# Can we please change the minimum # of characters in a post to 2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806 "2020-06-30T16:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/1 "2020-06-30T16:12:35Z")
Currently the minimum number of characters to post is five; I’d like that changed to two, please. For one thing, it prevented me from posting 42 in the “Answers Only” thread. For another, it prevents a post from being an emoji. For a third, many common internet abbreviations are fewer than 5 characters. I just had to append FTFY because it was only 4 characters, for instance. I know it’s a very minor issue, but can we please change the minimum number of characters for a post to 2, like it was before the Migration? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/2 "2020-06-30T16:22:38Z")
So _that_ is why my “What is your favorite number between 1 and 99” thread went nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/3 "2020-06-30T16:28:55Z")
😉 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/4 "2020-06-30T19:04:41Z")
Nm-So now I have to type out neverfuckingmind? Or WTF! This is a bridge too far. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/5 "2020-06-30T19:08:45Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > For one thing, it prevented me from posting 42 in the “Answers Only” thread You could have spelled it out. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/6 "2020-06-30T19:10:09Z")
42    ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/7 "2020-06-30T19:11:34Z")
Okay, it’s a cheat. Three forced spaces. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/8 "2020-06-30T20:00:54Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > For another, it prevents a post from being an emoji. And if there’s one thing this board needs, it’s emoji-only posts. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/9 "2020-06-30T20:20:04Z")
The board was designed to let you “like” a post, and wanted you to only create a new post of you had something substantive to add… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/10 "2020-07-01T05:02:38Z")
      ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/11 "2020-07-01T05:07:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And if there’s one thing this board needs, it’s emoji-only posts. and “FTFY” posts. Geez. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/12 "2020-07-01T05:14:45Z")
The minimum on the board was 2 characters before the Migration and that didn’t seem to be a problem for anyone. I’m just asking to change it back to the previous standard. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/13 "2020-07-04T08:40:32Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > just had to append FTFY because it was only 4 characters, for instance. On another site, I saw it rendered as “T,FTFY” – the first word being “there” ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/14 "2020-07-08T21:42:05Z")
🙃 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-change-the-minimum-of-characters-in-a-post-to-2/913806/15 "2020-07-14T03:24:52Z")
Make it longer, use 'edit" to shorten it, Reply 'nm 12345678" and send. Then Edit, delete the numbers, and re-send.