why copy?

[ricochet420]

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Normally I find myself in agreement with SheridanCat, a fine contributor, but I disagree with him here. Agreeing with someone else's opinion doesn't require that you re-write it, but signifying that you agree does contribute to the overall discussion because it indicates the poster is not alone in his/her assessment. Paricularly when "seconded" by a veteran poster I think this is a very effective and sometimes eloquent method of posting. It's essentially "I couldn't have put it better myself" or "hey, pay attention to this guy" without fawning.

Example: OP asks a question. Poster A feels one way. Poster B and C start discussing a second opinion, burying the original response from Poster A. Poster D agrees with Poster A.

If Poster D just doesn't add anything, it is sort of like agreeing with B and C even though perhaps he believes A was closer to the mark. Quoting Poster A is a perfectly acceptable way of indicating this. Poster D doesn't need to re-hash the opinion unless he has something of particular interest to add, but simply publicly agreeing does have value.

With a partial quote or use of some bolding it's also a great way of highlighting a particular line from a discussion that you think is of special note.

edit: That doesn't mean it isn't used poorly as well, but empty garbage posts for post count purposes (does anyone actually do that? really?) can easily be made without the quote button. The point I am attempting to communicate is that a bare quote is not necessarily a bad thing and in my experience reading these forums is usually a very positive thing.


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