As far as the short and sweet, I do believe every response has a minimum of 10 characters. So if you just want to post "wow" or "Gorgeous" or "Beautiful" you will need to add some other characters like exclamation points. I think if you add an emoticon that seems to take the place of more than just one character but I am not positive as I rarely use them. The 10 character rule is kind of stupid IMHO but I am lowly user and not power that be and anyone who knows me on this board knows I am rarely at a loss for stuff to type.
I agree with Dunster. I think an insightful comment adds more to the discussion and thought process and makes the board more enjoyable. So I prefer to add a little more than "beautiful". I too like to know all the tech details like pattern source, batting used, thread used etc. I try very hard to include that information on pictures I post and even to include a little how to if possible.
It is really nice to get a lot of comments and when I first joined the board, it meant a lot to me, that someone took the time to post something to one of my threads. I for one am elated there is no "like" button or other similar tool that takes zero thought or effort. Leave that to FB.
The fact is many people like to just lurk and look and not participate. I bet there are a lot of those here and also people that don't sign up but just look as well. I am like that on a few other forums where I am a lurker and don't even have a log in. Also, some people find it difficult to type so won't post unless something truly motivates them to. Nothing will ever change either of those things (lurkers and physical limitations). So there will always be a disproportionate amount of views to posts.