"Check out my [insert link here!]" in gaming forums

[CanadienneBacon]

I'm curious. When you're reading a thread on an internet gaming forum and someone posts something to the effect of "Check out my [insert link/example/body of work] for an example of [fill in the blank]," do you click through and read?

I know I don't. I'll read someone's point but I usually can't be bothered to click through. Plus, for some reason I confess that I find "Check out my..." statements to be pretentious and a major turn-off to the rest of what that poster puts up.

Just wondering if I'm bad for being that way. And I'm curious to know who else might be similar!

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Usually I just use the "Set Link as New Bookmark" function and come back to it later unless it was especially interesting or had relevance to something I was doing at the moment. Needless to say I have an enormous bookmarks folder, some of them for sites that have been defunct for years.

 

[Arkhandus]

Needs to be a third option, "Sometimes."

I do check stuff when it seems it might be interesting, but that's no more than maybe half the time or less.

 

[Nifft]

Usually yes, but only if the topic is of interest to me. Or if I think there's an opportunity to make fun of someone's font / background / layout choices.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Delta]

Check out my observations on cross-linking forums.

 

[Lanefan]

Check out my observations on cross-linking forums.

Unusually early to declare a winner, but here we have it!

Lanefan

 

[Nifft]

Check out my observations on cross-linking forums.

Your layout is lazy and derivative.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Only sometimes.

 

[jaerdaph]

Another sometimes - it depends who it is and if it sounds interesting.

And Delta, I want to subscribe to your newsletter!

 

[Piratecat]

Check out my observations on cross-linking forums.

Damn it, you stole my joke before I even made it.

I'll read thread references about 405 of the time. I only check peoples' blogs (or other links) maybe one time in ten.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I sometimes do, sometimes don't. Depends partly on if the link is intended to be relevant to the discussion or just "Hey! Look at me!" If I see a post or two following the link that comment on it I am FAR more likely to go back and follow it. Sometimes, if the net is slow and I'm having difficulties just getting the next page of the forums to come up I won't bother unless I REALLY want to see what's there.

As for posting such links myself, I generally only do so when it would make for an overly-fat, cumbersome post to cut/paste. If I've written 3 pages of commentary on a subject and it fits the discussion, I'll often just paste the link to my page, other times I'll cut/paste or write out the nutshell version.

I'm surprised at the percentages in the poll if they hold consistent at 3:1 against. I guess I thought more people would actually at least LOOK, even if they then decided to hit the "back" button after reading the first line.