There have been a couple of topics I was interested in discussing, only to realize that the thread was up to several hundred replies. I didn't want to read them all (heck, didn't have the time!) and didn't want to cover points that had already been made, so I opted out.
What's the cutoff, though? I mean, if someone adds to the end of a 300-reply thread a point that had been well covered between replies 70 and 90, does the person new to the conversation get blasted for not reading what has already been done? On the other hand, does anybody expect a newcomer to a conversation to read over 1000 posts before commenting? Let's say you are lenient, though - how much? I mean, is it okay to ignore the 5 posts on a thread to make the same points?
Should someone read the OP and several early posts, or just the last 20 or so in a thread? At what point is it okay to make a brand new thread to discuss something that is already being discussed?
Lol, I'm not advocating more moderation or hard limits on thread lengths. Rather, I'm wondering what the etiquette is for this message board, as people see it.
As an example, I have been on forums where thread necromancy is a big nono, and you were expected to start a new topic rather than dredge up some thread that hadn't had a reply in over a month. I have also been on forums where it was a big nono to start a thread if there was already one with the same topic, and you were expected to do a search before starting a topic in case there was one that hadn't had a reply in over a month...
Different boards, different codes of conduct. So in general, on this board, how much of a long thread do you expect a newcomer to the topic to read before posting? How long is too long? And how much tolerance is there for posting new topics that are the same as existing threads?
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We don't mind thread necromancy too much but if the thread was going off the rails and everybody was full of grar, best to let that sleeping dog lie. So I'd say read at least the last couple of pages of a long thread to decide if it's the right place to post. The "add new thread" link is deliberately unobtrusive because I feel a proliferation of threads around the same topic is less useful than the alternative.
Also, I've moved this thread to website feedback since it's not really off-topic.
Also hard postcounts are a problem to play by post gamers as play by posts can get really long.
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Senior Software Developer
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Number of words in War and Peace: 560,000
Number of words in current FAWTL thread: 1,130,447
Number of words in all six FAWTL threads: 7,686,930
| 9 people marked this as a favorite. |
Number of words in War and Peace: 560,000
Number of words in current FAWTL thread: 1,130,447
Number of words in all six FAWTL threads: 7,686,930
Gary's last post: Priceless.
Man, now you've got me curious to see what the word count looks like in some of the top PbPs... :3
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Number of words in War and Peace: 560,000
Number of words in current FAWTL thread: 1,130,447
Number of words in all six FAWTL threads: 7,686,930
I know we are just that awesome. ;)
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How long does it take to read the first and last page? I say NO with moderation. The mere fact that there may be - lets say - 1000+ posts tells me that many on this site find the subject matter interesting, and they are showing their interest by participating.
The Mighty Thoth-Amon has left his mental signature
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Senior Software Developer
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The six longest threads, by post count, are all FAWTL.
Number of words in A Civil Religious Discussion: 1,885,932
Number of words in Chronicles of the Silver Rose Company: 947,949
Number of words in Ask James Jacobs All Your Questions Here: 926,331
Number of words in Aubrey's Eberron campaign: 844,336
Number of words in Heathy's Isle of Dread: 522,799*
*Heathy's campaign got busted into multiple threads for reasons similar to why we have six separate FAWTL threads. This count is just for the most recent incarnation.
The six longest threads, by post count, are all FAWTL.
Number of words in A Civil Religious Discussion: 1,885,932
Number of words in Chronicles of the Silver Rose Company: 947,949
Number of words in Ask James Jacobs All Your Questions Here: 926,331
Number of words in Aubrey's Eberron campaign: 844,336
Number of words in Heathy's Isle of Dread: 522,799**Heathy's campaign got busted into multiple threads for reasons similar to why we have six separate FAWTL threads. This count is just for the most recent incarnation.
Wow. That's pretty awesome.
What about the oldest thread that still sees some action?
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Number of words in War and Peace: 560,000
Number of words in current FAWTL thread: 1,130,447
Number of words in all six FAWTL threads: 7,686,930
SWEET!!!
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Senior Software Developer
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What about the oldest thread that still sees some action?
That's a little harder to decide because old threads get resurrected all the time, but there are 10 threads with more than 5,000 posts, active in the past 30 days, that were created over two years ago. Threads not already counted above:
Age of Darkness: 839,723 words (April 2007)
Valgrymr's Homebrew: 816,121 words (April 2008)
Aubrey's Rise of the Runelords campaign: 463,903 words (April 2007)
Seeker's Pathfinder Savage tide: 432,123 words (June 2008)
The Angry Jack Cult: 323,438 words (September 2008)
Raise of the Poodle Lords: 272,946 words (September 2008)
A note about methodology: I'm only pulling long threads by number of posts, so conceivably I'm missing some threads with lots of words crammed into a smaller post count. The "words" count is technically a count of spaces between words.
Any chance of a leaderboard? Maybe with some descriptions for the newcomers?
To answer the OP. Wednesday! threads are too long on Wednesday.
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what is the FAWTL thread i tried to read it but got bored
what is the FAWTL thread i tried to read it but got bored
It is the thread that has not died, and shall not die.
It started as a complaint about thread length, much like this thread.
To answer the OP. Wednesday! threads are too long on Wednesday.
Just don't post after midnight...
I'd say about post 25 the thread is getting too long. IMHO.
I thought you couldn't get it wet?To answer the OP. Wednesday! threads are too long on Wednesday.Just don't post after midnight...
That's Cosmo's Moustache.
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Never understood the 'after midnight' thing. Which timezone? Isn't it always after midnight the night before? How long do you have to wait until it's safe? Can you just set all the clocks back six hours, since time is a man-made invention?
On topic, hopefully the OP will not be scared off like the poster that started FAWTL. Some people just can't handle huge lengths.
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What about the oldest thread that still sees some action?That's a little harder to decide because old threads get resurrected all the time, but there are 10 threads with more than 5,000 posts, active in the past 30 days, that were created over two years ago. Threads not already counted above:
Age of Darkness: 839,723 words (April 2007)
My pbp game, yay!
I think its the oldest still active pbp game on the board ... by a few hours. :-)
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Never understood the 'after midnight' thing. Which timezone? Isn't it always after midnight the night before? How long do you have to wait until it's safe? Can you just set all the clocks back six hours, since time is a man-made invention?
On topic, hopefully the OP will not be scared off like the poster that started FAWTL. Some people just can't handle huge lengths.
That's insane troll logic.
;)
I thought you couldn't get it wet?To answer the OP. Wednesday! threads are too long on Wednesday.Just don't post after midnight...
That's Cosmo's Moustache.
I need watering and fertilizer every day.
Never understood the 'after midnight' thing. Which timezone? Isn't it always after midnight the night before? How long do you have to wait until it's safe? Can you just set all the clocks back six hours, since time is a man-made invention?
On topic, hopefully the OP will not be scared off like the poster that started FAWTL. Some people just can't handle huge lengths.
My answer here is the same offered to critics of per-diem magic abilities: celestial rotation.
IT IS WEDNESDAY!!! This thread is too long!!!!
My answer here is the same offered to critics of per-diem magic abilities: celestial rotation.What point of the rotation?
The magic one.
On topic, hopefully the OP will not be scared off like the poster that started FAWTL. Some people just can't handle huge lengths.
Nah, I just have an erratic orbit - I wind up on the forums for a few weeks, then go quiet for a few months.
Since it is Thursday this post is no longer too long.
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Never understood the 'after midnight' thing. Which timezone? Isn't it always after midnight the night before? How long do you have to wait until it's safe? Can you just set all the clocks back six hours, since time is a man-made invention?
On topic, hopefully the OP will not be scared off like the poster that started FAWTL. Some people just can't handle huge lengths.
o.O
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I agree with the OP. I often find what looks like an interesting topic, only to be discouraged by the low signal-to-noise ratio. And Fawtlies are noisy. :P
The new favorite system may help. It's easy to find favorited (?) posts while scrolling quickly through a thread. If people favorite answers they find helpful, it makes life easier on casual browsers.
"Favorite" has just been verbed.
P.S. - We have the best PostMonster General EVAR.
what is the FAWTL thread i tried to read it but got boredIt's the home of FAWTLY Gang. We beat up other posters, and go through their avatar's pockets for loose homebrew rules.
And brains and hearts... don't forget the important stuff.
