Posting on BitcoinTalk: how do I know when my post is "too long"?

[d.kevin29]

English being my secondary language, I almost always find myself in situations such as stating things using words that could be interpreted or just not being able to make my point across. That leads most of the times to the need of explaining my point so everyone would understand it the way I meant to say it.

However, I've started looking a little bit through my posts and honestly I have a little feeling they might be too long. I write very long posts and I am starting to doubt many are reading them, because reading 5 posts of mine would probably take you more than 7 minutes to read..

I really like writing and sharing my thoughts with this community, but I'd rather write shorter posts and have them read by more than have long-a$$ ones nobody would waste their time on reading.

So I wanted to ask.. how long is considered "too long" for a post? Are mine okay or should I write shorter ones? I'm trying to contribute as much as I can, but I don't want to turn my account into a wall of text nobody reads.

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[LoyceMobile]

It depends on the subject. I've made long and short posts.
In general: if you can say something with likes words, got should do it. Try shortening the above post for example, then post it again (as a new post).

[guigui371]

There is no such thing as a post too long.

If what you have to say is very long, then use some paragraphs and formating.

One thing that is quite cool is a bar like this one :



text text


The code is [  h  r  ] 

Also, if English isn't your first language, you could use something like Grammarly to autocorrect and improve the text.

[squatter]

There is no such thing as a post too long.

I disagree. I sometimes have a tendency to elaborate a lot -- perhaps excessively -- to get my point across. Sometimes I have to wonder, are people thinking "TL;DR?"

If you can be concise and still get your point across, do it.

[Lafu]

The maximum Characters you can do in a post is something around " 58311 "

You can use the Insert Code function to avoid long text walls if you want !

Code:

[code ][ /code]

But the most times i see posts that use the maximum on the Characters is from LoyceV
when he posts some stuff for statistics or some Usernames like this one https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4720640.msg53516701#msg53516701

Would for sure try to hold your posts as less as it can be as far you dont doing an guide for something !
Sometimes less is more.

[JeromeTash]

1. Just long enough to prove your point. Being precise but concise makes your post/reply so easy to read and understand.

2. Avoid reputation in the same post if you must. Some people write walls of text but even after reading through all you see are reputations with Zero meaning.

3.  Good text formatting, paragraphing and punctuation also make a post worth reading through even if it's lengthy in most cases.

[akirasendo17]

I think with the length of the post it does not neccesary need to ne too lang or short as long as it has sense, or they can understand what you are saying and they got your point onnthe topic its okay

[noorman0]

Your post wants to be read by everyone, right? You don't need to be a native speaker here. All countries have their own uniqueness in conversation and most of them are not native speakers. So that when their daily language is translated into English, it will produce different lengths which according to native speakers may actually be shortened. However IMO it doesn't matter as long as you get more readers who understand the poin of your posts.

To be honest I also often write posts that are too long despite having short points, for fear that everyone doesn't understand what I'm explaining, especially for those who aren't native speakers. So I made more detailed.

[mk4]

There is no such thing as a post too long.

I disagree. I sometimes have a tendency to elaborate a lot -- perhaps excessively -- to get my point across. Sometimes I have to wonder, are people thinking "TL;DR?"

If you can be concise and still get your point across, do it.

True. But a topic being "too long" or "just right" is really just subjective. Like, a 10,000 word post about the economic aspects of bitcoin would be great for me who's heavily interested in that topic, whereas it'd be too long for someone who's more interested in the technological aspect.

But anyway, in my opinion, if you like being heavily detailed on your topic, then go with it. As long as you're not just intentionally making it long for some reason. And probably add a tl;dr at the bottom for those who just want to get the main gist of the topic.

[BITCOIN4X]

~snip

That is right, sometimes we also need to clarify some of the points we mean so that readers can more easily understand them so that it is not uncommon for posts to be a little longer.

But we also have to pay attention that the writing is not too long and convoluted because there are some readers who pass through writing like this because they dont have much time to read it all.

I also often make posts a little longer because I have to explain a few points and so far I think it won't be a serious problem and this habit might be useful for ourselves.

[nydiacaskey01]

There are subject matters that can be explained in a few words and there are subject matters that needs to be explained in a hundred words. Both are ok thats why if you look at campaign rules, they ask you to post at least 75 to 100 characters. But it doesnt mean longer is better. You dont need to beat around the bush just to qualify for the 100 characters.

[rhomelmabini]

If you can't express it shortly there is no harm to do it more than that, as long as your post could be understood by the reader, that's all that matters. But a good post even when they're long do have to be some paragraphs rather than congesting it onto a single paragraph with 10 sentences around it, that's way not good IMO.

[Insanerman]

It actually depends on the topic you are writing about. Posting a long and short post has something to do with every topic

If the topic is all about Technical Stuff, I prefer to read posts that are concise and can clearly explain the complex topic into a simple analogy.

If it is a discussion like politics or any topic that needs opinion from other people then it maybe a good idea to construct a long post until you you can clearly explain your point.

The heck is "TL;DR"?

[joniboini]

The heck is "TL;DR"?

https://www.google.com/search?q=TL%3BDR
Loyce tips are good enough. Try to rephrase your own posts and see if you can make it more concise. Vocabs are important here so you need to work that out. For example, your OP could be something like this:

English is not my native language. Sometimes I can't get my point across because of my lack of vocabs, which is why I think my posts are repetitive and lengthy. I believe lots of people might not read them at all. I like sharing and writing my thoughts here, which is why I hope people read my posts.

Can you give me tips on how to be concise so people will read my posts till the end?

[pooya87]

it is also worth keeping in mind that people aren't so willing to read big walls of text on the internet. everyone prefers reading a shorter version that summarizes what it wants to say or in other words "gets to the point" faster specially if the post is more of a discussion or opinion rather than being technical explanation that needs to be long.

[Jet Cash]

If you think it is too long, then it probably is.

[Daniel91]

Well,  if some post is interesting people will read it.
We all have different characters and writing styles so it's difficult to compare.
I suggest you to be yourself and don't worry to much if your post is to long.
Just try to be direct and clear and everything will be fine.

[Taskford]

Are you worried to about the quality of your post? Well no need to worry since whether it's long or short it doesn't matter since if you post a relevant which is understandable and in topic it's ok you don't need to post a long paragraph just to impress people here remember quality is more good than quantity.

[NeuroticFish]

As long as the post is on subject (doesn't digress much) and it's well formatted, interested people will read it. Don't worry too much.
Of course, the better the formatting, the easier it is to read and it won't feel too long.

[Kakmakr]

English is my secondary language too and I tend to struggle with the same thing. I sometimes elaborate too much, when I can say something in a few words. So, now I have to type the post and then continuously go back to it to shorten it, so that it is easier to read.

My English is not that bad, compared to what I see on some of the things that are being posted here, but I have to put in the extra effort to review my posts to correct the grammar and spelling and to shorten my posts.

I think, as long as your posts are not one large wall of text, people will not mind. Try to keep it between 2 and 5 paragraphs to be safe, because that is easy on the eyes.