Noticing an increase in large quotes in thread replies...

We're seeing an increase in the number of members who are quoting entire large posts, and nested quotes of quoted quotes. Unfortunately, I've handed out a few quote warnings over the past few days.

I'd like to remind everyone of this thread:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Many people fall into bad habits from other discussion boards where massive quoting and one-liners can be quite common. We have higher standards on ATS, where minimal contributions are not encouraged, and repeat content needs to be managed.

Our desire to manage oversized quotes is not due to arbitrary aesthetics.

Large quotes, on a board our size, presents several issues...

1) Thread performance -- we're getting close to 200,000 page views a day, active threads with large amounts of unnecessarily repeated content (quotes) add to the overall file size of pages.

2) Server performance -- unnecessarily large quotes add to the size of the database and increase the amount of time it takes to query the data and format a thread for display.

3) Usability -- large amounts of repeat content can make it more difficult to read a thread due to increased scrolling and discontinuity of material.

4) Duplicate content -- too much duplicate content (quotes) can result in a search engine penalty, and has become a hot topic in search engine optimization circles as it relates to discussion boards.


Please do all users and readers of AboveTopSecret.com a favor and reduce the material you quote to the bard minimum needed as a reference for your reply.


Thank you.

Thanks for reiterating this SO. I had noticed it myself and am glad to see ATS stay on top of it.

One of the quickest ways to get me to skip a post and not read much of it is to quote huge amounts of text which I had already read in the above posts. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way.

wwn

edited for clarity

[edit on 4/6/07 by wellwhatnow]

Can I Quote You On That?

For technical help with quoting, be sure to check out How to Quote in the ATS Handbook.

If You Receive A Quote Warning

Please, DON'T give the moderator who warned you a hard time. DON'T say "you warned me, but not ____!" (quote warnings aren't public).

If you quoted a big old honkin' post without chopping it down and got dinged for it, the quote warning was justified.

If you believe you were truly warned unfairly (i.e., you trimmed a quote or didn't quote at all), you are always welcome to submit a Complaint/Suggestion . Include a copy of the quote warning U2U and we'll look into it.

It's Not Hard To Quote Properly

It just takes a little effort. The reward comes in the form of cleaner, easier-to-read threads for everyone.

And that's worth a little effort.

I'd like to plead guilty your honor,

I pledge to change and I apologize to any and all who may have been frustrated with my efforts to inform.

I will take more time and create my posts more in tune with the spirit of ATS.


What is my sentence......

Yes! Thank you! This is one of my biggest pet peeves with people on BBs like this.

At least the quoting doesn't get all screwed up with having a quote within a quote like on MySpace (blech, I'm only there because of peer pressure).

Things that equal a "Big Quote" and qualify for a token warning.

Quoting the post preceding yours (the one right above you) it makes no sense, and is probably the most common transgression in quoting.

Compound quoting, or quotes within quotes. Exclude all but the relevant text, and please, please don't quote yourself.

Massive post quote. Once again, trim down the text until you have what you are going to reply to. Ironically, it seems a massive post quote is often followed by a one line response.

Sometimes the BB Code seems daunting, but a quick look at the ATS Handbook should help you with any questions.

Yo, I'm Talkin' To YOU

Originally posted by Mirthful Me
Quoting the post preceding yours (the one right above you) it makes no sense, and is probably the most common transgression in quoting.

Although I do find it helpful to quote a small portion of a preceding post I'm responding to, even if it's the post directly above.

After all, in our fast-moving threads, a reply assumed to be for one member could find a completely different member posting first, leading to confusion.

Also, singling out the specific point I'm responding to makes it clear what part of the post I'm referring to.

But in all cases, quoting the entire post makes zero sense whatsoever, unless it's a very short post.

It's already in the thread. People can look if they need to.





[edit on 4/6/2007 by Majic]

Thank You for tthe information. I have seen threads with large qotes,but I don't think I have to worry I can't do the quote within a quote yet..lol if you understood that!

thanks for tellin and pmin.

I've probably been guilty of this a few times, though I try not to be. One thing I've done when I want to draw attention to a particular relevant point made above, when it is very long, is something like this:

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
We're seeing an increase in the number of members who are quoting entire large posts...

...

...Thank you.

In that way, people know what I am referring to, but I don't have to quote fifteen paragraphs to do it. Hopefully that's okay, but if it isn't, it's easy enough to quit doing.

The other thing to remember is not to quote things verbatim from other websites, both because a simple link normally suffices, and because of copyright issues. Quoting a line or a paragraph or so when it is relevant is fine, but when it is an external quote remember to use the 'ex' flag instead of the 'quote' flag.

From www.somewebsiteorother.madeup

Blah blah blah... whatever... blah blah... end of paragraph.

To do that, you put ex inside brackets [] at the beginning and /ex inside brackets [] at the end of the quote.

I usually hate when people do that, but since i saw so many doing it, I figured I'd do it just to save time writing about who im referring to. Its a good rule and will make reading much easer and my mouse finger less sore.

Will do, SkepticOverlord, I concur wholeheartedly. I will endeavor to make ATS a cleaner more effiicent board to discuss the broad array of subject matter that makes this place so great. I will comply 100%. It's an honor to meet so many diverse people to discuss so many fascinating subjects and I am a proud member.


--[Deny Ignorance]--

[edit on 7-4-2007 by carnival_of_souls2047]

i understand i dont remember using quote but ill have it in mind

I am so guilty of doing this exact thing myself. I do apologize for this and I strive to not quote everything that the poster has said. Sometimes I fail and quote a whole thing. More times than I can count I use the quote button so that I can remember what the person said. I sometimes however forget to erase the quote and so I get slapped for it.

This is my fault and I am sorry for it. I will endeavor in the future to continue to not quote excessivly.

Ok sorry point taken, but how do you get to explain anything? I am only trying to make thing's more clearer to the person reading it. Sorry for dribbling on though, but it's not easy when your a novice at all this.
Shall i start the book? lol

Originally posted by Majic
Although I do find it helpful to quote a small portion of a preceding post I'm responding to, even if it's the post directly above.

Yes, but I absolutley hate it when someone quotes the OP's post when they are the first post in the thread. Makes no sense at all. Especially when they quote the entire thing!

[edit on 7/4/2007 by enjoies05]

If there is any doubt about you you are addressing, there's always

@ member name here

That way it is clear which member you are speaking to.

Pastafarian or Rastafarian

Dutifully reading this thread on over long quotes, I was scrolling down when I came to a post which offered to debate the issue raised. Black humor, or a "jab" back to the ATS owners. Maybe innocent. But not much out of line. However, the poster used the handle, "Pastafarian" which is a new word for me. Lazily, I went to my WordPerfect 10 and looked it up. Nothing. Then I ran spell check, thinking I had mis-spelled the name. Spell check offered a variation on the spelling with “R” replacing "P" as in "Rastafarian."

I looked up that one and discovered it was a Jamaica origin religion holding the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie was the Messiah and that Africa’s blacks were descended from the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Ugh! A masochist. A persecution freak. The worst of all possible combinations, a black Jew. But that fitted with "Pastafarian" and the religious reference in his signature.

So I went back to the thread to verify or confirm that I had copied Rastafarian’s handle correctly. Viola! The post is missing! I have scrolled the entire thread 2-3 times and no post by Pastafarian is on the thread.

What happened?

[edit on 4/7/2007 by donwhite]

In order to simplify the posting process, the following rules will implemented when Mercury passes Jupiter's second coaxial orbit of the constellation Aries:

1. Posters will only be authorized to use quotes when evidence of alien abduction has been submitted in triplicate to Moderators.

2. One line posts will result in an immediate sending to bed without supper.

3. The practice of deleting posts on a random, unsupported, and meaningless basis will be expanded.

4. All initial postings for any topic will now be made to the "Trash Bin" forum, and only moved to other forums by Moderators (ultimately this will save time).

5. All posts criticizing the current US administration will be headlined - oh, wait a second, that rule isn't new.

6. The percentage of Moderators who have not completed secondary education will be increased from the current level of 99%.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
unnecessarily repeated content (quotes)

Where do you decide the line?

I mean, I like to quote a lot because on big threads most people won't read 10 pages before they join in a debate. I myself can find it a lot easier to skim over and the quote function helps to see two/three peoples arguements brought together which can save a lot of time I think.

I'm just wondering where the exact limit on this is?