So, I know there are a lot of folks here at trap17. I guess 90% of them (if not all) are here for free hosting. This is what it is all about after all.

So, be honest, and tell us do you acctually read other peoples posts, so you join the disscusion apropriatelly or do you just read the first post (like this one) and then answer to the question (if it is a question) or give your opinion and take on it??

I personaly somtimes do read (if it is something interesting), but sometimes (if it is a poll or somthing I dont like to talk about) I just say what I think without reading other posts before me (just skim through them).
This way I earn a lot of credits for my hosting and not spam trap17. I dont like spaming people and bore other members.

There are also some more "tactics" I use for collecting credits but that is only when it's necessary.

Well, yes, I do try to read the replies before I response to a Topic. It sometimes helps me formulate an answer. And it sometimes stops me from answering, as well.
If the answer I was about to supply is already given, usually I do not add mine.
Yes, I am here for the Free Hosting, but also to learn some stuff, hang out, meet some new people and help others when I can.
Of course, being Mod status, there is always an opportunity to earn credits by posting replies, but I also spend time sending PM's with helpful hints and tips, too.
(By the way, there were no replies when I decided to reply here, so it was easy to decide on this one.)

I originally came for the Free Hosting like jlhaslip but when the other forums went down that I used to hang out at I started looking for somewhere new and this was both in one. Depending on the topic I will sometimes read or atleast browse through the posts below unless I am being really lazy. If it is like a discussion I will see what has been stated and add more if I need to or don't take part in it at all like jlhaslip said (sort of) If it is something I just put my opinion in on I will look at a couple depending on how many have been posted and make my comment. If it is support I always read the posts after to see if the question has already been answered so I don't look like a fool (although it still happens)

I spend a lot of time on other forums and I'm really here for the hosting so I don't read this forum for the enjoyment of it (which isn't to say that I don't sometimes take something useful away from it).
So I tend to skim a lot of other people's posts but I do try and take in at a glance what others have said so I'm not just repeating stuff. That's usually for technical type of threads relating to web design or whatever.
If it's threads about personal opinions etc, then I quite often just go straight to the end cos it doesn't matter what's come before - your opinion is still your opinion.

I do, for the most part, read others' replies. I really don't enjoy coming across a post on the sixth page of a thread that is only relevant to the first. That's a great exageration, but you get the idea. So, I try not to be the moron doing that.

you kind of have to read the other people's posts to make a decent post...

Honestly, I do not read each and every posts of others in this forum. But when the first topic is something catchy or the topic which interests me I usually read the first post itself and after reading the first post if I could make a decent post or reply I read the following posts and try to follow the replies that come along. And finally I reply the topic. I think this is the best way to participate in the topic concerned.

When we try to reply the main topic without reading the following replies we land up not being able to make sense in our replies. So, it is good to read the replies in order to make a constructive reply. I've been following this method in all my posts.

But if the topic itself isn't interested me I do not even read the first post nor never reply them.

Well to be honest, like many others I'm in for the hosting. But when it comes to forums, I dont read every post from every person on the forum. But if one or a few topics on the first page is something that interests me, I usually read the first post then try to skim through the replies untill I find a bit that interests me then I reply to the bits concerned.

My style would be that I casually browse through the forums, find a topic that may interest me to read it, start reading the first post. If I find the first post interesting in any way then of course I'll reply to the bits I found interesting. If I dont, to be honest I skim through the replies (at least read a few lines off the replies) untill I find a bit that interests me to reply to the topic.

Also another interesting thing is getting into debates on the forum, which to be honest actually takes up time, and it does interest you to read the reply from the person or people concerned. It can be addictive at times

To conclude, as many people said, if a topic doesnt interest me, I dont bother reading it at all.

I try and read each and every post, but sometimes I only fly over posts, partialy reading them. But I always read at least part of every post. As people said, it's the only way I can write a decent post, that makes sense, is connected to the entire topic and posts, not just the first post... It is annoying whe you come across a post that is connected with the first post only, on the 6th page... And it's contents - one line!

I'm here for the free hosting, and I do my best to give something back for what I get, it's the least I can do. Besides, I like helping others, it makes me feel good to know, I helped someone...

People should at least try and read few posts, not just the first, and try to make some sense of their posts, connected to the actual topic...