minimumspost

Minimumspost is a term used in discussions of online community moderation to describe a policy that requires posts to meet a minimum length or content threshold before publication. The threshold is typically expressed in words or characters and may be applied platform-wide or selectively to new users, specific topics, or certain post types.

Rationale: Proponents contend that longer, more substantive contributions improve discussion quality, deter spam, and ease moderation efforts by providing more context. It can also encourage users to articulate ideas more clearly and reduce the need for follow-up clarifications.

Implementation: Thresholds vary widely. Some systems automatically reject posts beneath the minimum, while others employ soft controls such as warnings, drafts, or prompts to add content. Exceptions are common for formats like replies, lists, or code blocks, and some configurations allow dynamic thresholds based on user reputation, language, or topic difficulty.

Criticism: Critics argue that hard minimums can suppress concise but valuable posts, disadvantage non-native speakers, and encourage padding. Enforcement adds complexity and may be gamed or misapplied, especially in multilingual communities or fast-moving discussions.

Variants and related ideas: Similar approaches include minimum viable content, quality prompts, and post-quality scoring systems. Many communities prefer alternative signals of value, such as reputation, upvotes, or mandatory references, rather than strict word counts.