Shorts Too Short?

On one of my mailing lists, someone (preserving the person's anonymity) claimed not to read short stories "because they're too short." Everyone has opinions, and though I had the urge to ask, "What do you mean?" I could tell the person's mind was made up, and to ask would open a can of worms.

Short story writers have traditionally received less notice than novelists. I admit part of me won't think I've "made it" until I write a novel, but I value short stories for their economy, for the challenge of delivering character, location, and premise in limited space. I've heard that it takes more skill to write a short story than it does a novel. I wouldn't go that far, but why wouldn't readers want to treat themselves to a bracing workout of the story elements mentioned above?

Shorts can remind us why we read (and write) fiction in the first place.