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Other & Off-Topics => Bar & Grill [Public] => Topic started by: TimothyEllis on May 11, 2019, 02:29:55 PM

Title: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 11, 2019, 02:29:55 PM
What does TL;DR mean?

I keep seeing this more and more, and it makes no sense.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: angela on May 11, 2019, 02:34:54 PM
Too Long; Didn't Read
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 11, 2019, 02:36:53 PM
 :icon_eek:

Ok, have to remember that. Changes the usefulness of a lot of answers.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Tom Wood on May 11, 2019, 11:04:15 PM
It's most often used in response to a long thread, and is the only text in the response, saying, in effect: "Your post is too long so I didn't read it."

It has become so common that people writing long posts will add it to their own post along with a short summary, saying, in effect: "If you don't want to read my entire post, here's a summary."

It's also used as a sarcastic flip off that can be read as: "I don't respect your opinion, so I'm not even going to bother reading anything you post."
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Simon Haynes on May 11, 2019, 11:30:13 PM
It's been used on Slashdot for years. Usually because people don't bother to read anything more than the summary before they rush to offer their opinion.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: DmGuay on May 12, 2019, 12:45:05 AM
Am I the only one who sees this as a sad commentary on modern society??  :dizzy
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 12, 2019, 12:46:05 AM
Am I the only one who sees this as a sad commentary on modern society??  :dizzy

No. Because it is.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Simon Haynes on May 12, 2019, 01:42:42 AM
The thumbnail generation ;-)
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Anarchist on May 12, 2019, 01:44:19 AM
Am I the only one who sees this as a sad commentary on modern society??  :dizzy

I rarely read posts that exceed 100 words. Exceptions include posts by people who deliver a high signal-to-noise ratio (i.e. Amanda). I find most longer posts to be self-indulgent with a low signal-to-noise ratio.

I see several paragraphs and my first thought is...


(https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/793/1*8xraf6eyaXh-myNXOXkqLA.jpeg)

Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: angela on May 12, 2019, 04:10:57 AM
It's blunt, but does teach people they need to edit their rambling stream-of-consciousness outpouring of emotion to be more succinct if they want high quality feedback.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 12, 2019, 11:46:50 AM
It's blunt, but does teach people they need to edit their rambling stream-of-consciousness outpouring of emotion to be more succinct if they want high quality feedback.

I mostly see it on Quora, where the rule is never post a paragraph when an essay will suffice.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: LilyBLily on May 12, 2019, 01:44:58 PM
I hear that most people don't read beyond three paragraphs. When I see posts that are extremely long, or that have lots of bold, underlines, or italics, I'll just read the first few sentences--unless the post is by someone whose opinion I respect. 

I heavily edit what I post. As to the value of what I say, some opinions take space to explain. I don't sell enough books to justify being dogmatic and terse. 
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Dormouse on May 12, 2019, 08:11:20 PM
What does TL;DR mean?
Simple pointer to people following a thread that this post can be ignored because it will repeat what has gone before.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: angela on May 13, 2019, 01:58:27 AM
I hear that most people don't read beyond three paragraphs. When I see posts that are extremely long, or that have lots of bold, underlines, or italics, I'll just read the first few sentences--unless the post is by someone whose opinion I respect. 

I heavily edit what I post. As to the value of what I say, some opinions take space to explain. I don't sell enough books to justify being dogmatic and terse.

Hahahah! That's funny. I find the most bitey-bitey people have the least to back it up, anyway.

The only thing I regret about my shorter comments is they can come across more blunt than I meant them to.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Jan Hurst-Nicholson on May 13, 2019, 05:16:39 AM
Does this mean that we have to re-write our blurbs to make them even shorter, or summarise them into elevator pitches?
Think I'll put elevator pitches above my blurbs  :icon_rolleyes:
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 13, 2019, 11:59:48 AM
Does this mean that we have to re-write our blurbs to make them even shorter, or summarise them into elevator pitches?
Think I'll put elevator pitches above my blurbs  :icon_rolleyes:

The question had nothing to do with blurbs.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Jan Hurst-Nicholson on May 13, 2019, 06:20:03 PM
Does this mean that we have to re-write our blurbs to make them even shorter, or summarise them into elevator pitches?
Think I'll put elevator pitches above my blurbs  :icon_rolleyes:

The question had nothing to do with blurbs.

But the inference was that people won't read anything above three paragraphs. If you have a long blurb then readers might skip it entirely. That was my point.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Dormouse on May 13, 2019, 07:22:03 PM
But the inference was that people won't read anything above three paragraphs.
Not much point writing books for those peeps
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Jan Hurst-Nicholson on May 13, 2019, 07:47:46 PM
But the inference was that people won't read anything above three paragraphs.
Not much point writing books for those peeps

They are probably the same readers who balk at reading long/thick books  :icon_rolleyes:
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: TimothyEllis on May 13, 2019, 08:00:18 PM
They are probably the same readers who balk at reading long/thick books

We should be writing long thin books.

Given how many people read on their phones these days.

 :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: notthatamanda on May 13, 2019, 08:35:11 PM
But the inference was that people won't read anything above three paragraphs.
Not much point writing books for those peeps
[/quote]

TL;DR is big on reddit.  People like to write long posts on reddit.  I think it is a way of getting people who won't read your long post to read your comment and upvote you, or comment back.  I don't think we have to worry about writing shorter blurbs.  As for me, I wish I could reply to some emails with that.  And unsubscribe as well, but that's a different issue. Grin
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: She-la-te-da on May 14, 2019, 12:39:09 AM
I see it a lot on Reddit. Some other forums, it depends on the person posting. Some people have a tendency to go on. And I hate spending time trying to read something that ends up being pointless, not relevant, or just stupid.

Also, what's up with not learning how to paragraph? OMG That's an automatic not read right there.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: shadcallister on May 14, 2019, 06:18:08 AM
In government and military communities you'll also often see "BLUF", "Bottom Line Up Front" (followed by a short paragraph summing up the rest of the document/post/email).

It does make me wonder, if you have low confidence that anyone will want to read the rest of your ramblings... maybe just include the summary and don't bother with the rest.

Yes, online discourse is often very shallow noawadays. But in a world where we have multiple information-firehoses aimed at our faces 24/7, no one can read everything.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: sliderule on May 14, 2019, 08:54:21 PM
Does this mean that we have to re-write our blurbs to make them even shorter, or summarise them into elevator pitches?
Think I'll put elevator pitches above my blurbs  :icon_rolleyes:

The Pencil Conundrum
by slide rule

tl;dr the good guy is framed and has to prove his innocence, the bad guy did it, just look in the pencil sharpener for the evidence.
Title: Re: What does TL;DR mean?
Post by: Jan Hurst-Nicholson on May 14, 2019, 10:01:30 PM
In government and military communities you'll also often see "BLUF", "Bottom Line Up Front" (followed by a short paragraph summing up the rest of the document/post/email).

It does make me wonder, if you have low confidence that anyone will want to read the rest of your ramblings... maybe just include the summary and don't bother with the rest.


I used to do investigations/experiments of various sorts and we always had to end the report with - Conclusion and recommendation. This was usually just a few paragraphs.  The person reading the report went straight to the conclusion and then went on to read how the conclusion had been reached.  Grin