Does the 5-word rule improve your outlook in writing?

[Mikéy]

This thought occurred to me earlier today when I had to write "posts" in class-room style forums for the sake of discussion of a chapter in a textbook, with a set minimum word limit by the teacher.

For us and our forums, we simply ask for a very meager 5 words per post, minimum. I now kinda see that rule as a stepping stone to being able to reach greater heights with ease, and feel as if posting with that in mind around here in turn helps me achieve those higher standards elsewhere. It was 100 words for an initial post, and 50 words in response to another person's post, and I easily doubled up both times.

Does anybody else share similar experiences? Perhaps with essays or reports that require pages instead of merely wordcount?

[Dashe]

I'd like to think it's improved mine, but I think I've been here too long to remember if I ever had to think otherwise. I don't even remember ever having to check to make sure I'd posted at least five words because I've just always had more to say than that. The idea behind the 5-word rule, that everyone should be elaborating on their opinions, has probably made it easier for me to hold a conversation (and conversely, easier to try and shut a conversation off with uncharacteristically terse replies).

That last paragraph, which I'd have normally posted as the standalone reply to your post, is 96 words long, so just as a benchmark I probably wouldn't really start struggling with wordcount until we started hitting hypothetical 100-word minimums. It's never made it easier for me to write a school paper, though. I just can't focus on those even when the topic's something really awesome like "Write at least five pages about why you're the most interesting person in this classroom," which has never been a writing prompt I've received. Going way overboard on a school writing prompt has only ever happened once in the instance of "Describe your dream house" in the seventh grade, which definitely occurred pre-MMLS and involved complex diagrams as well as a floor made entirely of a bouncy material that would safely cushion a jump from five stories up.

I'd really like to have been able to hear GustaffGlyde or Bureaucratic Model 1-3's opinions on something like this. They were only around for a short while in the beginning and didn't seem to have any trouble pushing the word limits in the archaic Proboards v3 reply field to their limits, and either of them would be able to post in circles around any one of us now besides MLT.

[Fatman X. Jones]

A rather uncouth and rebellious "Meh" is all I really want to say on the matter, but I suppose for the sake of recourse I shall elaborate upon my feelings towards it.

I don't visit here very frequently, a problem I mainly have because, well, I'm less interested in the "Legends" portion of Legends Station these days as I am in the "Station" side of things. I've dealt with my demons over MML3's cancellation, the one real conversation I would've had about Legends as a whole, and I suppose that's left me in this indelible haze over using the forums as frequently as I may have back in the day. But I regularly strive, I guess, to provide as much scintillating conversation as I can within the regards of the lesser-addressed parts of the forum, mainly so I don't seem as much like a lurker as I admittedly am. It could be supposed that, for me, it doesn't fill me with any real need to expatiate upon my skills in writing any more than I would the details of my day-to-day goings-on.

At least when I do post, I can try to sound as intelligent as I actually am, instead of letting loose the typical vernacular of a knuckle-dragging easily-sunburnt nerdy redneck like I do in instant messages or Skype calls.

[Buster Cannon]

Speaking as someone who joined MMLS at a fairly young age (14), the rules here went a long way in shaping the way I write. I tend to be a very thorough even in casual settings like text messages. The 5-word rule goes a long way in making conversations hold actual substance as opposed to 'yes-or-no' answers. Even for school papers, the writing standards here set a good precedent for grammar.

Even now, I don't think I've been to any other forum with writing standards like we have here. Kanzenshuu (a DBZ board) is the only one I can think of that comes anywhere close.

[ZEROrevive]

The 5 word rule has never had any effect on me to be honest- I've always had the habit of typing things in details and many words. Infact I've always grown used to lengthy posts everywhere....so thats just common sense to me more than just a rule. Seeing how alot of people go lazy on typing these days though, I can see how the rule is justified.

Regardless of my own habits, I still keep the rule in mind when typing here, and it does kinda serve as a reminder to "go the full length" with my posts sometimes...rather than just the required minimum. I guess in a way, it inspires.

[Deleted]

I tend to prefer giving long replies to certain topics, but there are times when I simply wanted to give a short answer without bothering to explain. The word limit had helped me to not be lazy when it comes to replies and opinions.

[EskimoOfTheNight]

Five word rule not help.

(JKJK)

Personally, If I have something to say, I tend to ramble on, so 5, 50, 100 words just fly by. If I merely want to offer congratulations, then I don't really need 5 words, but tend to use them anyways. Other sites I've used previously have a 10 character limit, so people would sometimes post one word answers, and then the phrase "10char" and there you have it. It was a pokemon site though, so half the time people wrote 10charmander...

[Dashe]

That 10char thing reminds me of a similar tactic someone once tried to use to get past this exact rule. It didn't work too well for him. Now if someone tries something cheeky like that we just file it under the "If you find creative ways around our rules, we'll find creative ways to punish you for it" stipulation.