New Minimum Character Count For Replies.

reply to post by Springer


Hey, that post has too few characters, are you trying to circunvent the system?

Or do you have a special character booster button on your control panel?

PS: how is the knee?

reply to post by Ant4AU


i think the post was on topic and funny also

i guess those people who write social commentary in a sarcastic or ironic fashion would not be welcome here

some of them have received Pulitzers for their talent

Against Trenchant Sarcasm

reply to post by Springer


I'm still trying to figure out how to do the 'quote' thingy....I have been a 'victim' of this procedure so many times...I happen to think this is a 'tool' that is mis-used to excess...

While I applaud the efforts taken to require more thoughtful replies, it is a great step forward. However, the clever ability of some to "slice and dice" another's post has been used so often that I get headaches trying to follow the intent of the Original Post!!!

I see this ability to be akin to 'quote mining'....but on a more clever scale.

One can 'peel apart' anothers' post and twist it into something that doesn't even begin to represent the original concept....

The Mods cannot be everywhere, of course. They are only Human, after all...so, I see your point, SO.

I just hope that the community that IS ATS will come together to realize that it is really....as I sign on...just a few hundred individuals at any given moment.

This is a Forum that must be protected. Because it is important to remain free of the junk that some other webites promulgate....

Removed as I misunderstood who the question was posted to.

Sorry, its been a long day.

[edit on 4/12/2009 by defcon5]

Reason I like ATS is the various contributions of mostly very erudite comments that add to the mix of the discussions.

So, it is a perfectly acceptable response to the 'few' who may have sullied the ATS....

I think I understand what SO is attempting...and I approve.

*EDIT*....I am just reading Defcon's post....I am still digesting.....

[edit on 4/12/0909 by weedwhacker]

has any thought been given to the conflict created by digital trends?

twitter won't let you post over 140 characters

phone texts are by necessity very short

this forum demands content longer than what an entire generation is becoming acquainted with?

I think this is not good. It means that someone with nothing to say will *pad pad pad* until they have the proper character count - of NOTHING to say.

Whereas someone with "look at www.etcetcetc.etc for the smoking gun!" Will not be posted until they PAD PAD PAD to get their point posted, and their point will be lost in the noise of the thread.

Sometimes ALL that is needed is one line, because more than one line is all it takes to be glossed over, for some people.

Things werent great the way they were, sure, but they worked for people like me. Now I have to wade through many lines of crap to find out if the posters point is worth remembering or ignoring.

I honestly do not think that one line replies have ever been a bad thing. They take less than a microsecond to glance over and ignore forever.

And the one-liner nazism only serves to make a bad job worse, on both sides of this website.

Wrong thread.

[edit on 12-4-2009 by logician magician]

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍Whoops, sorry about that.

reply to post by cranberrydork


The idea is that ATS by nature is a site of intellectual debate. Now, what you consider "Intellectual" is entirely perceptional but it doesn't change the purpose of ATS. When posting, the posts should contribute to the flow of conversation given the topic of the thread. If we allow postings in txt short hand, one line and two line posts, then ATS is no different then any other board. It also dissuades true contribution to threads that get swamped in one line and two line posts.

No one is saying you have to post a novel to each and every reply you make. They are only asking that you take the effort to make your post a part of the conversation, to further the topic with some form of content. One and two line responses of "mhmm, that's right, I agree with them, etc" is not content, it's a waste of space.

--just my opinion of course.

[edit on 4/12/2009 by Rockpuck]

Now Springer, you are going to have to fix the "edit post" code to have the same character counter.

Because someone can post a bunch of useless characters, and then go back and "edit post", and then fix what they wrote to have less characters.

My next post will be a test of concept, think of me like a beta tester k?

test

[edit on 12-4-2009 by 0nce 0nce]

Yeah "edit post" needs the same code.

[edit on 12-4-2009 by 0nce 0nce]

[edit on 12-4-2009 by 0nce 0nce]

And a verbose, lengthy, boring reply such as this really adds to the whole conversation. Wow, never seen this on other rational forums.

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reply to post by Rockpuck


et tu Brute?

the rule makes trash of the ability to write pointed, cogent comments

dumb 13 more spaces

reply to post by scooterstrats


I personally am glad that you don't see rules such as this in other forums. It makes Abovetopsecret more unique, and creates a haven for those that add true content to come to this site. Many like my self have assembled a residency here simply because it's an excellent place to partake in decent lengthy conversation about "obscure" topics. I personally look over shorter posts unless it's a member I know, I prefer the long posts with originality, rich content, and is personalized with that individuals take on the subject. If you take the time to read other peoples opinions your more then likely to come to a better understanding of your own opinions on various topics.

I'm kind of shocked that so many are angry at this new change, and the number of one and a half line responses on a thread about not posting one and two line posts.

reply to post by Smack


its the new ATS haiku

make your comments in

exactly 200 characters

not a single space more

or be bad.

The limit appears to have been taken down to one hundred now, thank you that should be fine to ensure impulse replies get cut down, but ones worth posting still get through.