Displaying word count alongside views, rating, etc.

[EmilyMiller]

Would anyone else find this helpful?

I realize that there is not a lot of space, especially on the phone version of the site.

Emily

 

[StillStunned]

Would anyone else find this helpful?

I realize that there is not a lot of space, especially on the phone version of the site.

Emily

Are you talking about in the dashboard or on the story page? Because it's already there on the story page, and I don't really need it in my dashboard.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Would anyone else find this helpful?

I realize that there is not a lot of space, especially on the phone version of the site.

Emily

Since a lot of readers likely lack the ability to gauge how long a story is simply by the word count (or character count), it would be nice if the number of pages was revealed. Of course, this would require the system to adjust for the device the story is being read on so the character count would be much easier to implement.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Are you talking about in the dashboard or on the story page? Because it's already there on the story page, and I don't really need it in my dashboard.

My dashboard was what I meant.

And downloadable.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

Since a lot of readers likely lack the ability to gauge how long a story is simply by the word count (or character count), it would be nice if the number of pages was revealed. Of course, this would require the system to adjust for the device the story is being read on so the character count would be much easier to implement.

Really? That seems strange.

Emily

 

[StillStunned]

My dashboard was what I meant.

And downloadable.

Emily

Then no. My obsessiveness doesn't quite reach that level yet.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Then no. My obsessiveness doesn't quite reach that level yet.

The operative word is “yet.”

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

Really? That seems strange.

Emily

Yeah, though I find the statement even stranger. After all, EVERY other site does this. SOL, AO3, nifty... you name it, they either display the word count or filesize. Literotica is also the only site where you have to access the story BEFORE you even get to check out the tags to see what the story is about.

 

[StillStunned]

The operative word is “yet.”

I'm aware.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Really? That seems strange.

Emily

Not really. Word count metrics are typically derived from identifying the text characters between blank spaces. The density of the words vary considerably ("I" and "elementary" would both count as single words), which is why sites will place limits on the number of characters and not the number of words. Consider Lit's limits on title length as an example.

I remember from the typing classes I took as well as business experience in the office equipment industry that the "average" word was considered to be made up of five text characters. Using this average, if my longest story here (178K) had the number of words counted, it would be 35,600. I don't believe the average reader would recognize the word count any more than they recognize the character count when it comes to deciding whether or not to read the story or be influenced by its length. What they do recognize when they get to the bottom of the first page, is that there are a total of 51 pages until the end. The number of pages would be even greater on a mobile device.

 

[alohadave]

The number of pages would be even greater on a mobile device.

Why? Pagination isn't treated differently on mobile than on PC. It's still 3750-ish words per Lit page.

I don't believe the average reader would recognize the word count any more than they recognize the character count when it comes to deciding whether or not to read the story or be influenced by its length.

Why not? People know how to count and anyone can see that 20,000 words is significantly more than 2500 words.

Readers may have stupid opinions about stories, but they aren't generally idiots that can't comprehend numbers.

What they do recognize when they get to the bottom of the first page, is that there are a total of 51 pages until the end.

I would like to see the page navigation links at the top and bottom, instead of just at the bottom.

 

[lovecraft68]

Another thing that's not worth worrying about.
A-Because it really doesn't matter. How long has this site been like this? Has it hurt readership? Are people running in droves to other sites? No.
B-Referring back to A, and knowing the site, they're not going to change it anyway, and not just because they don't change much as time goes on, but in this case, they also know it's irrelevant.

Just talking to talk.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Since a lot of readers likely lack the ability to gauge how long a story is simply by the word count (or character count), it would be nice if the number of pages was revealed. Of course, this would require the system to adjust for the device the story is being read on so the character count would be much easier to implement.

They can always scroll down to the bottom of Page One to see how many pages there are.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Not really. Word count metrics are typically derived from identifying the text characters between blank spaces. The density of the words vary considerably ("I" and "elementary" would both count as single words), which is why sites will place limits on the number of characters and not the number of words. Consider Lit's limits on title length as an example.

I remember from the typing classes I took as well as business experience in the office equipment industry that the "average" word was considered to be made up of five text characters. Using this average, if my longest story here (178K) had the number of words counted, it would be 35,600. I don't believe the average reader would recognize the word count any more than they recognize the character count when it comes to deciding whether or not to read the story or be influenced by its length. What they do recognize when they get to the bottom of the first page, is that there are a total of 51 pages until the end. The number of pages would be even greater on a mobile device.

I don’t mean that. I mean an inability to judge story length based on word count.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Then no. My obsessiveness doesn't quite reach that level yet.

Mine either, but it does include me manually adding it to my most recent spread sheet.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Mine either, but it does include me manually adding it to my most recent spread sheet.

See that’s when being on my phone sucks. Excel is really hard to use for anything.

Emily

 

[StillStunned]

See that’s when being on my phone sucks. Excel is really hard to use for anything.

Emily

Excel really only works if your screen is XL.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Excel really only works if your screen is XL.

I have no idea if I could line up two downloads to match stories - I think it would be close to impossible without using the desktop version

 

[StillStunned]

I have no idea if I could line up two downloads to match stories - I think it would be close to impossible without using the desktop version

Uh, I was just making an Excel/XL joke.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Uh, I was just making an Excel/XL joke.

I know… but when you say “joke”…

 

[StillStunned]

I know… but when you say “joke”…

I don't care what you say, I thought it was excellent.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I don't care what you say, I thought it was excellent.

And that’s all that matters

 

[StillStunned]

And that’s all that matters

I think I'd better stop before the puns start to accelerate.

 

[Bamagan]

I don't care what you say, I thought it was excellent.

Word

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I think I'd better stop before the puns start to accelerate.

Didn't you mean XL-erate?