS, it's something that really applies to me and my knowledge... So yes, I do read the whole question (because it's normally a shorter question, lol)

I think I do. I have missed details. We're human. Humans make mistakes! :)

I do, or the one or two times I have not, I've let the poster know that they rambled & repeated themselves so much I couldn't force my way through the whole thing & I skimmed.

I agree that if someone doesn't fully understand the question they shouldn't bother answering. They're wasting not only their time, but yours as well.

I was going to ask something similar the other day, you are much nicer than I might have been. It does really irratate me when I am reading answers to questions and it is obvious that the answerer did not read the entire question. it is a waste of the answerer's time and the OP's time because they are hoping for an answer or a fresh idea and the person tells them to do something the OP stated they already did etc. I am right there with you. If a question is just too long and I dont have the time/patience to read the whole thing at the time then I just come back to it later. and sometimes you have to write a lot to give all the needed info to answer.

I really try to, but I admit if the question has 14 paragraphs I may just skim through it. Sorry If I have annoyed you with any of my short answers

Yes. Sometimes more than once. I think you are right: first we really need to take in the question, before we even try to give a useful response.

I do read the entire post before responding. If I don't necessarily respond with what the question seems to be asking, that doesn't mean I haven't read or haven't understood the question. It just means that sometimes I think the person posting isn't asking the right question or addressing the right issue in their situation. Considering this site is about advice and support, you don't always get to choose what form your advice and support come in. :-) Especially if all certain people want are ego strokes and validation.

Yes. Maybe you write too long of questions?

LOL just joking......I read the whole thing.

LOL!! I'm totally with you. I find myself repeating things I've already mentioned because people totally skip parts of it. READ THE WHOLE THING! You're doing the opposite of helping, answering without reading the details.

I know some of my posts are pretty long winded, but I always read other people's posts thoroughly :)

I always read the entire QUESTION. However, I'll admit, I don't usually read everyone else's responses before answering IF there are a bunch of other answers to the question. So I do feel a little guilty in case my answer duplicates anyone else's.

yes and some times re-read it to make sure I have not mis-read it.

I do! Im listening!! :)

I agree! But sometimes the questions and the answers are so long:)

No one does a search for questions before they ask, lots of repeated questions within 24-48hrs.

I was thinking the same thing...I have posted ?'s and some of the answers I get make no sense or it is exactly opposite what I was asking. The way I look at ?'s if I really dont feel like reading the whole thing (ie not getting to the point and just blah blah blah) I dont bother answering the ?.

I always read the whole question, I DON"T always read all the other answers first though, so sometimes I probably "Pile on" without really meaning too!

Yes I read the whole question, you can tell when someone answers and hasn't read the question, usually makes no sense.

I whole heartedly agree!

Yes, I do read the whole question. When I've posted and have gotten responses, I get many where I know the person has not read my whole question, or they pick and chose what they want to retain from it.

I do! But I do hate it when after I have already answered I realized I misunderstood something etc. I really try to get what is going on before answering. If I only have knowledge about a part of the question I try to make that clear in my answer. I am sure I have given unsolicited advice at times...but I try not to, just can't help myself sometimes ;)

I do read the questions, after I answer if I often go read the responses before I post mine to see how off I am or how accurate my answer is going to be. I often see that a lot agree with me but are much nicer about how they say it.

Sometimes I read a sentence totally wrong or some point if it incorrectly so I have to go and fix it.