A Question Of Netiquette?
Why do you think people repeatedly post something?
At Some Point We're All Culprits
The liberty of the individual must be far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.
-John Stuart Mill-
While I know your question was probably rhetorical, I have wondered the same question repeatedly today. Looking for inspiration, I daily go to the request section of Hubpages for ideas. I often see the same request listed a number of times. Today, it has been ridiculous. Why do they do it?
One reason could be that they are impatient and don’t realize that their request has already been posted once. They want so badly to be heard that they’ll risk having their ideas looked down upon by repeatedly posting. We’ve all done this. We’re trying to post a comment on a news article and click “enter” five too many times. We’re having an instant message conversation and somehow the same line of dialogue keeps reappearing. It’s not our fault really. Our computer keeps freezing at the worst possible moment.
The next reason is similar to the first reason. You post a request and soon after another person posts a request. You re-post your request, fearing it will become buried underneath the incoming requests. Without meaning to or realizing it, you’ve entered a posting battle with another member. Who will give up first? Certainly not you.
A final reason I can suggest is that they are trying to attract attention. They are advertising a product or a service and want your business! If they, by repetition, force you to read the same line over and over and over again perhaps it’ll stick in your head, and you’ll become a new customer. With our economy how it is, people will do anything to sell their wares.
Regardless of how you look at it, it is annoying. It is rude. It is wrong. Though minor, it has the ability to make enemies and bad blood. We’re a community, here to read each other’s work and support each other through helpful comments and fan mail. When the same request is repeatedly posted, it detracts from the atmosphere. In an ideal world, Hubpages would automatically delete repeat requests. Until that day, we need to be more careful. Who wants to unintentionally lose fans?
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2009 L A Walsh