Answer Length Restrictions

[allenlondon]

Some (only a few) answerers bang on and on, and are obviously competent touch-typists. Their answers are sometimes interesting, more often just words upon words.

Is it time for a restriction on the length of answers, to say 300 or 400 words? Or maybe something more sophisticated, like everyone getting 1000 words a month, and after that, they shut up!

It might make for better answers, at least more thought out and succinct.

A

[aelmpvw]

1000 words would only last some abers a week . . .

[Sqad]

Totally agree.
If one is answering a question........just answer it.
If it is a point for debate then close the thread after 100posts

[ladybirder]

I agree. But only for certain posters to be chosen by me and mods can be included.

[dannyk13]

I don't think the Eds will be wanting to count the words in long posts.It's not really feasible.

[pixie374]

Lol, no. Would be a bit pointless on a chat site.

[ladybirder]

ael - or one poster, one post!

[aelmpvw]

:-)

[naomi24]

There is a restriction on the number of words per post - but I've forgotten what it is.

[dannyk13]

LB //or one poster, one post!//
In what time level, an hour, a day, a week?

[Cloverjo]

No, you don’t have to read all the answers. There are some I skim through - mentioning no names ;) But someone might want to read through the whole caboodle.

[barry1010]

The OP is a bit long winded and the point could have been made in 2 short sentences.

[woofgang]

I think there is a post limit but its a big one. Its needed sometimes when someone asks a "how can I" or 'what's the best way" question. The limit did used to be shorter IIRC but all that happened was that people would post so much, then put "cont" and add another answer with the rest of their reply.

[woofgang]

naomi I have a feeeling its 5000 words but couldn't swear to it

[THECORBYLOON]

NAOMI, there's not a word limit but there is a limit of 4,000 characters.

[jim360]

There's a character restriction, 4000 characters. But I don't agree that there should be a stricter limit. Sometimes (rarely) it's genuinely necessary to have a long answer, for an issue that is complex.

Obviously, I have some level of vested interest in keeping things as they are (or even making the character limit larger!), but most people don't notice the limit, so I'd say that on balance it's already set at about the right place.

[pixie374]

Woof, does that include answers? I've only noticed it in the actual OPs so far.

[THECORBYLOON]

That's 4,000 characters per post.

[andy-hughes]

I think we have 2,000 characters to get our thoughts down.

It used to be 200 years ago, obviously the powers-that-be have decided to give free reign, so they are not likely to cut it down again.

People have the option to read or ignore anything and everything - additional restrictions don't help or hinder that.

[pixie374]

Ah :-)

[naomi24]

I think it works fine as it is.