since when do posts have to be more than 50 characters? - Page 3

[ulla]

Originally Posted by abimommy

It can be hard to threads where horrible situations have occurred as it can be so hard to find something to say. However it isn't those threads that are a concern.

There is a huge fad going on the boards with power posting and it is annoying people.
This is simply experimental. I like it, but I might be in the minority.

In addition to a lower character minimum, say 30 or 40, can't you continue to shut down the chat threads and give the content-free power posters a warning to knock it off or move on to a more appropriate venue for that kind of posting.

[mysticmomma]

.................................................. .................................................. .......

ETA: Just an experiment, one full line of "periods" satisfies the requirement, although I don't think we should really be looking for a way to get around the "rules". It's to keep MDC up. I know I am always soooo frustrated, when I'm dealing with something, or just taking a few minutes for myself and I get that darn "server is too busy" message. The 20 seconds between replies and searches is also annoying at times, and I wonder if there is a way to reduce that for people with over a certain number of posts, or a certain feedback rating, or with paid subscriptions or something.

[Kathryn]

Originally Posted by anoyingreader

but it is mostly making people add fluff, with the same ammount of substance. or maybe a longer way of saying the same thing. anyway, sometimes there will be extra smileys just to add the needed characters.

People are always going to find a way around rules, that's just how life is. However, having a character limit will really help with the short little posts and it will usually 'force' people to either not post at all or at least try to write something meaningful. If people start adding a bunch of smilies to get the min character, I'm sure something can be done about that as well.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Hatteras Gal

But why? Why do you need to respond to something when someone has already responded the same way? Just silently nod your head and move on to another thread or think of something eloquent to say.

I think it's a fantastic idea.

While this may seem hypocritical, a great big yeah that to hatteras girl. I know, I should have just said silently nodded my head and moved on, but this is an important issue that needs addressing. Please no more power posting folks. It truly is annoying.

[Hatteras Gal]

Originally Posted by anoyingreader

but it is mostly making people add fluff, with the same ammount of substance. or maybe a longer way of saying the same thing. anyway, sometimes there will be extra smileys just to add the needed characters.

Then just don't post anything. I don't know how that is hard to understand. If you can't come up with something to say with 50 or more characters, don't say it. I often read through a whole thread and don't post to it because everything I want to say has already been said.

It might be a blow to the chat threads. I can feel your pain there, I used to be really active on one. But it'll also keep you (general you) from sitting at the computer posting 5 posts of nothing every minute.

[wonderwahine]

Originally Posted by Hatteras Gal

Then just don't post anything. I don't know how that is hard to understand. If you can't come up with something to say with 50 or more characters, don't say it. I often read through a whole thread and don't post to it because everything I want to say has already been said.

It might be a blow to the chat threads. I can feel your pain there, I used to be really active on one. But it'll also keep you from sitting at the computer posting 5 posts of nothing every minute.

i know it is a passionate issue, but can you please remember you are talking to an 11yr old poster and just be a little more sensitive in your wording?

[Brigianna]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

While this may seem hypocritical, a great big yeah that to hatteras girl. I know, I should have just said silently nodded my head and moved on, but this is an important issue that needs addressing. Please no more power posting folks. It truly is annoying.

I think if you don't like the chat threads, it's easy to avoid them. It's really just a few chat threads that exist, for people who like chat threads. There are plenty of other threads that are mostly long, serious responses.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by wonderwahine

i know it is a passionate issue, but can you please remember you are talking to an 11yr old poster and just be a little more sensitive in your wording?

this is a board for adults. i dont think hatteras girl is being insensitive. maybe only those with mature thick skin should be on a board of this nature.

[DaughterOfKali]

I admit that I'm guilty of just posting a hug on someone's thread. It certainly isn't to boost my count. I want to offer support but am at a loss for words. If someone leaves a on one of my threads, I'm not bothered by it. Knowing that someone cared enough to give that hug makes me feel better.

Having said that, I don't like when people post all in a row (numerous times) when they could have just edited their first post to include all that she/he wanted to say.

In closing, I think 50 is too high. 25 or 30 would suffice.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Brigianna

I think if you don't like the chat threads, it's easy to avoid them. It's really just a few chat threads that exist, for people who like chat threads. There are plenty of other threads that are mostly long, serious responses.

whats annoyimg is that the chat threadfs keep overloading the server.

[Cutie Patootie]

Originally Posted by Cutie Patootie

ETA: I run co-ops, and sometimes all I need to post is...you total is 32.14.
What the heck else am I supposed to add to that?
Also, participants post...funded paypal sent ...etc. There's going to be a lot of fluff going on, no offensive to the diaper boards.

So, in my co-ops, in response to someone telling me they have sent their payment...instead of my usual "got it. Thanks!"
I will have to post?

I received your payment of 32.14 on the 11th of January, which was sent to my funded paypal account.

Wow! That's a lot of extra work when you have 150 orders and a 2 and 4 yr old running around your legs. :

Post count doesn't add up in the trading post anyway, could we have no minimum requirement there?

[fullofgrace]

In the chat threads, a good solution to keeping up is to make multi-quote your new best friend. Instead of spam-posting (termed such because it is how the software reads replying to one post at a time within a span of mere minutes), post once and reply to anything you want to reply to in that one post. It'll make the server a lot less teary-eyed.

Multiple replies in one post = multiple characters.

[Ok]

Originally Posted by Hatteras Gal

Then just don't post anything. I don't know how that is hard to understand. If you can't come up with something to say with 50 or more characters, don't say it. I often read through a whole thread and don't post to it because everything I want to say has already been said.

It might be a blow to the chat threads. I can feel your pain there, I used to be really active on one. But it'll also keep you (general you) from sitting at the computer posting 5 posts of nothing every minute.

If I quote someone, does that suffice for my 50 characters? (ok, I was just teasing, but now that I think about it, it is a real question.)

[fullofgrace]

Ah - I think I have things to add to my FAQ. (linked in my siggy)

Originally Posted by Ok

If I quote someone, does that suffice for my 50 characters? (ok, I was just teasing, but now that I think about it, it is a real question.)

Good question! No, quotes don't count. Only a person's own words count.

Originally Posted by redhotmama

Can you say more about subscribing? I never learned this rule...

Sure! Many people think to subscribe to a thread (and get updates via email or in your UserCP) that they have to reply to the thread. Actually, there is a way to subscribe and not have to post. At the top right of the thread above the first post is in there is a link called 'Thread Tools'. Clicking that gives you a drop down menu. One of the choices is 'Subscribe to this thread'. Choose that and it will take you through choosing if you want emails or just track it in your USERCP, etc. for that thread.

Another fun fact -- set your posts per page setting to higher than the default, and it's even easier to keep up with long threads.
UserCP -> Edit Options -> Thread Display Options -> Number of Posts to Show Per Page

[wonderwahine]

its always hard for me to remember that not everyone has 100 posts per page...... I've had it set that way for so long. I could never keep up with most threads without that.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by Brigianna

I think if you don't like the chat threads, it's easy to avoid them. It's really just a few chat threads that exist, for people who like chat threads. There are plenty of other threads that are mostly long, serious responses.

The problem is as someone said that it stresses the server. But its more than that. Mothering is kind enough to provide us with this free, wonderful community to discuss natural parenting. The resources it runs on are not free. While the mods are volunteers, there are still paid employees to keep it running. Adding millions of posts which do not add to the purpose of the forums increases the need for additional disk space and server capacity, thus making MDC more expensive to run.

I think MDC is a wonderful gift to the community and the natural parenting movement that Mothering Magazine has given us, and I think that the best way to respect that gift is to use it the way it was intended.

[LianneM]

Originally Posted by Cutie Patootie

So, in my co-ops, in response to someone telling me they have sent their payment...instead of my usual "got it. Thanks!"
I will have to post?


Wow! That's a lot of extra work when you have 150 orders and a 2 and 4 yr old running around your legs. :

Post count doesn't add up in the trading post anyway, could we have no minimum requirement there?

Cutie, I think it makes the most sense to just reply to several people at once rather than one acknowledgement post per person. It would also help to make sure your post count stays in balance, right? That multi-quote button is really handy also so as you're reading the posts you can hit that button and then reply to each person as you want to - IF you want to. I also don't think it's necessary AT ALL for you to reply to each person that you received their payment or whatever, unless you are specifically asked.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by mightymoo

The problem is as someone said that it stresses the server. But its more than that. Mothering is kind enough to provide us with this free, wonderful community to discuss natural parenting. The resources it runs on are not free. While the mods are volunteers, there are still paid employees to keep it running. Adding millions of posts which do not add to the purpose of the forums increases the need for additional disk space and server capacity, thus making MDC more expensive to run.

I think MDC is a wonderful gift to the community and the natural parenting movement that Mothering Magazine has given us, and I think that the best way to respect that gift is to use it the way it was intended.

thank you might moo. and sometimes people need more life experience to inderstand this.

[fullofgrace]

Originally Posted by wonderwahine

its always hard for me to remember that not everyone has 100 posts per page...... I've had it set that way for so long. I could never keep up with most threads without that.

Hah! I've got mine set at two hundred posts displayed per page.

[simonee]

How about the sw is set to discourage post count whoring by not letting posts < 10 or 20 or whatever count in the postcount? Then single smilies but also single support hugs wouldn't count,a nd those who want to raise their post count will actually have to say something?