OP, it'd help if you posted an example or two of what you consider to be an essay, because that word might not mean the same thing to both of us.
Exactly. Most of the time when most members attempt making contributions they tend to give every single idea they have at that moment concerning that topic. Come to think of it , what would a quality post be on this forum if it lacked proper and detailed information?
Definitely it has always been encouraged to make quality contributions here than spamming with just a few lines in some cases. I don't think most people who actually settle down to read such replies see them as an essay. I mean what harm could it be reading 10 lines of a quality reply properly arranged in paragraphs.