Do you read long forum posts?

" @Crono said:

Of course, we're trading quality for quantity at this point though as most of us will notice that many posts on forums add little to nothing to a conversation and most comments on a forum (where the topic is actually something that can be discussed in detail) lack any real content to them and are usually baseless opinions; opinions with nothing to back them up aside from the poster's feelings. "

The first part I can agree with. Sometimes it appears that post count overrules the actual conversation, and I can't help but wonder if some users view topics by what they can or can't formulate a quick reply to in order to pad their post count. It's a cynical view point, admittedly, and I'm not sure I can discern it from the reality that people simply post in topics they have enough knowledge on to have an opinion or make conversation.  I'm not so sure if baseless opinions can be fully avoided, though. Simplistic "I like this" or "I hate this" opinions don't add much to a conversation, of course, but if I tell you I like a game because I find elements of its gameplay entertaining, that's essentially baseless, is it not? I've just expanded on my feelings to tell you why exactly it trips my fancy. I can't back up the view of superior gameplay with anything but opinion.  While it's certainly not impossible to justify certain viewpoints, I think it's a necessary evil that many of our views on forums such as this will be derived from "baseless" opinion. Not that it ever hurts to elaborate a little. "

I don't care if the post is long. As long as it is quality I'll read it. If it is garbage I'll just stop reading.

depends on what the  heading is

Sometimes.  It depends on how they are formatted.  Too often the problem with long forum posts is a lack of paragraphs.  If the writer breaks down their subject matter into small chunks, even if there are a lot of them, then I can read the topic easier.  It doesn't feel so oppressive by the overwhelming size of it.  Also, I like when posts that are very long include a couple of pictures to illustrate their point.  It gives my eyes a break and my brain a chance to absorb all I've read to that point.  Funny pictures are appreciated, too for the same reason. 
 
Another important aspect to a long forum post is focus.  If the writer departs from his/her original subject to something completely unrelated, then I'll stop reading there.  If the author has lost interest in their own topic, why should I continue as well?

Usually, but if the thread itself is like 4+ pages long I don't even bother posting because it's either been said already or my post will just get swept up in a mob of other posts.

If they're interesting. But most of the time they aren't so I usually don't.

tl;dr... (j/k, but it depends on the subject. Curiosity and subject matter is what will make me continue.)

Nah, I don't even read my own novel-length posts. Okay, okay, that's a lie.
 
I'm happy to read posts of any length that are of a subject that interests me and aren't written as if the author is writing a thesis paper for their doctorate. I enjoy a sense of humor, informality and directness when reading things on the forums, not a detached, professional feel that would be more appropriate in a peer-reviewed newsletter or a classroom. Such posts might prove a very excellent point, but unless I'm in the mood to take on some very heavy reading (which is seldom the case when I'm browsing a video game website's forum), such writing is more likely to put me to sleep.

" @Crono: Look what Al3xand3r wrote "

I sometimes do if the content in the post is interesting.

If it's formatted in a way that pleases my eyes, and is interesting, then I will read the first couple of paragraphs. After that, I'll generally skim through the rest. Depends on the subject matter of course.

" Depends on when I'm reading it and if it's interesting. "

they usually end up being rants so i don't bother. 
 
i wish every post was as follows: 
 
1. make my first point 
2. make second point 
3. make third point 
etc.... 
 
 
They you can respond point by point (taking away the power of most people here).

Yeah. That's why I'm on a forum; to read peoples thoughts and opinions. I even enjoy reading unformatted walls of text, as long as they're not spam or fanboyism.
 
And usually my posts are small, about 2-5 sentences. I enjoy reading posts more than I like making them.

Well, I am glad to see this discussion back alive and well...  I really do find this to be an interesting topic.

Yeah, I will if it's an interesting subject matter or it has been written well, whether through humour or engaging style. I'm a pretty verbose individual and can't help but write overly florid passages to questions that require a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Accordingly, I think it only right I give people a chance with their great slabs of text. I mean, that'd just be selfish to expect people to read all of mine, but not give a toss about what others thought, right? (note: the author is an only child and reserves the right to be selfish at the drop of a hat. Even if you look like you're about to think about thinking about dropping said hat may cause my selfishness to kick in)
 
Also, if you're a poster with a history of saying good stuff, I'll probably read your longs posts even if they turn out to be not-so-good. I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt next time around. Oh, and by the way, this sentence is a test to see who has read this load of bollocks: I once put my arm up a cow's backside and enjoyed the feeling. Great examples of this are the news stories on Giant Bomb. Jeff has a long history of saying interesting stuff. Every now and then, I'll just read a story I'm not that into, just because I like reading Jeff's style of writing.
 
The problem for me comes because I'm usually reading all this at work. I'm trying to have one eye on this place, and one eye on my actual occupation. Y'know, the one I get paid for. So that makes it kinda hard for me to invest decent time reading something. Even if I do read the whole thing, the little goblins chewing at the back of my mind won't stop biting and I find that I haven't really had the crux of the poster's sink in properly.

Depends on the subject, the person, the content, the way it's written, If it's interesting,  
 
Most of the time I do, but if the person who wrote it, cant get to the point or can't write a proper structured article, then I will either skim, or copy and paste to word and create paragraphs myself, I hate, I really fucking hate a wall of text, there is no need for it, it just proves that the OP is to lazy to hit the enter button, or to proof read, 
 
The only time I will read through a mess of text, Govermentcheese, 
 
That fucker is funny.

Some do and some don't. I usually do if the topic intrigues me.

Usually. Though if it's something I don't really care about, I might just waste my time on something else.
 
Personally I have a tendency to write some really long blogs, so I appreciate it when anyone takes the time to read and respond.

Never.

" Depends on the subject matter. "

" Usually I'll read the first couple of paragraphs, and if they're interesting I'll read on. "

I know reading long posts is not appealing to everyone and that is why I tend to use as many bold and italic sentences to point out the most important part of my post as possible so even the hasty readers could receive a general idea of the post. 

I like to read long posts. Sometimes it's utter nonsense but most of the time, people can really entertain! I like the use of clever English and something interesting to read.

" Depends on the subject matter. "

If the subject is interesting, then sure.

it depends on if i like what i'm reading. a lot of times i skim threw paragraphs.

It depends on the subject, and what the first few paragraphs are like. If they are interesting, I'll read on. If not, I just click away instead of trolling.
 
I don't find myself making really long posts myself. But I try to put in as much detail as possible, so it gets to me when I put my heart into a blog post only a few paragraphs long.

As long as they're interesting, so the only long blogs I've read have been MattBodega's. Longest blog I ever read here was his " Pokemon: The Most Important Modern RPG?", good read too. As far as general posts go, I don't see too many that are beyond a reasonable length.

If it's not the original post (read: a rant), I'll more often than not take a look.

Only if it's a reply which is so absurd or interesting that I feel the need to comment.