I have had a tendency since my earliest days on social media where I will get halfway or more through a response, and end up just cancelling it. Sometimes I feel like I’m just being to over the top with snark or otherwise don’t want to be that kind of person, but a lot of the time I’ll decide I just really don’t care enough to finish it. Sometimes I just know it’ll be an argument and I know what the person is going to say, and just have no interest in continuing the discussion. I did it on Reddit, I did it on bulletin boards, I even did it in my teens and twenties on Usenet - and I’ll probably go on doing it for as long as I continue using this medium. I probably do it a bit more than half the time. I know that lemmy benefits from more content and I have had some great discussions, but sometimes it’s just not worth it for me.

How about you? Do you hit publish or cancel more often?

  • @TehBamski@lemmy.world
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    595 months ago

    The irony is that there might have been a fair amount of replies to this, but people bailed on them. I guess we’ll never know.

  • @shadowSprite@lemmy.world
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    385 months ago

    I cancel more often. Because who cares what I have to say? And sometimes I realize it’s been more therapeutic to just type a comment out than it is to hit post and deal with people’s potential responses.

    • Sparky678348
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      185 months ago

      I care what you say ❤️

      You, yes you reading this, have a valid perspective and a unique insight and the world is enriched by you sharing your thoughts with other strangers.

    • Thelsim
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      55 months ago

      As @sparky678348@lemm.ee already so nicely said, I too would love to hear what you have to say. Whether it’s something profound, something nice, or just that you like or enjoy someone else’s comment/post.
      It is always so nice to hear from someone else, so don’t put yourself down. Let yourself be heard and join the fun :)

    • @can@sh.itjust.worksM
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      45 months ago

      I realize it’s been more therapeutic to just type a comment out than it is to hit post and deal with people’s potential responses.

      Yeah, but on Lemmy if you get sick of the replies you can delete yours and take theirs down with it.

  • Quazatron
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    205 months ago

    Here I am writing my opinion, only to realise that many of you have already posted most of the valid points I was going to make. So now my comment is pretty much worthless and adds nothing to the discussion.

    I cancel most of the time, but today I’ll open an exception to prove my point.

    Have you somehow become more enlightened by my post? Yeah, should have cancelled it.

  • @notannpc@lemmy.world
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    145 months ago

    It’s a good 70% of the time that I’ll cancel instead of post. As I’ve gotten older my desire to be right has greatly diminished when it comes to random people on the internet.

    • @haysupdood@sh.itjust.works
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      75 months ago

      This is how I feel, but it’s closer to 95% of the time for me. I’ve been on the Internet since its inception and I don’t have it in me to deal with people’s bullshit anymore.

      I don’t need to be heard. I don’t need to be right. I only post for help I can’t get elsewhere or to help others. On the rare occasion I deviate from that rule, I usually get a reply that makes me regret engaging.

    • @Facebones@reddthat.com
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      45 months ago

      Agreed. Plus, these days, most people just want to rile you into wasting your time compiling an argument and sources to back it up so they can go “fake lul!”

  • XbSuper
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    135 months ago

    Constantly cancel. It’s rarely worth arguing with people here.

  • Björn Tantau
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    125 months ago

    You’ll be getting less answers from people who cancel more often. 😉

    I think I cancel my posts about 1 to 5 percent of the time. Usually when it gets longer and I notice that my brain is too stupid to continue. Sometimes also when I catch myself being a little bit too sarcastic.

  • @kaffiene@lemmy.world
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    115 months ago

    Absolutely. Sometimes you know your post isn’t going to do anything worthwhile. Sometimes you’re just being a dick. Sometimes the other person is clearly not going to listen to you. Sometimes your post adds nothing of value. That kind of self reflection is a good thing IMO. I wish more people did it

  • @Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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    115 months ago

    40% I’d estimate, I tend to write very long and in depth comments and will realize either I dont care enough about the subject to finish my statement or argument point, or I’m likely being baited by someone who doesnt care about having a genuine exchange of ideas and just wants to be “right”.

  • @lseif@sopuli.xyz
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    105 months ago

    im so glad you asked this question. i cant tell you how many times i-

    actually never mind

  • @tierelantijntje@feddit.nl
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    105 months ago

    There’s a high barrier for me to even start typing a comment, but I try to contribute more on lemmy. Haven’t really participated on social media in years. I guess about 20% of the time when I think I should comment I actually do it.

    • Thelsim
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      35 months ago

      I know how you feel, I’ve had that same problem when I joined lemmy and really had to force myself to comment. But you know, I’ve told myself that in the end it’s more about just saying what comes to mind than worry if you’re really contributing to the conversation.
      Even if it’s just agreeing with someone or just saying you like something, I prefer to write it out in a comment instead of clicking on some arrow. I like to think that whoever wrote the comment/post I replied to appreciates a personal response instead of an upvote. I know I do :)

  • @jacktherippah@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I wrote out a comment to answer you but halfway through I decided that my opinion wasn’t worthy of sharing on Lemmy so I deleted it and wrote this instead.

  • @pathief@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    All the time. Sometimes I’ll write an entire wall of text, correct all the typos I could find and then delete it. “Why bother? This person is just not going to consider a different opinion, just save yourself the pointless discussion.”