Comments that are too long.

[csb]

I tend not to fully read reply posts that are looong or I quick read the first line or so and then decide if to read further or just skip.

This is possibly due to the nature of forums and how I use them. (IIS is the only forum I regularly use.)

Long paragraphs may also cause me to skip a comment. I find it easier to read a post with 5 short paragraphs than one with say, 3 long paragraphs.

So I sometimes miss constructive/helpful information. Which is a pity, for me.

Are other people inclined to skip long comments?

[Shiraz]

no

[Atmos]

I sometimes speed read and slow down when something is more than speed reading can understand. Like your post, took 5-10s to read :P
The idea is to be able to recognise when something needs that effort to read. Having "read" a lot of scientific papers, a LOT of speed reading happens hehe

[clive milne]

^^^ win!

[csb]

Stirring is certainly appropriate for what may seem to be just a whinge :)

My intention is to get people to realise that comments need to be submitted in appropriate format or they may go unread.

Although this is only so if it happens that many others also tend to skip very long posts.

[JA]

What was that?:D:D:D
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I tend to agree. Whilst I may not skip a very long paragraph (that should be 3), it can make for a very uninviting read. Although, if someone is trying to get a message across to you personally, that's another matter. You need to suck it up and read it.

Best
JA

[JB80]

A longer comment is certainly better than those thread titles like 'Check this out, haha' and all it contains is a link to youtube and no comment as to what it might actually be.
I never bother with those.

[Sol-Skysailor]

‘Too long, too short’ (hair) was taught early in the piece as judgemental and an arbitrary rule ‘or-else’, in this training, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication

Is this long? http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=143521
(First light with an APM Wirth-Intes Mak-Newt 86, IV, by Dana)... riveting!
And I read stacks of big thick books and articles and good novels.

I read every word of rational posts (but only selected threads) or at least pick up enough bits, usually regardless of who write them. Some long ones the writer tries hard to communicate, so I feel 'thanks! I'm listening'.

I skip short illogical or bully posts, and read zero of most things on the news agency stand.

Maybe it is also a fad thing of mobile phones and social media shepherding us to have low attention span? Oh. 5-para.... phewwww. LOL

[Shiraz]

earlier short post was intended to make the point that short posts can be bereft of info. I would rather see much longer and more substantial posts - especially on technical forums, where we can be dealing with complex ideas that just don't fit into 25 words. I agree that long posts can sometimes be difficult to read, but we all have different writing skills.

[glend]

Some people have short attention spans, or are not used to reading anything longer than a text message or Twitter post; for them any detailed response is likely to be passed over.
For others, particularly folks born before the above technology became pervasive, a longer well structured response is considerate and appropriate if it covers the topic in sufficient depth.
Perhaps, if it offends you, spell out how you would like a response, ie in 25 words or less, or 144 characters, etc.

[RickS]

I have to agree with Ray. The length of a post has no correlation with its value. Assuming it's a topic of interest I'm happy to invest some effort in reading a long post. I'm even willing to think about it sometimes ;)

[Boozlefoot]

Ray/Colin/Clive/JA/Jarrod/Sol/Glen/Rick.........Seems we are cut from the same cloth. I tend to think the "twittering", Facebooking, and all the other media chatter is making society as a whole become extremely superficial in some respects. Everybody wants things faster/shorter quicker, BUT.............. Admittedly it is a time of super information highways. Call me a Luddite, and so I am! Also regard me as a Visiobibliophobe. I have long ago deleted that internet account. (I don't wish to relate the condition of my bowels, or need to know the state of other peoples. Maybe we could take a selfie of it and post it? That would reduce the time describing it. I know some people who would!)

Its all going way too fast people, and sit back and review what you did today on all the internet portals. At the end of the day, did you gain anything by saving 15ms of time by reading abbreviated comments. Is speed dating the way of the future? (Remember the thrill of the hunt?)

Its a crazy world we live in, and its only getting crazier!

RELAX Enjoy the scenery. Enjoy interaction. Talk to people. The average age span allows you to do this, enjoy it while you can!

[el_draco]

:thumbsup::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Nikolas]

tl;dr

[csb]

Thanks all for reading and for the comments.

Not a big deal, nor an annoyance, if someone posts a long comment. Just food for thought.

[csb]

Hmm, my attitude/behaviour seems to be more related to comments that are just someone expressing their opinion on subjects such as posted in General Chat forum.

[raymo]

I have written a couple of poems during my life, and one was relevant to Boozlefoot's post.
Reflections on then and now
I find life incredibly sad, the things I bought then can no longer be had,
the friends I made then are nowhere to be seen, I hope they are somewhere
pleasant and green,
the Jag I drove then I thought just great, but now would be considered
distinctly third rate,
there were three billion people, and life was quite slow, now there are seven
and its all go go go,
time passed by gently as in growth from a seed, now its all I want, I must
have, and at lightning speed,
all in all the world has gone mad, and it just makes me incredibly sad.

hope you like it
raymo

[Atmos]

Need a Like button Raymond :)

[JA]

Raymo ROCKS :thumbsup:

[acropolite]

I'm happy to read what's written, if someone has gone to the trouble of writing a long reply one should at least have the courtesy to read it.

The short attention span trend is a real problem for me. I often send emails for support cases detailing complex technical issues only to find the idiot on the other end has only read the first line and not addressed most of the issues raised.

[AussieTrooper]

tl;dr

[ZeroID]

If it's of interest to me it gets read, simple..

During the lengthy DSLR cooling thread there were many long posts and huge amounts of information. It was appropriate to the subject and very informative.

It's the content, not the quantity that matters ...

[04Stefan07]

Depends how it's formatted.

If I get one big slab of text I won't read it. If there are proper separations and paragraphs then I will!

[Nikolas]

What he said

[AstralTraveller]

There are some of us who could write extensive posts on issues that we feel strongly about or where we have some particular knowledge but lack the time, energy or courage to do so and so restrict themselves to short, but hopefully useful or witty, contributions that will fit in one sentence.

[csb]

tl;dr - internet slang for too long;didn't read.

So there's a term for this type of thing, ie it can be an issue.

This legitimises the purpose of my post - to politely alert members that if your post is considered to be too long then it may not be read it - by some.

Not a complaint; by all means submit your posts in the format you think appropriate.

[Sol-Skysailor]

Craig, I read you op as a kindly thought and well meaning. I really wouldn’t want writers to try to please the tl;dr mentality or any length-rule. Better a buffet to choose from, please.

Readers CAN choose bits to read very easily,
we’ve all been trained how to glean, right? or peruse.
sometimes there’re indents, bold, underlines, fonts
sometimes with ~abstract + detail
that some writers put huge efforts into (do you know why?),
like friends cook a buffet to try to please friends, to pick and choose.

No way to please all readers. Concept of majority is questionable.

tl; dr is a popular dismissive putdown, that you did not conform to their arbitrary rule so you’re dismissed publicly to be laughed at. Why not just not read.
Cook a buffet for friends to choose from, even to not eat, and the tl;dr rubbish it.
Do we boo the cooks or these few putdown-ers?

If 1 reader goes on to do something effective, or benefits, the writing’s effective.

Cheers

[xelasnave]

I have been thinking about the op, well not exclusively because I have been thinking about other things as well, but certainly some posts do seem too long to me but then I think its probably just me and then I realise that I also have a ha it of presenting, what some would call a long post, but sometimes I just get carried away and the words just keep pouring out and although I fully intend to go back and edit sometimes I forget or the phone rings, with some telly marketer who tries to tell me that my computer has a virus to which I say "but my computer isnt on the net" and such an interuption can cause me to forget to formate or make my post easier to follow also I find other interuptions cause me to say to myself "oh damn I will just post it an d fix it after I read it on the forum then after I do that and I see it it seems too long and I lose interest hoping that if anyone is interested they will take the time to sort thru it also I think to myself some folk probably enjoy trying to figure out what the heck I was talking about which often is not really all that important so again I may not bother whereas other times I spend a great deal of time to format and even check the spelling which often I find neefs aftention maki g me realise I wouldbe better not rushing which is probably the real problem but who knows nevertheless I try to keep things in a one sentence format even at the risk of being a little too brief.
Alex:P

[torana68]

I think if you can answer a question in a sentence or two do so.Another forum I'm on a guy asked a simple question in relation to settings. Another guy posted a huge thing about everything around the question including some side issues and a bit of history, everything BUT answer the question. I asked if he could answer the guys question in a sentence or two and received another paragraph that I didn't read...... technical discussion , different thing , just don't waffle ..... (the guy with the simple question has not returned to that forum :( )

[csb]

Thanks for reply Sol.

The tone that tl;dr conveys is not one that I subscribe to. A few folks posted that comment in this thread as a joke, I assume. I had never seen it before.

So my post is just a community awareness notification.

I wonder how many other people skipped reading Alex's comment? And not because they considered it too long :D

[Atmos]

I REALLY struggle to skim poor spelling and grammar!

[JA]

That is a criticism up with which I would not put..... :D

Best
JA

[xelasnave]

I am sorry you wont find any joy in my posts.
I offer no excuses I am just slack.
But I am in a hurry even when I am not which does not help.
If I used a real key oard it would be a little better.
Alex

[xelasnave]

It was nonsence posted so one could skip it.
Alex

[DJT]

I read it in full out of pure loody mindedness..

Apologies for dodgy key oard...

[sharpiel]

Some people just have to poke sticks into cages...

[sharpiel]

I NEVER skip any of Alex's posts. They're my crystal...

[ZeroID]

Variety is the spice of life. To each his own.

And a bunch of other clichés

Remember, you have a choice. To read or not read, that is the question