Do you think there's the danger that, if people see a question's already been answered before entering (or after, it doesn't matter) they don't want to answer anymore (with first cause of action being that of not overly reading the answer)?

For some Jellies yes, but not in my case. There is often another perspective, or a nuance that can be added, to give a more helpful answer, or to dispute an answer that is not factual.

Maybe we should spread the word to other jellies to be mindful of reading any and all answers of the questions they like most.

No, I haven’t really noticed that. I have noticed that if a question has sat for a while without an answer, if I (or anyone else) answers and starts the ball rolling, others will jump in. As for jellies jumping in more, I agree as long as they are on topic and have something to add to the conversation. When the same jelly answers 6 out of 8 responses without really adding to answering the question, I stop following.

I agree with @chyna on the over-posting point. Turning a specific discussion into a random off-topic conversation by one or two jellies is really annoying both to the OP and others.

I also wonder about the point of starting a post, in an established conversation, with “I haven’t read the thread, yet…” and their post. If the Q is a poll, or a “How do you do this…” Q, fine, but it often is simply a discontinuity in the thread. If their point of view would alter if they read the thread, then maybe they should rethink.

I think people are entitled to self-select what and when they will or won’t answer. Trying to control jelly behavior is a lot like herding kittens. If people aren’t answering, it may mean they don’t feel like weighing in or it’s a bad question.

@janbb: I’m just saying that most people search questions to answer and don’t find them because they don’t look carefully enough.

@luigirovatti I doubt that’s true. It may be true for you but one can only speak for oneself. Personally, having been here for years, I look at all the new questions and only answer those I feel like answering. Both the amount and the quality of questions has gone down.

@luigirovatti, please don’t try to speak for “most people”, here or anywhere else.

@canidmajor: Look, if you reflect, that’s just an “enhancement” of this question of mine. If you don’t like something in my answer, doesn’t mean that I’m speaking from my experience (anyway, no one always can). I can safely assume that anyone, at one point or another, has done, said etc. something and then didn’t really mean it because (s)he didn’t know any better. Anyway, for that matter, I’m trying to be the most possibly objective. Every time I forget to say “I think” or I say “most people” doesn’t mean I really mean it. But, especially on the internet, every word counts. The people on the Internet, in general, might like to dig in to weed out the good, the ugly and the bad. And when it sinks, it STINKS. Every person, in general, needs to reinvent him/herself, not to conform him/herself, to ANYTHING, not (forgive me) to law, not to tradition, not (forgive me) to his own experience, and certainly not to the opinion of others. We must soak in anything and everything that suits us, and dump out the rest. We must live according to ourselves, or, believe you me, we’re gonna DESTROY ourselves.

Sorry for the rant, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I had to send it out.

Well, that’s ok because we have no idea what you mean. :-)

Really, what @janbb says. If you say stuff you don’t really mean, then even your rant is suspect.

@canidmajor: But WHY everyone must be so judgmental of everything? That’s an ultra-conservative approach to reality, no offense.

What judgement? Rhetorical question, don’t answer. You are making so many assumptions out of thin air, and waffling all around. You are making zero sense.

And I’m out.

No, look how late I am to answering this one. My biggest flaw is that I tend to not read the others until after I have answered and many times find myself providing an answer similar to that of one of the other flutherites.

@rojo There’s no harm in that. Everybody has their own style, and time frame, in answering Qs.