I answer when I have a bit of knowledge through my own research on similar topics. I am not a decorator/designer so my knowledge is limited to my own problem solving for my house.

Love pics or floor plans , also style, I really like questions about kitchens , they are my favorite design jobs. Sometimes I weigh in if I have something to say.

I am much more likely to respond with a picture and a short entry. Keep it simple, and direct. Tackle one issue at a time;)

I respond to those dilemmas that elicit a visceral response, I have to be drawn to it for some reason whether it's a shared experience, common aesthetics, or interesting topic. Pictures are helpful, but if they aren't in the initial post it doesn't prevent me from responding. I never respond if I feel I don't have something valuable to offer.

The dilemmas I don't respond to are those that are poorly written with text speak, no punctuation and misspelled words, or with pictures of rooms filled with junk. Take the time to write a proper dilemma and pick up before posting pictures, it shows that details are important and makes others want to take the time to help.

HI -- Photos and floor plans help most of all. I use to do kitchens and bathrooms and still love to do that . But proper pictures of the rooms in question and measurements too. And asking direct questions . Some people post but don't state what they want . Also if their lead question is too long and involved I usually pass it by . Also if someone picks apart every comment when your trying to help then I don't continue .

I will post if I can add anything. And if the iPad is charged up.

All good answers above. lefty47, i also don't like longggggg lead questions. And as margo said, solve one problem at a time

I like reading suggestions made by others. And of course having an end result for the dilemma.

The lastest entry i seen was posted as "How do i decorate my small bathroom" but NO picture was provided. How can anyone provide a comment, never mind a solution? to this question. I seen many posts like this. May be i'm not being tolerant enough, but this irks me

If I see it and I feel I can help, I contribute. There are a number of things that I pass by because whether or not it has a picture, I don't feel I can help on it.

Right now there's one near the surface about a dining room and I think personally the rug is what's destroying the room so I keep stopping at it but since what I'd do to that room is so far away from what the poster wants to do... I'm not going there. And so on.

I also think responses have to do with how the juggler pops up and presents the topics. I get some with any response about 'someone liked your comment' on something else, and there will be several choices there; and the small list in the upper right. Some things just stay there and stay there, some things are seen once in a blue moon...

I am more likely to post if there are not already 500 other comments and I can see from the photos they've posted what the issues are. If they post several views of the room or the layout that would push me closer to commenting.

I don't mind poor English language skills. I admire someone who makes an effort. Text speak irritates me so I pass them by. If there are already 500 comments, as HomeScapes said, I scroll to the bottom to see if decisions have already been made and work has been completed. There's nothing more comical than to see suggestions being thrown out on completed projects.

HI -- So right Homescapes ! If I see there is already more than 20 comments , I usually pass on it , unless no one has said what I would say . I don't see the point of leaving postings that have hundreds of comments or are more than a year old or are flogging a dead horse - if everyone knows what I mean . I also stop commenting if someone starts to get nasty or smart mouthed - I will even delete my comment !

Nasty and smart mouthed means it's time to move on - I agree lefty. There's no sense in getting caught up in a website fight! :)

Many times I "like" other's comments but don't comment myself.

Several photos from different angles and a short note about what help is wanted. I am not a designer or decorator, but I think sometimes an unbiased view can be helpful. Sometimes I've been through the same dilemma myself or have a similar home.

I've found that the threads that have pleasant, responsive and appreciative original posters get a lot of response. It's always frustrating to see people get so interested and involved in a dilemma and the OP just doesn't have the courtesy to respond.

As for well written dilemmas, I wasn't referring to the occasional misspelled word or punctuation, we all do that. There was OP whose entire dilemma was based on a word that had been changed by auto correct into a nonsensical question. The OP didn't even bother to read his own post and correct it before posting. That's annoying!

LOL, bluenan, I agree, about the absentee OPs and the auto correct! Especially the absentee posters.

My responses are based on whether I'm in the mood to deal with that issue, and whether I have something to add.

The one thing I do that probably irritates the powers that be to no end is to try to encourage the average posters to make their homes their own, and not be a slave to design trends. I tend to post when I can do that as much as anything else.

I am not a pro so I tend to respond to opinion type requests...what color, what kind, what would you do, etc. Also, if the person seems sincere. Some people are demanding...like everyone is supposed to just hop to and help them. If I sense that attitude I stay away.

When a solution or suggestion seems "obvious" to me (Sometimes, it's like having a itch you can't scratch - and I just have to jump in) and it hasn't already been offered (### many posts already) , or if/when I can visualize that solution (not always my own ideas) to move things forward. Photos can really help or really hurt. Some rooms dilemmas are just way beyond me. I wouldn't know where to begin and if you can't say anything nice ... let alone constructive ... . But when you get on a roll with a great poster and nice feedback, its the just the best!

Well said, lessismore!

-- The first thing I do is to read the post and see if it is an interesting dilemma and if photos are part of the posting. This speaks to the commitment the poster has since most people have phones that would enable them to throw up a few pix I look at the number of responses in the thread - too many and I am sure that the poster is well on their way and do not really need to have more input. I also need to feel that I have the education/experience needed to solve dilemmas . Also, the poster can tell which responder they are working well with and so it is a good idea to just let them work in the direction they are headed and bow out.

I strongly agree with those who try hard to help posters find their own style and to work with what items they want to stay in the space. There must not ever be an issue of ego on either end of the project. If I sense this going on, I stay away.

I like to comment early on things where I have experience and think I can actually make a difference. If no pics or extremely specific / technical request, I tend to bypass. I like promoting discussion and making people smile...or see things in a different way. It's nice when you can see a light bulb go on or a poster get excited about what they've been able to accomplish.

Does anyone find that there are better times of day or the week to post if you want to get responses?

Giving a helping hand when asked is always appreciated , opinions when asked are welcomed too as long that criticism can be digested easily when an advise is requested, this is what I like about it to be appreciated for my time , ideas and taste. The time of the day depends on the time that can be spent on answering questions we all have different lives and the time spent on here is what I call relaxation , not only we learn about new products sold by we tend to bring ideas and thoughts into it, getting a faster response depends on what is appealing I have noticed that many times if a lot of money is involved into a project the help seems to be more than a smaller project that requires very little , to me this last one is important even more then a huge project .

I skip posts if the questions are either way too long and complex or sometimes appear to be dashed off with little thought or grammar. I avoid commenting if I really hate the choices and don’t want to offend. I won’t comment if it’s confusing or too much work.

I can understand if a question is " too complex and too long " as Jennifer mentioned above , as far as "grammar" goes..... sorry but there I totally disagree since we are not under any examination on how well we can spell or put together a sentence . I always thought that Houzz was a gathering place formed by people whom were eager to help each other without judgment on grammar or any other personal issues, I guess that I was wrong!!

If someone cannot make the question clear with at least one picture, and if the post is full of texting abbreviations that are non standard English sentences, that's when my eyes glaze over and I go on to something else.

This is when I read in between the lines.

The combination of the title and photos almost always pulls me in. An illiterate dilemma, with no punctuation and capitalization pushes me away.

Dilemma are a communication. When the OP cannot articulate their question, or fails to include a photo, or has rooms so messy and cluttered (please excuse the clutter doesn't cut it unless the space is under construction), I move on to the next post.