Bigger text limit for opening posts in Lolcow forums

[0 0]

I've written multiple OPs on various lolcows and one of the things I try to do my best with is keeping them up to date with any pertinent information as the thread develops, as I find it helps new users get a good starting point if the thread happens to grow to include dozens of pages. Perhaps I'm the only one encountering these issues or I'm just overly verbose, but this leads to myself often encountering text limit for opening posts and needing to trim or cut out sections entirely. This issue is especially troublesome even for subjects involving many images and videos because the code for the media included will also plink away at the text limit. It seems that heavily archived posts with multiple hyperlinks also inflate the text count at an incredible rate, too.

I'm aware that the current text limit is already huge, but this is something I've encountered consistently across all of my larger threads. If the issue is preventing large spam messages, perhaps this lightened restriction could only be limited to opening posts, certain forums, or for senior members? A much larger text limit will allow for much more intricate and detailed OPs, especially for threads which are extremely active.

 

[Arm Pit Cream]

I want this everywhere on the website, I've ran into multiple articles that are too long to post on A&N but are interesting. I run into the limit somewhat regularly.

 

[Dutch Courage]

I'd like to see OP's in general use more judicious editing skills. Some get very folksy and chatty instead of getting to the essential points. I think in a lot of cases, it is not a higher word limit that is needed but fewer words.

 

[Thomas Paine]

If you use the table function will it bypass the text limit?
You can use a 1x1 Table box to make a scrollable nested text within a post.

 

[White Baby]

Can you not double post for the purpose of the second post being for future updates? Or edit the OP to insert quotes from update posts that happened later? I love an in depth OP as much as anybody else but there is such a thing as being too wordy.

 

[0 0]

Can you not double post for the purpose of the second post being for future updates? Or edit the OP to insert quotes from update posts that happened later? I love an in depth OP as much as anybody else but there is such a thing as being too wordy.

That's what I try to do, but often times I can't, especially after the fact when a thread takes off. Quotes also take away from the text limit as well, unfortunately.

 

[{o}P II]

Is this a restriction with the forum software or something that @Null set?

 

[Mongo0o]

I agree with this. I had to continue my OP (on a now deceased cow) in the comments and link it to my initial post. I'm sure Null will soon join and explain why it can/can't be done.

 

[Spedestrian]

I'd like to see OP's in general use more judicious editing skills. Some get very folksy and chatty instead of getting to the essential points. I think in a lot of cases, it is not a higher word limit that is needed but fewer words.

I agree, but that's a pipedream. Concision is an uncommon skill, and we don't have the sort of collaborative editing system we'd need to help loquacious posters trim things down. Plus, even incredibly efficient OPs will eventually hit the limit and have to start omitting details.

To me this seems like another use case for Null's integrated wiki idea. People like having comprehensive lolcow histories that cover every major saga in detail, but these can be impractical to cram into an OP. If we had an integrated wiki page for each cow then we could put the full histories there and use the OPs for punchier elevator pitches that hit the highlights as quickly as possible.

 

[Daisymae]

Brevity is important. Learn to summarize and synthesize content while presenting the most salient content to support a thread.

People aren't going to read a 20 paragraph argument on why someone is a lolcow.

 

[Yaniv’s Hairy Balls]

Brevity is important. Learn to summarize and synthesize content while presenting the most salient content to support a thread.

People aren't going to read a 20 paragraph argument on why someone is a lolcow.

That’s good but that’s not exactly the OP’s point though, is it? Their point is that 1. There’s some articles in A&H that are too long (if people don’t know they must be copied word for word) and you can’t always get a double post in time so it’ll not only be broken up by being in 2 separate posts but will also have user’s commentary in between, and 2. When they are updating OPs for cows with a ton of content but maybe don’t have a sub forum (like Russel Greer) or just retarded amounts of content (like ALR), or who have been around forever (like DSP) then they’re updating and attempting to index the info for new users and people new to the cow. Some cows are almost fucking impossible to follow bc there’s so much content people have no where to start if they want to brush up on some current drama (like when Chris Chan and Potato Phil were sperging, it’s nice for users to have a primer) or just check out some sagas.
It’s nice to be able to get everything you need in one mega OP post with an index and a little info on each individual (phase/saga/drama whatever you wanna call it). I’ve seen a ton of people say they’d love to check out Russell Greer but have no idea where to start, same with Zinnia Jones and even this Dick Masterson/Ralph Retort/simp drama- it’s spread over like 4-7 different threads in addition to a containment thread.

 

[Daisymae]

2. When they are updating OPs for cows with a ton of content but maybe don’t have a sub forum (like Russel Greer) or just exceptional amounts of content (like ALR), or who have been around forever (like DSP) then they’re updating and attempting to index the info for new users and people new to the cow. Some cows are almost fucking impossible to follow bc there’s so much content people have no where to start if they want to brush up on some current drama (like when Chris Chan and Potato Phil were sperging, it’s nice for users to have a primer) or just check out some sagas.

Thats why you link to posts in-thread where major events happen, sorta as a list. If the OP is nothing but the content in-thread, then the thread sorta loses its point in a way. I get what you're saying, but even when you have these cows with long history, if you take an op and try to jam everything into it, then it becomes intimidating for new readers. In that case its best to have an op that briefly summarizes and then for major events have a list with a few sentences which link to those posts. Makes reading a whole lot easier.

 

[0 0]

Brevity is important. Learn to summarize and synthesize content while presenting the most salient content to support a thread.

People aren't going to read a 20 paragraph argument on why someone is a lolcow.

That works in so far as an opening paragraph. When I write, my primary objective when writing the opener is to allow people to be able to hop into the thread from it alone, but be able to read the paragraphs afterwards to get a better understanding if they're interested. If a person can't understand what makes a cow worth following and get a good idea of their major traits, then that's more the fault of the opening paragraph.

The way I see it, what follows the opening paragraph is meant to give context and document the person in question more in-depth than a simple synopsis at the start can do alone. I'm certain people would rather read a summary which takes 20 paragraphs to show all the major events surrounding a cow than pick through a thousand posts which mostly are just people's reactions or snippets which go nowhere. If a person gives up reading a long OP, that's a problem with the writing, not the length, and long posts do not make a boring read by default.

 

[Daisymae]

I'm certain people would rather read a summary which takes 20 paragraphs to show all the major events surrounding a cow than pick through a thousand posts which mostly are just people's reactions or snippets which go nowhere. If a person gives up reading a long OP, that's a problem with the writing, not the length, and long posts do not make a boring read by default.

gotta say youre being optimistic here. I've seen several threads where people will come in dropping content that was in a long-ass OP, asking questions answered in OP, etc. I have also in the past when similar discussions have come up seen people say the reason they don't want to get into some popular cows is because their threads are long and the OPs are too long to follow.

Like at the end of the day, threadwriting is something you do mainly for yourself and to contribute to the community, but at the same time, it is what it is -- people can only dedicate so much time and effort before they get winded reading about someone on the internet who shits their pants.

 

[Yaniv’s Hairy Balls]

Thats why you link to posts in-thread where major events happen, sorta as a list. If the OP is nothing but the content in-thread, then the thread sorta loses its point in a way. I get what you're saying, but even when you have these cows with long history, if you take an op and try to jam everything into it, then it becomes intimidating for new readers. In that case its best to have an op that briefly summarizes and then for major events have a list with a few sentences which link to those posts. Makes reading a whole lot easier.

That’s an excellent point and I certainly agree that could work, the only issue I could see with this is when there’s multiple things going on at the same time that could be confusing vs a succinct blurb/primer.

food for thought, thanks for the reply.

 

[0 0]

gotta say youre being optimistic here. I've seen several threads where people will come in dropping content that was in a long-ass OP, asking questions answered in OP, etc. I have also in the past when similar discussions have come up seen people say the reason they don't want to get into some popular cows is because their threads are long and the OPs are too long to follow.

Like at the end of the day, threadwriting is something you do mainly for yourself and to contribute to the community, but at the same time, it is what it is -- people can only dedicate so much time and effort before they get winded reading about someone on the internet who shits their pants.

I more strongly believe a person being intimidated by the presence of too much information is a much preferable failstate than a person who wants more information needing to jump through multiple hoops and zig-zagging across multiple threads and posts just to uncover what they want to know.

The other thing is one is more flexible and adaptive than the other. If an OP is too large, people can and absolutely will comment on it, allowing creators to adjust it as need be. It also encourages more community involvement. On the other hand, a text limit is an inflexible number and there's only so much verbiage and content that can be cut down before vital information gets lined up for the chopping block. And a large portion of the content adding to the word count are things which absolutely cannot be cut, like the code for hyperlinks to archives or attachments.