Word Counts - Writers Forum

Sand · 01-11-2006, 10:24 AM

Hello folks,

I presume this is the right place, since this is a suggestion.

I frequent the Critique forum and have posted pieces there a couple of times. Often, the pieces submitted are quite short, but sometimes they're quite long. I don't mind either one, but sometimes would like to be able to quickly see "the long and the short of it", as it were to help decide what I have time to read and consider.

My suggestion is this: posters could put the word count in the title of their post, thereby letting people know how much time commitment may be required reading it.

If you're only in the mood to read short stuff, it's easy to find, and if you have the time to give a critique of something more lengthy, you'll be able to find those easily as well.

Farror · 01-11-2006, 03:58 PM

They could do it by themselves if they wanted to. As a rule, it would be difficult to enforce.

It's just as easy for a user to follow the link, briefly scroll through it, and judge the time comitment for themselves.

Pawn · 01-11-2006, 05:39 PM

It would be splendid to have word counts display as a column in the forum view, but would be too much work unless vB handles post word count information as an in-built variable. Only Chris can answer that.

Enforcing word counts in subject lines would not for me be a productive expenditure of staff time. Not a bad idea all the same. Anyone is of course free to adopt the method.

mammamaia · 01-11-2006, 05:41 PM

i have to agree with farror... i know this is an impatient, 'do-it-for-me-and-quick' society we live in, but i think there's a limit to what we should expect the forum and/or others to do for us, that we can just as easily do for ourselves...

ross · 01-11-2006, 05:42 PM

I think for the longer pieces it's good etiquette. Sure it's hard to enforce but promotion of the principle might help.

Ilan Bouchard · 01-11-2006, 06:22 PM

I do it for all my pieces.

Do it for all of yours, and it may catch on.

I also post what genre the piece is.

ross · 01-11-2006, 06:27 PM

It's a good point and I've started to adopt it.
I'm sure it helps potential readers with their selections, although I haven't noticed any change either way in respondant numbers.
Good practice in any event I reckon.

Sand · 01-12-2006, 10:01 AM

I actually didn't really think of it as something to be enforced. You're all right, it wouldn't be a good use of time. I was thinking more along the lines of having it be a guideline that would be promoted by the forum (and mentors) as good practice and good etiquette.

For some people who write by hand then type directly into a post, counting words may be a hassle and I'd forgive them not including it (it would be a waste of their time too). But I do my stuff in Word so word count's a breeze - and I do include it in my posts, particularly if they're long.

If enough of us do it, maybe it will catch on.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Farror · 01-12-2006, 04:40 PM

We'll see. (2 words)

Pendulum · 01-12-2006, 09:59 PM

It would be easier if they just wrote a length. For example:

Short

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farror

We'll see.

As you can see, that was a short post, hence the "short" heading. It would avoid having to perform a word count, but also give the person heads up as to how long the post was.

Ilan Bouchard · 01-12-2006, 10:51 PM

But "short" is relative.

I prefer to think of myself as tall, but most call me "short."

The word count in the title has always worked for me in the past; some may adopt it for the convenience of others, but little else can be done.

Hodge · 01-12-2006, 10:54 PM

Word counts aren't very hard... You just go into your menu and pull up the "word count" thing. Word has it. Word clones have it. Appleworks has it.

And if your word processor doesn't have it?

http://allworldphone.com/count-words-characters.htm

Squirrel · 01-14-2006, 12:00 PM

I would like to suggest www.spellcheck.net, which not only counts words but (as you might have guessed) checks spelling, too.

Edit: And I always put a word count in the title. It's not hard.

Kira the wanderer · 01-18-2006, 08:09 PM

As helpful as that would be most people don't do that. I do it only when I really, REALLY, want someone to read it and even then you don't get much feedback. My stuff is usually long so maybe that's why...