Update and question

[bktheirregular]

The damage Ms. Entitlement [censored] did to my car isn't as cosmetic as it seemed at first. Turns out the collision opened up some sort of sneak circuit or something in my car's trunk. Had to get the cruiser jump-started twice last night.

Oh, and their insurance company called. Of course they're denying that anything happened. The insurance people are going to have a look at my car in the next few days, apparently.

Oh, question:

Is there some sort of ettiquite about cut-tagging? Because I ran across an argument on my friends list before my last edit, one side of which was "I don't use cut tags, because that's an invitation for people to ignore what I'm saying."

Should I be cut-tagging my ramblings on the anatomy of this nervous breakdown?

Comments

[twistedchick]

I figure it depends on two things: how many people you want reading it, and how long it is.

I don't always cut-tag my essays and commentary, even when they're long; I tend to cut the quotes.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

I only use cut-tags when the entry's going to be inordinately long, or when I'm posting a pic or something that'll mess up my friends' flists. Or, of course, when I'm posting something that a certain demographic could do without, like girly TMI.

As for your friend who doesn't cut-tag, he would do well to remember that there's this wonderful invention called the "scroll bar" that lets people ignore his rantings quite effectively.

Here's hoping your insurance company gets off its duff.

[neonhummingbird.livejournal.com]

I'm with Honor -- I cut-tag for length (more than about three paragraphs on one topic) or TMI. But updates on your life or mental health totally don't need to be cut-tagged, IMO. And I think your insurance company needs to get off its duff, too. :P

[bktheirregular]

Unfortunately, MY insurance company has washed its hands of the whole affair, since I couldn't afford collision coverage on my own. This is all about THEIR insurance company, and I'm not sure I like the odds they'll believe me over their own client.

[seferin.livejournal.com]

You spoken to a lawyer?

Btw, I read, and click cut tags. So it depends on the person.

[bktheirregular]

No lawyers in this mess yet. I'm waiting to see how the insurance hassle shakes out.

[chibiaingeal.livejournal.com]

I think it's a matter of personal choice.

I cut tag entries if they get to be really long and I cut tag most of the meme/quiz things I do because I know people on my friends list who don't want to see them.

I also cut tag entries that could be potential TMI.

You friend who doesn't use the cut tag apparently isn't aware of a technique I use when I don't have time to read a lot (and I know several friends who do the same thing) -- scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

I think I'm the friend that doesn't cut tag. I got sent an anonmyous, insulting email that called me various names and ordered me to cut tag all my 'boring, attention whore' essays because nobody liked them. They sent this through an anonymizer they were so scared of being identified. Evidently I'm on their flist, which makes no sense at all. They don't want to read me? Fine. Delete me from their list.

[bktheirregular]

I can see where being ordered what to do by someone who won't even stand up for his own name would scrape the wrong way.

I'm just thinking that maybe not everyone wants to read the blow-by-blow of my nervous breakdown in progress, and I have a sense there's some sort of natural ettiquite to what should get cut-tagged and what can be left out in the open, and I just don't know what it is.

(And I haven't got the nerves left for much controversy these days, unfortunately. Even having my car battery go dead at the gas pump and the attendant being helpless to jump-start me caused a case of the shakes that I still have trouble believing.)

[natmerc.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, your posts are generally on the shorter side, so I think it's up to you. Cut tag or not.

I always cut tag for pictures for download time considerations, when I'm just random babbling and when it gets too long. I tend to cut stuff where I whine about my house/illness because I figure if people have time, and they're interested, they can click on it, and if they're not on it, they can ignore at will. Most of my flist is from various SF&F fandoms, so I try to keep that in mind.

[uninvitedcat.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd say you shouldn't be cut-tagging your entries. They're short and pithy. You've not included pictures that'll take ages to download.

I generally only cut-tag when I'm posting a long whine on a subject that I've whined on before.

[weirdweb.livejournal.com]

I usually cut-tag like crazy, but it's impossible for me not to ramble for paragraphs on end. Your entries are concise and not long enough to really require a cut. :)