[Caretaker Leo]

Unlike Facebook - where once you hit the "Enter" key your post hits the wall - in the PC forums, that isn't how it works.

I feel sad that some posts don't get responses at PC because I have found PC to be a wonderful and supportive place.

Every day I try to use the "Search" tab to find unanswered posts. Some of those posts go on for many, many lines of text with no paragraph breaks. Lengthy posts with no breaks send my brain into overload and the result is that I have stopped trying to read them. Perhaps others have also.

So - how to communicate to members that it is ok to hit the Enter key and break their posts into smaller bites?

[notz]

Well said!!!

I can't read them, won't read them unless there are paragraph breaks. Nor trying to be mean, just can't tolerate run on text.

Hope they read this.

I also agree, I can't read them either I get lost after the fist few lines.

[venusss]

Yeah, I also agree. I am a dyslectic and wall-o-texts overwhelm me (especially if in addition the person does not use too many interpunction marks.....). I find it nearly impossible to read them.

[Sabrina]

Agreed. I tend to skip over posts that don't use paragraphs or punctuation. Just can't get my brain to wrap around the mass of text. Sad.

[notz]

So - how to communicate to members that it is ok to hit the Enter key and break their posts into smaller bites?

I've given it some thought and wonder if it can be included somewhere in the Guidelines/Tips section of PC. That might enlighten a few, albeit not all. It would however, be a proactive attempt.

[Rohag]

True, shorter punctuated and paragraphed posts are far more likely to get my attention. Nevertheless, every once in a while I take on the challenge of a wall of text by copying and pasting the whole post into a standard word processing program. There I play "editor" until I can get a handle on at least some of what is being communicated.

Unfortunately, my reserves of focus and energy are limited, so I don't do that as often as I would like. I realize many of the folks who come here are sitting on a mountain of emotion whose release defies any accepted conventions of writing.

Yes, I have my preferences, yet I personally hesitate to advance those preferences lest I deter anyone from posting. So, I cautiously agree with you all, hoping my agreement doesn't discourage someone who really needs a mind dump.

[venusss]

it is not about deterring,..... but one needs to learn to communicate.That's why we invented language and its rules. To communicate effectively.

isn't that one of the things one learns in therapy? How much efford takes it hit enter now and then, versus not getting any info, because even the most patient of us who copy paste and edit the posts.... don't have that much patience?

i think it is a good suggestion above. And imho, the process of sorting the emotions in more careful fashion can also help.

[Perna]

I think some people are texting from their phones rather than a real computer or cutting and pasting from what they've written another place and the technology doesn't like being cutted (play on gutted :-) and pasted or isn't as easy to manipulate as the PC editor.

I don't have any trouble reading the first couple lines of any post, see if its subject matter interests me or is something I feel I have something I can contribute to. If it is, I continue reading, otherwise I might use the "thanks" or "hugs" button.