This is going to sound really mean but I’m getting fed up with the forum, and wonder if I’m not alone. While I appreciate there’s lots of good advice to be had, I get fed up with the same questions being asked over and over. Please can people do a proper search before asking their question and new members also read the website and the helpful articles, most of which answer a lot of questions. I also get fed up with certain people writing at length and going off topic (I’m guilty of that too).
How can I take a break from the forum without returning later
to hundreds of topics?
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There is a “Dismiss” button on the forum main page. I am not quite sure what it does.
@Smiley - I feel your frustration. I did take a break from the forum a year or so ago and I now try and have Forum Free Friday every week 
Yes the same questions are being asked over and over and a minority of members seem to have hijacked the forum and are not very tolerant of alternative views to theirs. I have had the odd personal email from moderators for far less.
That said, the only reason I am back on the forum is that it is the only place we find out about so called system developments, product updates and the never ending glitches.
Who would know about the rule of five if it wasn’t for the forum?
Watching this space for the long awaited revised review system and to hear how the ‘dedicated teams’ are progressing with the in box and messaging issues.
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I don’t mind the same questions being asked again. New people join and I think they have every right to ask questions instead of searching old threads, and they mught not know how to do this anyway.
I do mind the huge amount of posts which sound aggressive and critical to me. In an ideal world I would turn to this forum for advice if I was stuck about something, but too many replies here are along the lines of “suck it up, it’s your fault anyway”.
Anyway, the forum is what people make of it. I have been engaging less lately and in less controversial topics, and feel better as a result.
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Thank you @Smiley for raising this.
As @Twitcher says, we need to keep appraised of any developments etc.
What I do not like is the length of some of the postings with no paragraphs. If a posting is longer than 15 lines or so then I don’t even start to read it.
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I’m really sorry, I’m guilty of leaving long answers, but hadn’t realised it was annoying to forum members.
I’ll just take a break from the forum too 
I like your writings!
Valuable answers are always welcome IMO. If it takes a longer explanation, so be it. I can certainly just skip over what isn’t relative to me. 
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The dismiss button is to mark all forum threads as read. At the bottom of each thread there is also a Mute button. If you don’t care about a particular thread click Mute and you will never be notified about new posts.
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I used to be quite active on the forum and stepped away from engaging, after being put in the naughty chair a few times. This was back when moderation was intense and threads were being closed left and right. I took about a six month break, and I must say, it does a body good!
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I appreciate your and @pietkuip support and input! Merci
I think a break will do me good as @Knowmad says. I’ll make sure to come back with more concise replies.
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Long or short replies, who cares?
For me it’s most important to keep it respectful and kind.
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I haven’t seen you crop up until now 
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I’ve been in that chair quite a few times too! 
The mute button doesn’t work as intended I don’t think. I’ve had many a thread hijacked by those who enjoyed trolling others and listening to themselves talk. To the point that the topic isn’t even intact. I can’t mute my own thread. And when I try to mute those trolling in my thread, that doesn’t work either.
I’d like to see a block feature. There are a few people here who troll me regularly and don’t add any value to the conversations. I’d like to avoid having to see them or have them see me.
Click on the Forum user’s profile and then on the button Normal. Change that to Ignored.
@BunnyCat
Thank you! I had no idea you could do that. It’s really helpful, because there are some members I do prefer not to read from. Nobody who has posted in this thread!
It doesn’t work like on Facebook. You still see that the ignored user has posted something. I tried to ignore it but then my curiosity gets the better of me…
@Smiley thank you for this post. I have already learned a few things from the responses that can make my interaction more enjoyable and relevant.
As you know, I took an extended break from the forum. In part I find that social media as a whole can at times have a negative effect. That’s something I’m mindful to control as best I can.
As for how you return, with 1001 accumulated posts, well that’s up to you. You can adjust settings, as has been mentioned in responses here.
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I have adjusted my ways to only click on new posts that may appeal to me.
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Of those I open, I read the initial post and then decide whether or not to continue or immediately mute.
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When I am the original poster, at some point I adjust my setting so that I am not notified when someone adds to the post, as the default is set to notify the original poster.
I also have one person who, when I see their photo that they are the most recent poster, I choose to not read that, even if it’s a post I’m interested in. I know they raise my blood pressure so why do that to myself?
At this point my primary reason for staying is to keep current on changes that are brought to our attention by forum members, way sooner than any official announcement (if ever) from TrustedHousesitters. My thanks to members who do that. 
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I am schooling myself to only post on topics that don’t raise my blood pressure. It is very difficult sometimes to not scream “why didn’t you ask before you accepted” or “take some responsibility, THS is not a babysitting agency”.
Yes, I am learning to pass by instead of causing friction and angst. Very hard.
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