# Minimum Post Length Is Set Too Long **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [April 17, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772 "2023-04-17T04:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/1 "2023-04-17T04:36:04Z")
_Sometimes_ the appropriate content for a post is a simple “yes” or “no.” Or even “Ew.” Please give us the option of posting appropriate responses. ETA: WITHOUT having to go through elaborate coding workarounds like the one that permits the inevitable smartass “No” that I’m anticipating this OP will inspire, please. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/2 "2023-04-17T04:43:07Z")
😉   ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/3 "2023-04-17T04:45:13Z")
🙇‍♂️   ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/4 "2023-04-17T04:50:58Z")
  ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/5 "2023-04-17T05:03:31Z")
In all seriousness, I agree that some of this board’s nanny functions are poorly thought-out and have unintended consequences. The notification for a new thread that “your topic is similar to …” is hilarious because it’s never even remotely right. Hard restrictions like no more than four posts in a row are a bit more understandable, but still obnoxious in threads whose sole purpose is to try things out in order to narrow down buggy behaviour, like with the current bug with posting YouTube videos. The nanny restrictions are essentially based on the assumption that posters are ignorant juveniles who likely have malicious intent. They are frustrating on a board like this where this is mostly not the case, and where such posters are quickly weeded out. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2023, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/6 "2023-04-17T05:25:39Z")
How many words do you think should be the minimum? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/7 "2023-04-17T13:56:04Z")
There are no minimum “words”. The limitation is on minimum **characters**. I’d say a proper minimum number of characters is 1. What if someone asks a question and the answer is 5? Just posting “5” is completely appropriate. Also, sometimes Discourse won’t let you post because it thinks you haven’t posted a complete sentence, which seems wholly ignorant about how internet communication works. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/8 "2023-04-17T14:01:49Z")
This goes back to the fact that software implements the biases of its developers, as well as the design intents. Which is a problem, because biases are often too deeply embedded to change. You can persuade a software designer that functional requirements need to be changed, but you will probably never convince them that a one character post is meaningful communication if they have the prejudice that it doesn’t. If the developer’s reason is nothing more than “I don’t like it”, the discussion is over. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/9 "2023-04-17T21:16:12Z")
One. Tried to post ‘1’ No go ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/10 "2023-04-18T00:07:12Z")
IMO the complaint is silly. My actual response is in the next post to demonstrate what an utter non-issue we’re whinging about. Q: Is the OP’s complaint worth fixing? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/11 "2023-04-18T00:07:19Z")
No. A ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/12 "2023-04-18T00:09:08Z")
The above post has no tricky coding, secret invisible goodies, or anything else; what you see it what I typed. An “A” is not a difficult burden to bear. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/13 "2023-04-18T00:20:37Z")
If you just posted that without the explanatory posts, though, it’d leave people wondering what the heck the “A” was supposed to mean. Did you accidentally hit “submit” too soon? It detracts from communication, rather than adding to it. ---
**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:** [April 18, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/14 "2023-04-18T00:30:46Z")
That’s why i write: No Characters for discourse ---
**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:** [April 18, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/15 "2023-04-18T00:31:21Z")
Which is stupid, and annoying to type. But at least it doesn’t confuse anyone who is vaguely familiar with the software. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/16 "2023-04-18T00:43:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It detracts from communication, rather than adding to it. Precisely. We complain about stuff that makes the board worse, because this is Site Feedback. It makes the board worse, and doesn’t serve any actual, objective purpose. So it’s absolutely worth complaining about and not at all silly. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/17 "2023-04-18T01:52:38Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Precisely. We complain about stuff that makes the board worse, because this is Site Feedback. > > It makes the board worse, and doesn’t serve any actual, objective purpose. And to the extent that the developers may be able to dredge up statistics or feedback that shows that many of their clients actually prefer nanny features like monitoring for minimum post length, maximum allowed consecutive posts, or pre-scanning for complete sentences etc I have a simple response. Arbitrary design features like this whose value is subjective should be configurable, not hardwired. Failing to make them configurable is objectively bad design. Of course for all I know maybe they _ **are** _ configurable – and I rather suspect that they are – and what we’re seeing are just the default settings, in which case we should all humbly apologize to the developers and direct our ire to SDMB management! 😉 ---
**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:** [April 18, 2023, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/18 "2023-04-18T11:22:04Z")
It is configurable. I just tested on my other Discourse site. I was able to post a single letter. That site has an admin who went through all the options and made choices when the site was started. I think this site mostly uses the defaults, except where the defaults have caused problems. More of a “let’s see if it works” approach. (Except of course this site stripped out the use of “likes” and almost all the “trusted poster” features, to maintain more of the style of the old site.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/19 "2023-04-18T11:35:52Z")
Thanks for checking. I tried to check it myself but all I could find was a long list of unsorted “how-to” instructions on mostly obscure subjects. Personally I don’t think it’s worth any great effort to change the default for this as there are easy workarounds. But the recent issue with posting YouTube videos is a bigger problem and seems symptomatic of an admin style that’s been pretty passive ever since we lost **TubaDiva**. Surely someone should be working with Discourse developers to address this. ---
**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:** [April 18, 2023, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772/20 "2023-04-18T11:38:37Z")
This one is probably easy to change, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-post-length-is-set-too-long/982772.md?page=2)