# Why all the "(long)"s? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 4, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525 "2003-01-04T00:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/1 "2003-01-04T00:25:17Z")
What is the point of putting “(long)”, " - long ", or some variant thereof after your subject line? What possible problems could an overly long post cause? It’s just text - it downloads at basically the same speed whether you’re on a cable modem or a 56k. If this belongs in ATMB, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/2 "2003-01-04T00:29:57Z")
Many people do it in case there are people (like me) who are often too lazy to read a very long post. At least, that’s why _I_ appreciate the warning. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/3 "2003-01-04T00:31:05Z")
I don’t think it has anything to do with downloading. Some people wouldn’t have the time or the patience to read an increadibly long OP, so writing ‘long’ is sort of a warning not to click on the thread unless you’ve got some time. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/4 "2003-01-04T00:48:31Z")
It cracks me up when I click on one of these “long” threads, and am presented with about three paragraphs, taking up maybe 2/3rd of the browser window. Not all that uncommon, either. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/5 "2003-01-04T02:03:22Z")
The “long” notification isn’t so much a warning length – since it only applies to the first post. Seeing the number of replies is more of an acid test, for me. If there’s a fairly well-trodden subject with 2 pages of responses, I’ll often give it a pass, assuming that: a) most of the major points have already been made, b) that the discussion has a high probability of having become complicated and convoluted. The “long” notification in the SDMB means to me: somebody’s rambling, and they want to warn others it’s not a coherent post. I almost never open the “long” threads. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/6 "2003-01-04T03:31:21Z")
yes ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/7 "2003-01-04T03:32:27Z")
Sorry, I also appreciate the long post warning, because I also suffer from laziness ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/8 "2003-01-04T06:10:12Z")
And so you see the “long” tag is a device to scare away lazy readers. And it works. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/9 "2003-01-04T06:35:10Z")
Off to ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/10 "2003-01-06T00:59:48Z")
> [@](#): > > And so you see the “long” tag is a device to scare away lazy readers. And it works. We don’t _like_ being lazy. We [Or I, at least] consider it a curse. ---
**Author:** ![Tradnor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@Tradnor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tradnor)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/11 "2003-01-06T06:05:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > **And so you see the “long” tag is a device to scare away lazy readers.** Or more often, to warn of lazy writers. It’s quite simple to perform a “brain dump” of jumbled thoughts into a lengthy post. It takes more effort to make one’s post as brief and clear as possible. “I have made this letter longer than usual, because I lack the time to make it shorter.” -Blaise Pascal ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/12 "2003-01-06T13:35:33Z")
\<\< Or more often, to warn of lazy writers \>\> Well, I dunno. I guess it depends on forum. If I see a tagline for a personal question in MPSIMS or IMHO that says “long”, and I’m only on for a few minutes, I can judge whether I want to read it then, later, or never. It’s not necessarily laziness so much as interest and time. For instance, a thread about “My colonoscopy (long)”, I’d probably decide not to read. Not laziness, just lack of interest. “My colonoscopy (short)” I might read just for the ewwww-factor. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/13 "2003-01-06T13:37:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tradnor \* > \*\*It takes more effort to make one’s post as brief and clear as possible. > > \*\* No, it doesn’t.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/14 "2003-01-06T18:26:18Z")
does ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/15 "2003-01-07T03:51:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*It cracks me up when I click on one of these “long” threads, and am presented with about three paragraphs, taking up maybe 2/3rd of the browser window. Not all that uncommon, either. \*\* Perhaps they are people like me, new to SDMB and used to other online communities where 2 or 3 paragraphs IS considered “long”?? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-long-s/146525/16 "2003-01-07T05:04:01Z")
Aren’t those called “chat rooms”? 😉