Type posting styles

[Economica]

In your experience (no armchair theorizing, please), what are the posting styles of each of the types - at their best and at their worst? What do they contribute to threads? What do you appreciate about having them around? How do they annoy you?

Before we begin, let's all remember not to take anything personally. If enough exemplars of a type exhibit a behavior, the type can legitimately be associated with the behavior; that does not imply that any individual exemplar necessarily behaves that way.

Now, characterize!

[Jennifer]

I don't feel like commenting on other types.

INTPs tend to play devil's advocate, without meaning any offense whatsoever to the other participants. The goal is to make sure that no wrong turn is made and each piece of data is "tagged" properly, according to weight and probability.

They will also point out possibilities that have not yet been considered, usually based on "logical extrapolation." (i.e., "If <this> is true, then perhaps <that> might be possible as well, we should consider it!")

They tend to stay conceptual in nature, focused on the structure and main points of the argument -- although if the conversation veers into a particular detail that they think does not mesh with the "model," they will get very specific and nuanced while explaining why it does not logically fit.

Sometimes they can become long-winded because they are more concerned about the thought process than on the understanding or comfort of the other readers -- less about communication, more about fully exploring the ideas. The reader is usually left to fend for herself.

INTPs also tend to play around. You never know whether you are getting a serious response or a humorous one, because the tone can range from whimsical and goofy to droll and dry (where the humor is in the juxtaposition and/or contradictory interplay of the ideas, rather than obvious fun-making). The most favored one-liners are those that both are truthful (i.e., are making a point) and yet whimsical all at once.

(One should note that, even when the INTP seems jovial and "playing around" outwardly (and means it!), inside the Ti process is still being very critical and they could be upset or adamant and not nearly as flexible and light-hearted as they sound.)

INTPs can become exasperated when people are being "illogical" (i.e., not conforming to their own mental model) and going on about lots of details that might sound good but are ignoring the big picture that makes all the details irrelevant. They can become arrogant and condescending towards the priorities and thought processes of other types, judging them as "naive" or "stupid." They often won't even waste time with really "stupid" arguments or with people who seem impervious to their view of "reason," once they've tested the waters enough.

Most do not go out of their way to be hurtful, but can be hurtful by dismissing people in ways that seem callous... or debating a point of view impersonally without any seeming concern or understanding of how they are challenging other people's cherished values or conceptions.

[JAVO]

True to my introversion, I find interacting with others via PM more rewarding, and tend to do that more than posting.

Posting appeals to my Ne, and it was a springboard for my recent emphasis this year on balancing more toward extraversion and being more explicit and conscious in balancing toward feeling. I would guess that I often post somewhat similarly to an ENTP, excluding my posts with an obviously more F slant which probably seem a little INFP-ish.

Since being more like an extravert in real life, I enjoy posting less. I probably spend the same amount of time at the computer as I did before, but more of my time is focused on interpersonal interaction instead of personal and technical interests and projects.

[Urchin]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

INTPs tend to play devil's advocate, without meaning any offense whatsoever to the other participants.

Personally, I dislike conflict and never stir it up intentionally. Even when I am attacked, I let it roll off of my back because I don't wish to argue. This is me personally, though.

I'm guessing that INTPs like myself, and INTJs as well, probably, only post when they feel they have something to contribute. They don't post fluff.

I'm also sometimes the data machine, as Jennifer said. In a thread asking for data, I'll collect it all into one post, run statistical analyses, and let people go from there. I just want to make sure they're doing their math properly and that all their assumptions are based on sound logic.

Also, pithy paragraphs. I'm terse.

[TenebrousReflection]

I don't know if I have a consistent posting style, but I can try to comment on what often motivates me in conversations including posting.

Usually, I post because I have an idea and want to get feedback on it, see what things I've failed to consider and where the flaws in my idea might be. When I think of an idea, I usually run it through my head fairly extensively first, but still find it helpful to get as many perspectives as possible which either help confirm or refute my hypothesis. Sometimes I get a random idea and just want to throw it out without much thought and see what others think too.

When I see an opportunity for it, I can and will play a form of devil's advocate to challenge persons beliefs or reasoning. It is my opinion that a beliefs should be formed by the individual and not by blindly listening to others. My goal in this is to ask them questions to make sure that they have put some thought or feeling of their own into making the decision and also get an understanding of whats important to the individual in the process of doing that. If they are easily persuaded I'll reverse advocation of the other side (they one they started as) and keep doing that til I think they have a good understanding of where they really stand on the basis of their own values. (I don't know if I've done that in any forums here, but I do that with friends/family/acquaintances occasionally). One book I read referred to INFPs as clarifiers, and I think this may be an example of how I fit that description, I seek to bring clarity to others by asking them questions and trying to help them understand their own selfs better.

And sometimes I just want to contribute something to the conversation. That may mean throwing out an idea or putting a new twist on an existing idea, or possibly just adding my perspective to give a new data point to reference.

I can enjoy a bit of conflict if its the good natured sort, the kind where the banter and having fun is whats important. When someone starts to get too serious, thats when I revert back to being more diplomatic.

I don't mind adding fluff to a conversation, but I don't think I do that very often (at least not without somethign of substance to go along with it).

[arcticangel02]

(Er, apologies in advance to any self-respecting ENFP out there. )

But ENFPs are the masters of the smileys!!

And we use exclamation marks!! So much!!!!!

And we like to talk a lot and sometimes the posts can be a bit rambling, but everybody does that once in a while, and that's okay, because we like everybody! And if you're sad, we will tell you you're great!

We get bored with long, theorretical discussions...

And when we're irritated, our sentences are short. And no smileys. And when we post we are sure everyone is going to hate us for being angry. But in reality, everyone else doesn't even notice. Because nobody else uses smileys. It's just us.



ETA: And I can't believe I forgot!!

[quietgirl]

INFJ's try to relate their experiences or characteristics to someone else's.

[Magic Poriferan]

Well.. arcticangel is mostly right.

I found an ENFP LJ community, and man... They stretched every other word and used an exclamation point at the end of every sentance...

[CzeCze]

Originally Posted by Magic Poriferan

Well.. arcticangel is mostly right.

I found an ENFP LJ community, and man... They stretched every other word and used an exclamation point at the end of every sentance...

Hahahah, did this bother your INTP sensibilities?

Awww...here's a

[Magic Poriferan]

Originally Posted by CzeCze

Hahahah, did this bother your INTP sensibilities?

Awww...here's a

Haha.
I was much more bothered by the fact that they all spent their time talking about how they shouldn't be wasting it on a computer, and what free spirits they are. It was kind of gross, because they were clearly trying to play into their own stereo-types.