Interests limit

[vampwillow]

I'm presuming that there is a limit to the number of 'interests' someone may list on their profile page. Thing is, no FAQ or other page I can find states what it is.

Maybe it should somewhere?

Comments

[katieastrophe]

The limit is 150, and each interest may only be 50 characters/100 bytes long. I've mentioned it to someone on the FAQ team that a FAQ maybe be needed about it!

[vampwillow]

(deleted original comment as misread something else)

Damn .. only 150?

::grump::

[rainbow]

*nod* My thoughts exactly! Hmph.

[ivorygates]

Hi! I've updated FAQ#14 to include this information: you can take a look at http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=14 I'm also passing the word along to the lovely and talented rho so that we can create this information in a separate FAQ as well.

If you totally think this isn't enough space for your interests after you've tried it out, why not drop a line in dw_suggestions that they give you a little more elbow room to work with?

[kyrielle]

It may just be me, I'm not sure, but it seems like some variant of the word interests is used an awful lot in the first couple sentences of that FAQ - even for a FAQ on interests. I found it very distracting. (ETA: please forgive the reference to 'errors' in the icon, I just so rarely get the chance to use my "editin'" icon, and I think it's cute. *wry*)

[ivorygates]

I see where you're coming from, but it's a tough call, because using a synonym for interest/interests -- like "pastime", "hobby", "leisure pursuit" -- might mean sacrificing clarity or accuracy, and omitting the word entirely, for example, re-writing:

Interests are the things you list under "Interests" on your Profile Page as a way to find others on Dreamwidth who are interested in the same things you are.

as:

Interests are what you list on your Profile Page as a way to find others on Dreamwidth who are interested in the same things you are.

...could just be confusing, because the first question some people might have is: "Where do I list my Interests?"

(Yeah, okay, maybe that's just me.)

But have no fear! (El Zorro is here...) All of the FAQs are works in progress. Awkward and confusing language (yeah, like the stuff in this one) will be tweaked, and more and better FAQs will be added in the days ahead.

It goes without saying (not that this has ever stopped me) that during Open Beta, Dreamwidth is also a work in progress. (Which is not said to discourage comments like this, but, actually, to encourage them. And now I will restrain myself Very Firmly from making a Tom Lehrer joke...)

A thought on rewriting interests....

[kyrielle]

[This is just a draft attempt to reduce 'interests' in the whole faq while keeping clarity. YMMV. Removal of links not intended, my copy and paste just stripped them and I was too lazy to put them back. Hope I'm not stepping on your toes here, I just had a few moments and figured if I was going to comment at all, perhaps I ought to try to be helpful in fixing it.]

What are interests?

The things you list under "Interests" on your Profile Page are a way to find others on Dreamwidth who are interested in the same things you are. Listing something in this section not only makes it appear on your Profile Page, it also lets others find your journal when they do a search for other people interested in that term. That's why instead of just listing "music", you might list "Italian Opera" or "New Wave Punk" or "Wagner" or "Metallica". The more specific you are, the more likely it is that other people who share your interest will be able to find you.

While we've removed the word count limit for interests, each one can only be 50 characters long, and the maximum number of interests is 150.

You can search for journals or communities by interest, or edit your interests based on someone else's list, by going to the Interests page.

You might also like to take a look at the most popular interests other people have listed on Dreamwidth.

If you change your mind about what you've listed as your interests, it's easy to add or remove them from your Profile Page by editing your profile. "Edit Profile" is also available as a pull-down selection from the "Create" Menu on any of the site-schemed pages.

Re: A thought on rewriting interests....

[ivorygates]

Offering to help is *never* stepping on toes 4rlz! Let me make sure Our Great And Terrible Queen (aka rho) gets a look at this whole thread before I make any changes....

Re: A thought on rewriting interests....

[kyrielle]

:) Yay! I really wanted to get rid of "interested" in the first sentence too, but I couldn't come up with a good alternate phrasing.

Re: A thought on rewriting interests....

[ivorygates]

I considered and rejected "obsessed with".... ;)

[kyrielle]

Also, share the Lehrer joke? Please? :)

[ivorygates]

Inevitably called to mind are these lyrics from Tom Lehrer's wonderful paen to free speech, "Smut":

(Bring on the obscene movies, murals, postcards, neckties,
samplers, stained-glass windows, tattoos, anything!
More, more, I'm still not satisfied!)

Full lyrics can be found here:

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Smut-lyrics-Tom-Lehrer/6AF3E9A2451F2F0548256A7D0025920C

[kyrielle]

Thank you!