Cthulhoo comments on Reasons for someone to "ignore" you - Less Wrong

23 Post author: Wei_Dai 08 October 2012 07:50PM

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Comment author: Cthulhoo 09 October 2012 02:56:42PM *  7 points [-]

I have left more than one online community for similar reason. The flow chart goes roughly like this:

  • receive a question / be addressed in a comment
  • don't have time/don't want to answer right now
  • time passes: now any response will feel weird
  • I can't really answer to other people/threads if I didn't answer the previous one
  • only solution: leave the community for some time

I perfectly know this is absolutely stupid, and I try to avoid this behavior as much as I can, but it still pops up sometimes (still have to fully hack myself).

Comment author: shminux 14 October 2012 06:13:44PM *  1 point [-]

I suppose that you can use a canned "I have read your comment, will think about it and might or might not reply later" reply to break the pattern at step 3.

Comment author: Cthulhoo 15 October 2012 10:02:49AM 0 points [-]

This seems a very practical and probably effective approach. I fear that in a more general environment this might come off as rude, but it's also possible that the same thought process that sometimes leads me into the above cycle is making me misjudge the possible people reactions. No way to know if I don't try, I guess.

Comment author: Epiphany 14 October 2012 05:56:53PM 1 point [-]

If I think a comment needs a response, but I failed to get back to it for a long time, I will just reply anyway. I am the same way with email. I must come across as very aloof because I often let a message sit for a week, and sometimes several weeks, before getting back to them.

So far, nothing has exploded.

Comment author: Cthulhoo 15 October 2012 10:06:39AM 0 points [-]

Again (see answer to shminux comment), it's possible that I'm exaggerating people feelings in this situation, and nobody really cares if I answer late to them. Reversing the situation, I would probably be fine to receive a late answer to a (non-urgent) question.