Warning: this is not a rant

**Alan H** · 6th April 12, 09:50 PM

Note to my friends and colleagues on X Marks: The degree of intensity/anger/conviction/passion/etc in a post or series of posts has no correlation whatsoever to the number of words or paragraphs in said post. A short post does not necessarily imply casualness. A long post does not necessarily imply foaming at the mouth and pounding upon my desk and keyboard.

# of paragraphs does not equal intensity of anything.

Thank you.

PS: I'm not the only one who sometimes writes long posts with complete sentences, and who remains calm while doing so, even in potentially stressful and contentious threads.

(Well, relatively stressful and contentious... after all, it's just an online forum about kilts)

Y'all have a good weekend.

**Mickey** · 6th April 12, 10:14 PM

Alan, you are a maniac. Good or bad, fun or annoying, I always look forward to having to/hate to having to, read your recent comments, rants, advice, complaints. It is always entertaining, no matter which way the humor lies.

**Father Bill** · 7th April 12, 03:13 AM

There's a wonderful line in a one-man play series going around Ontario, called Letter from Wingfield Farm. In this play, an extremely elderly horse-wrangler is training the neophyte farmer's horses to be a team. They take off with the old chap at the reins, and he lets forth a stream of profanity that, while delightful to this priest, would make a stevedore blush. The line is: "The horses stopped. I don't think they had ever heard anyone swear in complete sentences before."

Go for it Alan; you're the best!

**McElmurry** · 7th April 12, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Alan H

A short post does not necessarily imply casualness. A long post does not necessarily imply foaming at the mouth and pounding upon my desk and keyboard.

Width is important as well...or so I am told.

Actually, I measure the length and width of a post and if the aspect ratio exceeds one, I don't read it.

Threads are supposed to be conversations. I try to fight the urge to say everything in one post.

**opositive** · 7th April 12, 07:57 AM

terse is terrific

**Dale-of-Cedars** · 7th April 12, 08:20 AM

Concise

**McElmurry** · 7th April 12, 10:13 AM

Apt..

**kc8ufv** · 7th April 12, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by McElmurry

Width is important as well...or so I am told.

Actually, I measure the length and width of a post and if the aspect ratio exceeds one, I don't read it.

Threads are supposed to be conversations. I try to fight the urge to say everything in one post.

I agree and apply this logic to most of the forums I visit. Also, I tend to read this on my droid, so sometimes things are narrower than on a browser...

**tundramanq** · 7th April 12, 11:08 AM

I tend to ramble, but I try to stay on subject and flesh out the confuse-able ideas. Unless I'm peeved or rushed then it's short, better thought out and sweet.