character limit on tags?

September 29, 2006 2:09 PM

What's the character limit on tags? I tried to add the tag 'BuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalobuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalo' to this thread and got instead:
Error Executing Database Query. [Macromedia][SQLServer JDBC Driver][SQLServer]String or binary data would be truncated. Saw nothing about it in the FAQ.
posted by ChasFile to Bugs at 2:09 PM (32 comments total)

That's one buffalo too many.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:14 PM on September 29, 2006

That's a useful tag if I ever saw one.
posted by Plutor at 2:14 PM on September 29, 2006

Saw nothing about it in the FAQ.

imagine that.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:27 PM on September 29, 2006 [2 favorites]

imagine that.

Simply demonstrating due diligence.
posted by ChasFile at 2:34 PM on September 29, 2006

Piggybacking on this question, I was previewing a comment when the power went out, and when I got back on Metafilter my comment was gone! The site just threw away my data! What's up with that?

Also, it really hurts when I touch my elbow like this--ow! See?
posted by Khalad at 2:38 PM on September 29, 2006

Please add the following to the FAQ:

"If you are posting about buffalo who happen to be buffaloing buffalo from buffalo who happen to buffalo other buffalo, you are kindly requested to eliminate two or three buffalos to keep it under the three-drink minimum up in this place."
posted by koeselitz at 2:39 PM on September 29, 2006

Once we get some sort of idea how long is too long, we can put something in the faq about it. fish fish buffalo fish.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:55 PM on September 29, 2006

See? Another example where technology protects us from buttheads.

BuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalobuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalo, indeed.
posted by crunchland at 3:08 PM on September 29, 2006

Look, I don't mean to threadmod, here, but:

a) I was indicating a place where the system breaks and users get a ColdFusion error rather than a MetaFilter one. This is considered a Bad Thing from a usability standpoint, especially since the error message I got gave me no indication as to how to fix my error, and it is a bug so therefore I reported it. And anyway, if unvalidated form data is getting processed by the server, that's a potential security risk. I'm not trying to be a 'butthead', I'm trying to report a bug, which is what this whole thing is for, right?

b) Yes on the one hand it was a silly tag, but on the other 'BuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalobuffalobuffaloBuffalobuffalo' IS what this topic is listed under in alot of places I've seen it, so its not inconcievable that a user might search for it using that exact text string here. For instance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo.
http://digg.com/software/Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo
http://www.petebevin.com/archives/2006/07/22/buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo.html

Sorry for this brief interlude of reasoning. You may continue. On, pile on on!
posted by ChasFile at 3:20 PM on September 29, 2006

Well said, ChasFile.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 3:40 PM on September 29, 2006

Well, that the site throws up a pukey error instead of catching it and presenting something a little more user friendly is a completely valid point.
posted by crunchland at 3:42 PM on September 29, 2006

posted by interrobang at 3:50 PM on September 29, 2006 [4 favorites]

It cuts off at I think 100 characters. I think jessamyn was joking about the "it should be in the FAQ!" response because it's not exactly a Frequently Asked thing. People don't make 100+ character long tags very often and even rarer is the time someone would use it twice, so it'd just be an orphaned zillion character tag.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:56 PM on September 29, 2006

Does this mean we're not piling on?
posted by interrobang at 3:59 PM on September 29, 2006

it looked funnier with just the one buffallo in the tags.

/blah
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:06 PM on September 29, 2006

Pileon pile-on pylon pileon pile-on Pileon pylon pile-on Pileon.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:15 PM on September 29, 2006

Oops! Wrong thread!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:16 PM on September 29, 2006

It's a totally valid usability point for a ridiculous edgecase. Responses of appreciation and silly mockery are both appropriate!
posted by cortex at 4:18 PM on September 29, 2006

Would a pretty error page really make a difference?
posted by smackfu at 4:37 PM on September 29, 2006

pretty error pages are for metafilter pussies.

fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:44 PM on September 29, 2006 [4 favorites]

You see smackfu, you see what you did? You drove #1 away from the thread. And old Hondas are a pain to work on, especally when it's dark out.

I bet he scuffs his knuckles and comes back all cross with us.

I hope your happy.
posted by quin at 4:50 PM on September 29, 2006

fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!

can we have our $25,000 back then ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:54 PM on September 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!

Excuse me, Mr. Snarkypants! Your Honda? I believe we all paid for that particular anodized-neon lump of cocksled.

You can have the keys back after you fix the "ridiculous edgecase". Meanwhile, we're all piling into this clown car and taking it down to the railroad tracks for some sweet, sweet jumps.
posted by loquacious at 5:16 PM on September 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

I piled on... your mom.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:24 PM on September 29, 2006

She says, "Hi."
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:27 PM on September 29, 2006

Metafilter: fuck this, I'm gonna go work on my 1991 honda. you all suck!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:02 PM on September 29, 2006

Metafilter: an anodized-neon lump of cocksled
posted by Kickstart70 at 8:31 PM on September 29, 2006

im in ur text entry box buffaloing ur coldfusion serverz.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 2:28 AM on September 30, 2006

Now that Matt's out back, can we make MeTa purple now?
posted by DenOfSizer at 10:06 AM on September 30, 2006

Coincidence! I am just about to post and had a lot of tags. It cut off at 191 characters (including spaces), at least on preview anyway.
posted by tellurian at 7:03 PM on September 30, 2006

tellurian, that would be the total max for the tag entry field, not the max for an individual tag.
posted by Dunwitty at 6:47 PM on October 2, 2006

loq - I was just rereading this on my favorites page. still makes me laugh out loud. just so you know. "cocksled." heh.
posted by carsonb at 6:59 PM on October 2, 2006