When a very short subject line is too long

Question

Showing $\frac{|\overrightarrow{A_1B}|}{|\overrightarrow{A_1C}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{B_1C}|}{|\overrightarrow{B_1A}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{C_1A}|}{|\overrightarrow{C_1B}|}=1$ implies $AA_1$, $BB_1$, $CC_1$ concur

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Does anyone regard the above as an inappropriately long subject line for a question?

It exceeds the number of characters allowed. Do those who make the rules and those who write the software understand things like this?

Answer 1

Your proposed title is

Showing $\frac{|\overrightarrow{A_1B}|}{|\overrightarrow{A_1C}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{B_1C}|}{|\overrightarrow{B_1A}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{C_1A}|}{|\overrightarrow{C_1B}|}=1$ implies $AA_1$, $BB_1$, $CC_1$ concur (215 characters).

Since \newcommand is now local, I believe it is safe to do [Edit: as per Martin's comment, this may not be so safe]

Showing $\newcommand\Y[3]{\frac{|\overrightarrow{#1_1#2}|}{|\overrightarrow{#1_1#3}|}}\Y ABC\Y BCA\Y CAB=1$ implies $AA_1$, $BB_1$, $CC_1$ concur (145 characters, under the 150 limit)

The MathJax result is the same: yours is

Showing $\frac{|\overrightarrow{A_1B}|}{|\overrightarrow{A_1C}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{B_1C}|}{|\overrightarrow{B_1A}|}\frac{|\overrightarrow{C_1A}|}{|\overrightarrow{C_1B}|}=1$ implies $AA_1$, $BB_1$, $CC_1$ concur

Mine is

Showing $\newcommand\Y[3]{\frac{|\overrightarrow{#1_1#2}|}{|\overrightarrow{#1_1#3}|}}\Y ABC\Y BCA\Y CAB=1$ implies $AA_1$, $BB_1$, $CC_1$ concur

If you want to slightly mess the formatting, you can replace the three $, $s with \ for 3 more characters.

PS the frustration is not unwarranted but the website designer(s) likely had to work around certain compromises; not assuming their lack of understanding would perhaps result is less downvotes (not that it matters, in meta of all places).

Answer 2

Improvise:

E.g., click on "edit" to see my almost instantaneous improvisition of the proposed title:

"Showing $\frac{|\vec{A_1B}|}{|\vec{A_1C}|}\frac{|\vec{B_1C}|}{|\vec{B_1A}|}\frac{|\vec{C_1A}|}{|\vec{C_1B}|}=1\iff AA_1, BB_1, CC_1$ concur."

Even shorter:

Do $\frac{|\vec{A_1B}|}{|\vec{A_1C}|}\frac{|\vec{B_1C}|}{|\vec{B_1A}|}\frac{|\vec{C_1A}|}{|\vec{C_1B}|}=1\iff AA_1, BB_1, CC_1$ concur?

I tested it, and the question's title immediately passed the software's muster.

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I suspect the software counting characters does not have a separate loop when encountering mathjax, to differentiate the characters in mathjax, know that it is mathjax, then render the mathjax to count actual characters rendering, and give it a pass. The software counts, most efficiently (to not delay successful posting), the total number of characters in the title field.