Poll: How often do you write comments, and then not submit them?

Very frequently, because I can't be arsed to join in most conversations. I actually try to post more when I don't expect my post to result in a debate, because I've learned that nothing good comes out of online debate.

At least 1/3 of the time. Often, I'll start to write an argument or an opinion, and then realize halfway through that the argument is wrong or the opinion is actually crap now that I'm looking at it in words.

Also, being from a conservative Texas town, I tend to have knee jerk reactions to more "liberal" stories and tend to want to blurt things out like "screw the poor people, it's all their fault". I don't really mean this, it just comes out from my upbringing. I usually delete those, unless I'm just really angry or have an insight as to why people feel that way in such-and-such a circumstance.

Very often I seem to have many things to say but only in order to find out that I really just needed to sort out what I feel about the issue myself. Then I rarely feel the need to post my findings, especially if it's a debate. Sometimes I do but indeed my posts tend to be rather personal, and possibly not much use for anyone else but myself.

There are usually 2 reasons that I write a comment but don't post it:

1. In a debate, I am refuting/counter-pointing the prior argument, but otherwise not moving the debate forward. I sometimes have to remind myself that on-line debates are not the same as verbal debates. If you say something, then I refute what you're saying, but someone in the audience doesn't hear/understand, then there is value in repeating myself. However, on-line the discussion remains for any interested party to review. Almost always a simple point->counterpoint->rebuttal discussion is sufficient.

2. I realize that I'd rather keep my opinions to myself. I have this odd feeling with on-line forums that I'm occasionally shouting into the wind. In person, a discussion/debate serves to strengthen a interpersonal bond. On-line, where identity is less defined and quite often others could care less who's saying what, my contributions to the debate serve the debate, not myself. I realize its selfish, but it's also a subtle reminder that I should probably be channeling my energies into something that I can hold up at some point in the future and identify as "my work".

There are usually 2 reasons that I write a comment but don't post it:

1. In a debate, I am refuting/counter-pointing the prior argument, but otherwise not moving the debate forward. I sometimes have to remind myself that on-line debates are not the same as verbal debates. If you say something, then I refute what you're saying, but someone in the audience doesn't hear/understand, then there is value in repeating myself. However, on-line the discussion remains for any interested party to review. Almost always a simple point->counterpoint->rebuttal discussion is sufficient.

2. I realize that I'd rather keep my opinions to myself. I have this odd feeling with on-line forums that I'm occasionally shouting into the wind. In person, a discussion/debate serves to strengthen a interpersonal bond. On-line, where identity is less defined and quite often others could care less who's saying what, my contributions to the debate serve the debate, not myself. I realize its selfish, but it's also a subtle reminder that I should probably be channeling my energies into something that I can hold up at some point in the future and identify as "my work".

I tend to delete my comments if I feel that they wont have any effect on the discussion or if I don't think that I will have the time to come back and follow up.

Or if I'm angry, that's always a good reason not to post :)

5% of times I find it so hard to express what I think in English that I give up... it's not exactly a great feeling.

As is often quoted.... "Drawing on my fine command of the language, I said nothing."

When you write down your thoughts you try to make them digestible. Sometimes, I find that my ideas weren't that good or the point is not powerful enough. Then I refrain from posting the comment.

What's the famous Mark Twain quote? "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Unfortunately, at only 20%, I'm really good at removing doubt. : )

Never is the same as 0%, not 100%? Only the choices are ordered to suggest it's 100%. Also, 80% or more and 5% or less suggest that Never, whether it's 0% or 100%, is a duplicate of one of the other choices.

60% for me. Sometimes I'll write a rather verbose comment before realizing that what I have to say doesn't matter, is not relevant, or is self serving; so I close the tab. I figure if it doesn't help someone, or it has already been said, I should save pg's disk space for something more valuable. :)