Why do people post the topic then comment in a second post?

I see a lot of people who will include a link to a source in their first post and then immediately comment on the link in their second post.

Any reason why they dont just include their comments in the OP?

Is there a rule requiring this format?

An attempt to get double "stars"?

reply to post by gladtobehere

I think that is the setup for the Breaking news forums. I think you have to make two opening posts.



From a Mod:

When starting threads in the Breaking News forum members are required to post a link and brief quote from the source article, as well as to provide their thoughts, comments or opinion in the followup section.

When someone starts a thread in Breaking News that isn't inline with that forum's guidelines or requirements they will often be moved to the relevant board forum ... hence why you will find threads in other forums with what would seem two opening posts.

Hope this helps.

Here

Originally posted by OneisOne
reply to post by gladtobehere

 

I think that is the setup for the Breaking news forums. I think you have to make two opening posts.

edit on 17-9-2012 by OneisOne because: opps

From a Mod:

When starting threads in the Breaking News forum members are required to post a link and brief quote from the source article, as well as to provide their thoughts, comments or opinion in the followup section.

When someone starts a thread in Breaking News that isn't inline with that forum's guidelines or requirements they will often be moved to the relevant board forum ... hence why you will find threads in other forums with what would seem two opening posts.

Hope this helps.

Here

edit on 17-9-2012 by OneisOne because: add mod quote

Correct, and if you post in one of the news forums, you don't even have a choice -- it automatically breaks your post into two separate ones.

In other forums, sometimes people will immediately reply to their own post because they ran out of space in the first post and need more space for a continous post (For example, I did that here on Saturday.)

reply to post by adjensen


Mate - thank you so much for clarifying that. I've been bloody scratching my head for ages trying to work out how the hell some folks here can get a continuance happening from their first post. I've run out of space quite a few times and thought "I'll have to edit to get the remainder to fit in" - hit the reply button aye...........

One question though - in regards to your post that you are talking about, your "continuance" post was rather comprehensive, so if you are the first to reply to your own OP and it takes like 30mins or something to finalise it, does that first reply "lock-in" to automatically become your second post - I am wondering about someone who reads the OP and replies before you've had the opportunity to finish your work - I have not seen a "split" in an OP yet but surely this occurs?

reply to post by gladtobehere


The above is correct. Breaking news forums only allow 500 characters.

Also space limitations in any forum. I recently posted a thread listing all currently Federally acknowledged terrorist organizations and it took up the first 20 posts.

Another issue, especially with breaking news of any kind, is that things develop/change quick. Often once a member has written an OP and pushed "post" the news story has already changed - so they'll jump back in and add the new developments.

~Heff

Originally posted by Sublimecraft
One question though - in regards to your post that you are talking about, your "continuance" post was rather comprehensive, so if you are the first to reply to your own OP and it takes like 30mins or something to finalise it, does that first reply "lock-in" to automatically become your second post - I am wondering about someone who reads the OP and replies before you've had the opportunity to finish your work - I have not seen a "split" in an OP yet but surely this occurs?

For my original articles that are going to be pretty wordy, I write them up in a text editor on my computer, and once I'm reasonably happy with it, I go and hit the "New Thread" button, paste in my text and if it all doesn't fit, I find a natural break, delete back to that, then go to my text file, copy the stuff that didn't fit, create another thread in a new window, use the "Preview" buttons of each of the two windows to make sure that I didn't totally screw up my tags, then close the second window, post the first one, immediately reply to it, paste in the second part, and post that.

Unless someone posts to your thread within about five seconds, you're good to go on having the first two posts together.

reply to post by adjensen


Got you - appreciate the clarification and will henceforth adopt that fail-safe strategy.

I knew that there would have to have been a simple way to do it and you have just given me the enlightenment I needed.

Thanks mate.