Survey: Limiting Number of Posts and Length

[KathyK]

Alla:

>I was looking at the survey and thinking that maybe voluntary limit 
of the posts per day is a GOOD idea.
 
>Meaning that if let's say the limit is five posts per day, the 
sixth post by the same poster will not be deleted, but this poster 
will receive some kind of warning... I don't know.<

KathyK:

My understanding of a voluntary limit of posts per day versus the 
statutory option is that this is something the members would be 
encouraged to do, but wouldn't be strongly enforced by the List 
Elves.  Is that correct?

I think posting limits are a good idea so long as it isn't something 
the List Elves are going to have to spend lots of time dealing 
with.  

I'm going to use Alla's example of 5 posts per day.  If most people 
adhere to this guideline most of the time, that's good.  I don't 
think, though, people need to be sent any warnings if they go over 
the limit.  For one it would cause all sorts of extra work for the 
Elves if they had to keep track of who posted how many messages per 
day.  And for another, say a member has a very hectic schedule and 
doesn't have a lot of time to spend here.  That person gets some 
time on Saturday to dedicate to HPfGU.  (S)he has quite a few 
messages to respond to because they've been piling up in his/her 
mailbox.  This person shouldn't be penalized for writing 9 messages 
instead of 5.  

Or if you've posted your fifth message and someone then comes out 
with an idea you just *have* to respond to, 'cause that happens 
sometimes.  

However, if somebody is breaking the five message guideline almost 
daily, that is something that could maybe be dealt with perhaps with 
a gentle reminder that while it's not an absolute rule to post only 
5 messages per day it's something much appreciated by all members to 
help keep list volume down.  

If the result of a posting limit is more combined posts, which I 
don't think will necessairly occur, I personally would find that 
more irritating than a high number of posts.  It would be much more 
difficult to track threads with so many combined messages.  I don't 
mind combined threads at this point because they're infrequent.  

Estrilda said:

>It would be optimal if there were an archive, preferably one where 
the authors would have to figure out what category their 
dissertation fell into and store it with the other treatises on 
similar subjects. Then, a short summary could be posted on the main 
list and folks could go read it.<snip> I vote for a maximum 300-word 
limit for each post on the main list. Maybe it would even encourage 
self-editing.<

KathyK:

I think your archive idea is very good for those people who have 
written "very large posts" with "a lot of research."  But I would 
also like them still posted to the Main List.  Just how I prefer 
things, I suppose.  

I do, however, object strongly to the suggestion of a maximum limit 
on the number of words a post can have.  It would be a difficult 
thing to keep track of.  Additionally, it would put me off posting 
altogether.  I believe most of the messages I post go over your 
suggested 300 words, with the exception of the posts I make to find 
a quote or to correct a perceived mistake someone has made with the 
canon.  This post, for example, exceeds 300 words easily.  

The message I posted on the main list earlier today, if I strip away 
all quoted material and attributions, still comes out at 662 words.  
I'll bet I'd find a lot of my old messages are at least that long.  
And I rarely write messages that begin threads.  All of my long 
posts are responses to other members' messages and would have no 
place in an archive for essays as they're part of an ongoing 
discussion and not an essay.

And to change the subject...

In the survey there was the following option that I piqued my 
curiosity:

>I feel I have to post quickly before anyone else jumps in with my
idea<

When OoP was released I felt this way.  Back when I was new and 
people were posting like crazy.  I just *needed* to get my ideas out 
there first so I spent inordinate amounts of time sitting at my 
computer making sure I was on top of my inbox so I could get that 
response out immediately and be the first.  

Was this a product of the excitement of OoP's release or because I 
was new?  I don't know.  I do know that it doesn't matter to me 
anymore.  If there's a thread I want to post to and someone's 
already beaten me to it with the same ideas, great!  It means I have 
some more time on my hands.  If not, I'm happy to play with the 
thread.  I'm curious to know others take on this particular one. 

Just some (useless) thoughts ;-), 

KathyK