Would a minimum word limit help to eliminate some 1 or 2 line posts on MyLot?
By Ann LeFlore
@poehere (15123)
French Polynesia
November 11, 2015 12:20pm CST
I was wondering how people thought about having a minimum word limit for discussions. I know on forums or even on other writing site they require a minimum word count of say 100 words. I know most sites demand a lot more but this is just an example.
If the admin could configure the text box to not post discussion with fewer than 50 to 100 words this might help to control a lot of the post here. This would help a lot of people from having to report 1 line posts that are mindless and against the rules.
What do you think?
Would you be willing to implement a minimum word count of say 50 to 100 words?
I know each of us can write at least 50 words in a post to make it substantial and interesting.
Image - personal image
32 people like this
41 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
11 Nov 15
Exactly - those who take the easy way now would then also.
3 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
Words count as words and when sites calculate words emotions and number or lists with dots don't count.
Do you have a better idea how to stop a few of these posts? I am sure the site admin has more to do than sit there all day long deleting them. I know I don't report them but pass them by. I figured that someone else already reported them. I am sure the guys behind the site get tired of this but they are good about deleting them.
People don't read and they don't follow the rules. There could be one post when a person first signs up they have to read and agree to. There is several other ideas to stop one line posts. Do you have any ideas how this could happen on here?
2 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
@AbbyGreenhill Word count means words and not emotions or tons of numbers. Sites count words as words and over look emotions when counting words.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
12 Nov 15
Or adding gibberish. I like "word count" better than "character count", but not sure it would really solve things. Might just result in being called "my dears" more often to get to the word count. Or "youz guys". On the other hand it might eliminate some text speak abbreviations.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Nov 15
@GardenGerty I would always be in favour of anything that reduced that annoying text speak. I will not even use that nonsense if sending a text message.
The real issue is those mundane questions such as "What is your favourite colour?" etcetera. This often crops up with new members who are desperate to post a discussion and cannot think of a worthwhile topic. The only practical way to eradicate such nonsense is to simply ignore it and do not comment.
3 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
12 Nov 15
Having a minimum word limit only indirectly addresses the real problem, which is discussions which have no substance or fall into the other categories already covered by the Guidelines. I don't, therefore, see any value in introducing what would be, in essence, an irrelevant and unnecessary rule. If you read the Guidelines carefully, I think you will see that everything which such a limit would discourage is adequately covered already.
7 people like this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
12 Nov 15
@poehere Some of the issue is from people who are desperate for any penny and do not think that waiting will help them earn.
2 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
Yah I did read the guideline the first day I was here before I ever posted or knew what this site was about. I signed up and spent a few days looking it over and seeing how it worked before I posted or even commented on anything. I started off commenting on the site before I ever wrote up a discussion. I guess I am strange and do things differently and not like others. But I would rather know what I am doing than post a lot of useless questions that are already covered in the guidelines.
3 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
Yes I do. But also consider the rules in this case. A discussion has guideline and so many times they are broken because the person says something like this - good morning my friends on MyLot how are you today? Then they post it. Now that is not a discussion. You need more than 1 or 2 lines for a discussion. So 50 words is not very much at all and I know anyone can write this in no time. Even a small paragraph that has 4 lines can contain around 75 to 100 words. So what would be the problem and why would you be against this one? I think you could write 50 words easily.
3 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
11 Nov 15
Whilst I personally prefer a discussion to have a little substance, I don't think there's any riles about one line posts. If they start a discussion, well, that's what it's all about. We don't have to read the short ones if we don't want to.
7 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
@valmnz Yes you are right. Then on top of this it takes up a lot of space and most of them end up in no responses. So what is the difference? The site either deleted them or they sit here for years without a person responding to them. Sort of wasteful to keep them around.
4 people like this
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
12 Nov 15
Actually, mylot is different from other (blogging) sites, therefore, setting the minimum word limit may not work here. It depends upon the user how s/he wants to share his thoughts. If he is capable of expressing his views in minimum words, that is fine. However, I love to read those responses/comments which have some sum and substance, irrespective of their length. Some of the mylotters are so witty that they express the entire thought in just one sentence and some of the mylotters need few lines to convey their views.
2 people like this
. I've learnt to express myself from dear friends like you. @poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
Responses is one thing. I can answer in one line or more depending on the topic. But come on a post that says - I am new here any advice? I don't personally consider this a discussion. It is a headline and repeat in the post. They could of been a little bit more creative couldn't they?
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Nov 15
I think that some people would post a lot of rubbish if there was a minimum word count. If it was made in such a way that hundreds of question marks or smileys didn't count some people would just find another way to meet the limit. They would repeat the same words or sentences over and over instead of adding more details. I have seen many of those posts on sites that have a minimum word count. You can force people to write more words, but you can't force them to write quality posts.
5 people like this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
12 Nov 15
@poehere I am not sure where you are seeing the majority of these discussions that are so short. I do not seem to run into them very much, or maybe I just ignore them when they seem like they might be that way.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
@GardenGerty I just saw one yesterday. I am new here any advice? That was the post. I have seen some other ones but I won't get into this. A lot of short and really short discussion have been opened lately and then if you look again about 2 hours later they seem to have been deleted. I just think that is sort of a lot of work on the part of the site but I guess this is there job and they will need to decide on how to control this or not.
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
11 Nov 15
I guess that's not really up to us is it. I have no problem writing 500 words which I do on the blog I write for. Even with a min. number people will find a way to put out nonsense.
3 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
You might be right on this one but then we don't have to read one line that has less than 10 words in it. This can stop a lot of stuff. It is only an idea and I too don't have a problems to write more. I am just trying to figure a way that would add some substance to the discussion and not scroll down and find a lot of stuff that is only one or two lines. I wonder if the site would be interested in trying this one. It could save them a lot of time deleting posts and us reporting them.
4 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
11 Nov 15
@poehere Like I said, it's up to them.
4 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
11 Nov 15
@AbbyGreenhill Yes I know it is up to them. But it is also nice to see what or how others feel about this. If they think it is a good idea or bad idea and if they like to support this or not.
3 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50580)
• United States
12 Nov 15
I like that I can write as little or as much that I want.
4 people like this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
12 Nov 15
I think some people do the post in parts because they think it will help them to generate income as if it was a book where you have to read the 2nd one to know what happened. I usually don't read them when they do that it irks me. IE ten ways to make eggs. I expect to read about 10 ways to make eggs they might only tell you 5 and then make a part 2. When they do that I just don't read the post that have more than one part. I like not having a minimum but some people need it to avoid seeing the post like you mentioned with mindless stuff.
2 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
@lokisdad You are right. I don't know what to say about all of this but the proof in a lot of this post is found in no responses. You cant' make a person see how they are not getting anywhere when people don't bother to read their work
1 person likes this
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
12 Nov 15
You are so right. If I see an obvious spam post, I'll report it. Otherwise live and let live.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
Yes you are right. I guess I could be creative in 10 words or less but it does take some thought on this one and a lot of stuff some come up with is no thought process at all.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
12 Nov 15
Actually myLot did not give any world limit but it does prohibit Discussions, Responses or Comments that offer little or no value, so if you found a two-liner discussion that you think falls under "little or no value" then you can always report it.
2 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
Yes I understand this rule very well. But it still doesn't help a lot of time. I see so many discussion that are like this and I know many pass them up and some will report them. But still how can this change? What could stop this?
@allknowing (137548)
• India
12 Nov 15
Having limits would make us spend more time here. If someone chooses to post meaningless short lines they are not paid for that. or those posts could be subject to deletion.
2 people like this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
12 Nov 15
Do people here do that? One-liner posts? they probably mistook this for twitter. i don't mind a minimum number of words or characters. you're right it will help ensure the quality of the discussions. so, where do we send suggestions like this? i hope this gets to the authorities. (by the way that was a 50-word comment. still looks short. maybe 100 words is more fitting).
2 people like this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
12 Nov 15
@poehere it will "ensure" quality insofar as you will need to take effort to start a discussion. but the guy below is also right. you can just hem together a string of 100 words and still end up with a post devoid of meaning. i don't know. has it always been like this here? if this site has been here for years and never really saw the need to impose a minimum word or character requirement, may be it's not really needed.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
I see plus and minus in this topic. There are a lot of people who think this won't help and then there are a lot who do. Some think this will make people increase the rubbish they write while others feel it might help. So I guess it is a 50/50 idea so far and not sure if this will ever work or happen. It was just an idea and a way of bringing some of this out.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
12 Nov 15
I think one of the things that make myLot appealing to a lot of people is because there is no word limit, so you can still post a discussion regardless of the length. I personally am more inclined to read longer posts but if someone can make a discussion on point by writing just a few lines, that's fine with me too.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
12 Nov 15
@poehere Yeah I understand. It does get a little annoying sometimes when I see tons of posts from the same person within just 4-5 minutes and all of them are one liners. 
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
12 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 Yes I couldn't agree more. I am sort of getting tired of them too. I went through no responses the other day and one person stood out. They had so many posts that nobody even cared about, read, or answered. You would think if you posted this many discussion that nobody read they would get a clue by now and either delete some of them or change the way they posted on the site. But it doesn't change and it keeps piling up.
1 person likes this
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
12 Nov 15
No, I hope they don't do this. I really don't want them to be like "the other sites." People can just say what they want with no need to pad. If you don't like the short posts, then don't comment and they will wither away.
2 people like this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
11 Nov 15
Is this a problem? I've only been here a few days, and have not run across many short posts. I'm thinking that, if there is not much substance to the "discussion," not many people will respond. In that case, the post would not do the person any good. It seems like that would be self regulating. I'd rather not have any more rules than necessary.
2 people like this
