I've seen so many threads where the OP discusses a topic and then throws a question to the crowd, then a couple of responses with short discussions will follow, then someone else comes along and gives his / her opinion on the matter which has already been covered to death by the previous posters and it ultimately contributes nothing further to the thread.  So are you one of those people that just read the question, skips over everything just to get your opinion in, or do you actually make an effort to read most (if not all) of the replies to get a complete picture of the discussion?  I'm not asking the question to put a trip on anyone, I have been guilty where I just posted my opinion and left.  In the meantime the thread has "migrated" to a somewhat different discussion (although still on topic), but my opinion / answer had no relevance since it has been covered already.  I now always try and make an effort to get a complete picture of the discussion and where its at before commenting.

SoL@R : To be honest with you, I typically do not read all of the comments. I just read the first post. But there are some who are worse than that, the ones that don't even really read the first post thoroughly, and then say something that, if they would have read the first post through they probably would not have said. For some of the deeper discussions, I am trying to read the other posts more and more. But it still is a tendency of mine to just post. You know how I go on those posting sprees!

For me it depends on how many are there to read. If there are no more then two or three pages worth then I will but if there thirty or more I will read some of them then I will reply.

I've done both, but for me if it get to three pages or a little less often I will just read a few posts to get a general idea of what has gone on since I had last read or posted. Often I am reluctant to begin new discussions, but that's really not a problem as many of the older debates are the only ones that seem to stay active. I have done the read the first post and then give my two cents worth... 

So for me, it really does depend on how interesting it is, how good the posters post, and how much time I want to take with it.

I dont tend to read all of the replies if the thread is too long or if its just a base question that wouldn't really allow for discussion. Generally I make my first reply to a thread when it is still new so usually if I would read all of them if it still doesn't have too many replies.

I usually read through a few replies to make sure that my post will still be relevant, but it usually depends on the type of post. Even then, threads are usually closed by the time they're clearly worn out and become a spammer outlet. I usually don't worry about it.

It depends on quite a few factors, but basically, if its a debate or serious discussion, I will read everything. If it's less serious, I'll read it, but I'm more prone to skimming. If it's not at all serious (e.g. a forum game) I'll just skip.

It depends on what thread I am in. For me, if it's a thread that is basically "serious," as in asking a question worth debating or discussing, then I usually read every comment before I post, though sometimes I don't even post in a thread if I am aware that what I would say has already been mentioned. On the other hand, for the less serious threads, like hangman, ABC, simple questions or anything comical, I'll just either read the posts I feel I need to read, skim through a few posts or just not read any.

Well, for me, It really depends on what the thread is about, if it's something that needs a little bit more details and/or it looks like it's a thread that will be closed, then I will read more of the thread, but if the title has enough informarion on what's being talked about, then I don't really have to read the other posts before I post.

So, it really depends.

SoL@R : Haha I hate this. But unless I forget to then yes I usually do.

Yes, every time I post in Corrupt-A-Wish, I read every. Single. Post. Nah, just kidding. I usually read responses from my friends or more known users (e.g. IgorBird122's or zanderlex's post in this thread), but no one else.

It depends for me. For shorter, more serious threads, certainly. I want to see other people's opinions and check to see whether my opinions have already been mentioned.
For the longer and/or more lighthearted threads, I may read the first page or so before I reply.

Like what everyone else has said, it largely depends on the thread itself. If it's short enough, I'll skim over the comments. If it's about a controversial topic that needs weighing in from multiple opinions, then I think it's worth it to read people's perspectives carefully. Of course, the original post is always read.

But if it's a random, short answer question like this one, then there's really no reason to read everyone's answers (I may read one or two).

SoL@R :  I feel as if it is too long, I never would read all of it. (Ex: most of Davideo7's posts) Maybe the first 3 or 4 replies if needed, and usually no. If it's my thread, sure, but normally unless it's short, no.

yes, i am always reading before i comment mostly people do that

For me, there are a number of factors to consider:

If I created the thread in question, yes, I will make sure to read every post, and even go to the effort of trying to reply any time I feel I have something worthwhile to contribute or add to what someone else said.

If its a subject that catches my attention however, then it depends on how large the thread it.  If its only a page or two worth of posts since the last time I posted, then yes.  However, if the thread is excessively deep and I've missed +3 pages worth of posts since the last time I checked in, then I will make an effort to read at least the last couple of pages worth of posts before posting.

Lets face it, sometimes a thread can be dozens, or even hundreds of pages deep.  And I simply cant bring myself to wade through that much content to make a post.

SoL@R :

  Normally I would take the time to read all the post before submitting a reply of my own. For this reply specifically I will not read the posts that preceded mine. I did however read the original post. The reason I will not read the other posts before I post my reply is because I am curious to see if my reply will be close to any others here. So I suppose I will end up reading these posts in the long run anyway. I personally do not think there will be any that are really that close to mine. But who knows I guess. Maybe someone else will post the exact same thing as me. Crazier things have happened I guess.

                                                                                     

Goodbye For Now: Andz816 (Andrew)

It depends on the the thread topic. If it has some sort of continuity like the threads in debate forum, then I read all the replies. However, if it's a game thread (crazy house) or a one-response no-discussion thread (usual threads in polls and questions), then I don't.

I'm usually too lazy to read all of the posts, but I usually read the first few and skim through a few others. Oh, and I do Ctrl+F to search the page for a key word to help see if someone's already said it. (If someone's already said this, I'm going to looks stupid now... XD)

Maybe not all the comments but the first few (depends on how many replies there are), just so i dont repeat what others said or try to figure out what the thread is about if i dont understand the title itself. I dont think someone would actually read over 100 comments.