diff --git a/pylons_app/templates/base/base.html b/pylons_app/templates/base/base.html
--- a/pylons_app/templates/base/base.html
+++ b/pylons_app/templates/base/base.html
@@ -151,4 +151,15 @@ def is_current(selected):
             </span>
         %endif
 	%endif           
+</%def>
+
+<!-- SHORTER LONGER STRINGS -->
+<%def name="message_slug(msg)">
+	<%
+	limit = 60
+	if len(msg) > limit:
+		return msg[:limit]+'...'
+	else:
+		return msg
+	%>
 </%def>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pylons_app/templates/index.html b/pylons_app/templates/index.html
--- a/pylons_app/templates/index.html
+++ b/pylons_app/templates/index.html
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from pylons_app.lib import filters
 	%for cnt,repo in enumerate(c.repos_list):
  		<tr class="parity${cnt%2}">
 		    <td>${h.link(repo['name'],h.url('summary_home',repo_name=repo['name']))}</td>
-		    <td>${repo['description']}</td>
+		    <td title="${repo['description']}">${self.message_slug(repo['description'])}</td>
 	        <td>${repo['last_change']|n,filters.age}</td>
 	        <td>${h.link_to('r%s:%s' % (repo['rev'],repo['tip']),h.url('changeset_home',repo_name=repo['name'],revision=repo['tip']))}</td>
 	        <td title="${repo['contact']}">${repo['contact']|n,filters.person}</td>
diff --git a/pylons_app/templates/shortlog/shortlog_data.html b/pylons_app/templates/shortlog/shortlog_data.html
--- a/pylons_app/templates/shortlog/shortlog_data.html
+++ b/pylons_app/templates/shortlog/shortlog_data.html
@@ -3,22 +3,13 @@
 from pylons_app.lib import filters
 %>
 <table>
-<%def name="message_slug(msg)">
-	<%
-	limit = 60
-	if len(msg) > limit:
-		return msg[:limit]+'...'
-	else:
-		return msg
-	%>
-</%def>
 %for cnt,cs in enumerate(c.repo_changesets):
 	<tr class="parity${cnt%2}">
 		<td>${cs._ctx.date()|n,filters.age}</td>
 		<td title="${cs.author}">${cs.author|n,filters.person}</td>
 		<td>r${cs.revision}</td>
 		<td>
-			${h.link_to(message_slug(cs.message),
+			${h.link_to(self.message_slug(cs.message),
 			h.url('changeset_home',repo_name=c.repo_name,revision=cs._short),
 			title=cs.message)}
 		</td>