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    FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

    I'm fairly certain that the vastest majority of our members don't need this information but I just wanted to throw it out there, as an FYI.


    The forum is currently set to limit the number of characters, in both posts and private messages, to 15,000 characters, each.

    If that's not enough space to share your thoughts, continue with another post or PM. If it becomes a recurring issue, we may increase the character limit. We may also consider modifying our stance on double posts, instead. But, at this time, we still feel that essay length posts are best kept to essays instead of dialogues. Far too many people have trouble reading "walls of text" for us to consider expanding the size of potential walls. Well, unless the point of the massive wall of text is to actually GET as many people as possible to avoid reading it - but then, what would be the point of posting it, hmm.



    As always, comments and suggestions are welcome!




    "Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." - Ayn Rand

    "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

    "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice." - Mark Twain

    "The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured'. That kind of thing." - Johnny Depp



    #2
    Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

    I personally don't see why even that many characters would be needed, except for maybe an extremely long blog post that someone wanted to make. Also, as long as people use paragraphs and whatnot when posting longer replies in debates and whatnot, I don't see why walls of text would be too much of an issue either, but maybe that one's just me
    Always taking art commissions, especially for fantasy and pagan related artwork
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      #3
      Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

      Originally posted by Yorin View Post
      I personally don't see why even that many characters would be needed, except for maybe an extremely long blog post that someone wanted to make. Also, as long as people use paragraphs and whatnot when posting longer replies in debates and whatnot, I don't see why walls of text would be too much of an issue either, but maybe that one's just me
      Oh, I agree that it should be more than sufficient, I just have to add "for the most part". I've seen, and have engaged in, debates and discussions where even a 25k limit was way too low... by more than half. They're rare; rare enough to simply be the exception, though, not the rule.




      "Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." - Ayn Rand

      "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

      "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice." - Mark Twain

      "The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured'. That kind of thing." - Johnny Depp


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        #4
        Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

        Honestly, if you can't say it more succinctly than 15,000 charachters, you ought to take more time to distill your thoughts on the matter.

        This isn't a novel writing forum!

        Then again, I blog for fun, and have to do tons of technical writing at work...and if I tl:dr'd every post, either I'd have 0 blog readers or I'd get in trouble with the boss.
        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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          #5
          Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

          I can't fathom needing 15,000 characters and/or spaces to say what I want to say. Often, I get pissed cuz the forum won't let me say it in two or three, although I understand there are people that would pad post count by posting a period or some such (even if I've never understood the fascination with post count. Got somethin' useful to say, stand up and say it. Got nothin' useful to say, sit down and shut up).
          I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

          Blood and CountryTribe of my Tribe
          Clan of my Clan
          Kin of my Kin
          Blood of my Blood



          For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
          And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

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            #6
            Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

            This is a good rule for me.

            I teach English and writing - I can babel on for 15000 words before I even get to my thesis...
            Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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              #7
              Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

              Originally posted by Rick View Post
              I can't fathom needing 15,000 characters and/or spaces to say what I want to say. Often, I get pissed cuz the forum won't let me say it in two or three, although I understand there are people that would pad post count by posting a period or some such (even if I've never understood the fascination with post count. Got somethin' useful to say, stand up and say it. Got nothin' useful to say, sit down and shut up).
              It's the "I agree" and "roflmao" posts that are simply too small, and/or lacking in *real* content, that the 10 character minimum stems from. To my way of thinking, such minimalist posts never provide for a dialogue/discussion but, instead, indicate the death of a conversation. (We used to see "lolcat images", or even mention of cheese, chickpeas, and Godwin, for such indications, around here but those are all sort of forum specific and, in a way, time specific, at least pertaining to certain members or past members.)



              Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
              This is a good rule for me.

              I teach English and writing - I can babel on for 15000 words before I even get to my thesis...
              If it weren't for the amount of hunt and peck I'd have to do... that describes me as well, except for the teaching part. I like to write. A lot. On occasion, I've been told to "get to the point". Quite a bit of my writing style is sure to make some literary enthusiasts flinch but then so is my, oft times, need to write, with having no idea what I'll be writing *about* until it's written.


              Okay, maybe "write" is an inaccurate term for some of the drivel I spew but still. Ideas conveyed in words, not spoken but in a textual medium. The rest is open to interpretation.




              "Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." - Ayn Rand

              "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

              "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice." - Mark Twain

              "The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured'. That kind of thing." - Johnny Depp


              Comment


                #8
                Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                Everyone gets one paragraph, all be it short one, to say what they want to say. After that, let's be honest here. We just read blah blah blah.
                Satan is my spirit animal

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                  #9
                  Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                  Originally posted by Medusa View Post
                  Everyone gets one paragraph, all be it short one, to say what they want to say. After that, let's be honest here. We just read blah blah blah.
                  I'm sorry, I started hearing Charlie Brown's teacher's voice... what were you saying?

                  I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

                  Blood and CountryTribe of my Tribe
                  Clan of my Clan
                  Kin of my Kin
                  Blood of my Blood



                  For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
                  And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                    Did this only just change? 'Cos yesterday I got caught out in a PM at 10,000 words. 12,000 seems to be a natural limit for me.

                    But I generally only hit that with debates or detailed discussion with multiple quotes-and-replies, or in PM discussions.

                    Even though I'm one of those wordy wall-of-text people, I thought that 10,000 was a completely reasonable limit... 15,000 is MORE than ample.

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                      #11
                      Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                      Originally posted by Rae'ya View Post
                      Did this only just change? 'Cos yesterday I got caught out in a PM at 10,000 words. 12,000 seems to be a natural limit for me.

                      But I generally only hit that with debates or detailed discussion with multiple quotes-and-replies, or in PM discussions.

                      Even though I'm one of those wordy wall-of-text people, I thought that 10,000 was a completely reasonable limit... 15,000 is MORE than ample.
                      Yeah, Rae, the PM limit was raised to match the post limit. After which, I immediately posted this thread, to address it. Both for those that knew there was a char limit and for those that might want to know, at some point.





                      "Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it." - Ayn Rand

                      "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

                      "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice." - Mark Twain

                      "The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured'. That kind of thing." - Johnny Depp


                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                        I would just like to add that while 15000 characters, which unless my English is worse than I thought isn't the same as 15000 words, would be more than enough most of the time there are cases where it is quite easy to hit the limit. If you want an example you can go read the Voluspa thread in the Heathen part of the forum, both Rae'ya and I got quite close, and sometimes over, to the old limit repeatedly, so occationally I used the double post trick. Luckily no mod or admin complained. When one discuss something that needs text references and quotes, hitting a limit of 15000 characters is almost too easy if one wants to give one's arguments a proper level of detail.
                        But for most discussion, yeah 15000 characters should be more than sufficient.
                        Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

                        An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

                        "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

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                          #13
                          Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                          We could lower it to 1000 and I'd still be okay, lol.


                          Mostly art.

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                            #14
                            Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                            Originally posted by MoonRaven View Post
                            I If you want an example you can go read the Voluspa thread in the Heathen part of the forum, both Rae'ya and I got quite close, and sometimes over, to the old limit repeatedly, so occationally I used the double post trick. Luckily no mod or admin complained. When one discuss something that needs text references and quotes, hitting a limit of 15000 characters is almost too easy if one wants to give one's arguments a proper level of detail.
                            In a productive (usually academic) conversation (like the aforementioned thread), we generally don't care...but when its just to be whiney or rant, etc, then we usually care.
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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                              #15
                              Re: FYI: Post & PM Length/Size

                              Originally posted by MoonRaven View Post
                              I would just like to add that while 15000 characters, which unless my English is worse than I thought isn't the same as 15000 words, would be more than enough most of the time there are cases where it is quite easy to hit the limit. If you want an example you can go read the Voluspa thread in the Heathen part of the forum, both Rae'ya and I got quite close, and sometimes over, to the old limit repeatedly, so occationally I used the double post trick. Luckily no mod or admin complained. When one discuss something that needs text references and quotes, hitting a limit of 15000 characters is almost too easy if one wants to give one's arguments a proper level of detail.
                              But for most discussion, yeah 15000 characters should be more than sufficient.
                              If you actually have to break the character limit, you just need to post half and then get someone else to post so that your second post doesn't attempt to auto-merge with the first. Waiting an hour also works but normally if I'm online and see a comment that you've hit a character max then I'll throw a breaking post in so you can keep going.
                              life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

                              Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

                              "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

                              John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

                              "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

                              Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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