@david Hello! I'm good, thanks. Hope you are too.
Mastodon doesn't provide any setting to change the number of characters. It is possible to do it but it requires changing the actual Mastodon code and that is not possible on my platform. Everyone I host shares the same code and running the native code is the only way I can automate upgrades and maintenance. Sorry. If Mastodon does offer a setting to change the number of characters in the future, just ping me and will gladly change it for you.