Post lengths

Undertoad · 05-06-2003, 03:11 PM

At some point in the past, people complained about the size limit on posts being too limiting. At the time it seemed like allowing a very long post size would be a good idea, and so I bumped the limit up to 20000 characters.

This is a pretty outrageous length for a post. At this point I find long posts to be an tremendous annoyance, which is saying a lot since I thought I was wordy.

It's not that I don't usually agree with them; what's annoying is the poster's inability to respect their audience. Long quoted passages are a waste; huge screeds are impossible to respond to. Most of the time they are not posting in their own words, but engaging in a huge cut-n-paste as if quantity strengthened the debate.

This is not what we should be about, I feel, but I'd like your take on it. I'm proposing we cut the post length down to 4000 characters. Assuming an average line length of 50 characters, that's 80 lines of text.

Opinions?

juju · 05-06-2003, 03:33 PM

Do spaces count as characters?

juju · 05-06-2003, 03:46 PM

4000 seems a little low. My recent Cult-like Mindset thread was 5338 characters, and it was all my own words. I thought it was pretty good, and people seemed to take to the thread.

I think the longest post I have ever written was this post, and it was 9935 characters. That one was all my own words, too, although admittedly it was very, very long. Nic Name even commented about the length. I guess it would have been better if I could have reduced it by half, but it was such a complicated story that it's a little hard to do that.

That being said, though, I completly agree with everything you said in your post. Some people really should learn to say more in less words. And the thing where people cut and paste pages and pages of documents, with their only original words a terse "<b>READ THIS.</b>" at the top is not only insulting, it's really, really lame.

How about a compromise, like 9000?

juju · 05-06-2003, 04:33 PM

I have to admit, though, if a post goes over 7000 characters, I usually don't even read it. Unless over 40% of the post is text quoted from another poster on this board. In that case, I'll be annoyed, but I'll still read it.

SteveDallas · 05-06-2003, 04:50 PM

I believe you should calculate the length of my valedictorian post and choose a size limit that would kick my ass for writing such a monstrous, overblown, pretentious screed.

juju · 05-06-2003, 04:52 PM

Of course, SteveDallas' recent post clocked in at 9620 characters, and it looks to be very well-written. I wouldn't want him to have to cut that down too much, so perhaps somewhere between 9000 and 10000 is the sweet spot.

juju · 05-06-2003, 04:53 PM

Whoops, I didn't see you there. Well, there you go.

Skunks · 05-06-2003, 05:00 PM

Any size limit can be circumvented by posting several times in a row. Code cannot really fix the issue of excessive quoting; beat 'em down with logic and stuff.

elSicomoro · 05-06-2003, 05:18 PM

10K seems cool.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-06-2003, 05:54 PM

Yes.

Cam · 05-06-2003, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skunks
Any size limit can be circumvented by posting several times in a row. Code cannot really fix the issue of excessive quoting; beat 'em down with logic and stuff.

Yeah but with a limit on post length it's easier to pick up reading when your short on time.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-06-2003, 08:06 PM

How would you know when you've maxed? Type it all in then it's refused? That would be frustrating to us one/two finger type types.

Undertoad · 05-06-2003, 08:40 PM

At the bottom of the text editing box, there's a javascript link "check message length" that will tell you how long your message is and what the max is.

juju · 05-06-2003, 09:03 PM

Bruce, have you ever considered teaching yourself to touch type? It's so much more efficient.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-06-2003, 09:09 PM

Oh sure, I've thought of it. Even put it on the list of things to do some day. But my arthritic old fingers can hardly put in my hearing aid batteries. But then, that might be from the hairy palms.

05-06-2003, 03:11 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Post lengths At some point in the past, people complained about the size limit on posts being too limiting. At the time it seemed like allowing a very long post size would be a good idea, and so I bumped the limit up to 20000 characters. This is a pretty outrageous length for a post. At this point I find long posts to be an tremendous annoyance, which is saying a lot since I thought I was wordy. It's not that I don't usually agree with them; what's annoying is the poster's inability to respect their audience. Long quoted passages are a waste; huge screeds are impossible to respond to. Most of the time they are not posting in their own words, but engaging in a huge cut-n-paste as if quantity strengthened the debate. This is not what we should be about, I feel, but I'd like your take on it. I'm proposing we cut the post length down to 4000 characters. Assuming an average line length of 50 characters, that's 80 lines of text. Opinions?

05-06-2003, 05:54 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Yes. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-06-2003, 08:06 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	How would you know when you've maxed? Type it all in then it's refused? That would be frustrating to us one/two finger type types. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-06-2003, 09:09 PM	#15
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Oh sure, I've thought of it. Even put it on the list of things to do some day. But my arthritic old fingers can hardly put in my hearing aid batteries. But then, that might be from the hairy palms. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-06-2003, 03:33 PM	#2
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Do spaces count as characters?

05-06-2003, 03:46 PM	#3
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	4000 seems a little low. My recent Cult-like Mindset thread was 5338 characters, and it was all my own words. I thought it was pretty good, and people seemed to take to the thread. I think the longest post I have ever written was this post, and it was 9935 characters. That one was all my own words, too, although admittedly it was very, very long. Nic Name even commented about the length. I guess it would have been better if I could have reduced it by half, but it was such a complicated story that it's a little hard to do that. That being said, though, I completly agree with everything you said in your post. Some people really should learn to say more in less words. And the thing where people cut and paste pages and pages of documents, with their only original words a terse "<b>READ THIS.</b>" at the top is not only insulting, it's really, really lame. How about a compromise, like 9000?

05-06-2003, 04:33 PM	#4
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	I have to admit, though, if a post goes over 7000 characters, I usually don't even read it. Unless over 40% of the post is text quoted from another poster on this board. In that case, I'll be annoyed, but I'll still read it.

05-06-2003, 04:50 PM	#5
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I believe you should calculate the length of my valedictorian post and choose a size limit that would kick my ass for writing such a monstrous, overblown, pretentious screed.

05-06-2003, 04:52 PM	#6
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Of course, SteveDallas' recent post clocked in at 9620 characters, and it looks to be very well-written. I wouldn't want him to have to cut that down too much, so perhaps somewhere between 9000 and 10000 is the sweet spot.

05-06-2003, 04:53 PM	#7
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Whoops, I didn't see you there. Well, there you go.

05-06-2003, 05:00 PM	#8
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Any size limit can be circumvented by posting several times in a row. Code cannot really fix the issue of excessive quoting; beat 'em down with logic and stuff.

05-06-2003, 05:18 PM	#9
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	10K seems cool.

05-06-2003, 08:40 PM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	At the bottom of the text editing box, there's a javascript link "check message length" that will tell you how long your message is and what the max is.

05-06-2003, 09:03 PM	#14
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	Bruce, have you ever considered teaching yourself to touch type? It's so much more efficient.

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