I always make sure to read the first post, that's if I look at a topic at all. If the topic title isn't interesting I probably won't look at it.

 

If I look at the first post, and want to post, I usually won't read all the responses unless I'm particularly enthralled.

 

 

 

Also, even if I have a valid point, I probably wouldn't reply to a topic with 3+ pages, just because I can't be bothered to look through them to find out if someone has already said what I wanted to say.

If i'm going to post on a topic I would read it all the way through, but then again topics that are interesting enough I would read the entire thing regardless if I am going to post or not. However most of the topics on tip.it these days are repeats or just plain out boring topics, so I tend to skip it altogether. I don't use these forums much now.

I read the first page of post mostly all the way through skim through a few more pages of posts and re-read if somethings been quoted. If a topics unusually long I'll skip through the middle.