Aren't we mixing topics here?

-n used with something is not the same thing as taking a direct object; therefore use of -n is separate from the transitivity of the verb. Certainly "Ĝi longas tri metrojn" is not telling us that "longi" is a transitive verb. That -n is indicating measure, not direct object.

As Miland mentioned in the thread you cited, it seems like the Akademia Vortaro defines the verb as intransitive, so it seems to me that Benson would have to do the same.

It's also true that in cases of doubt, you can use -n and treat it transitively, but as far as the dictionary is concerned, I think calling it intransitive is the only choice that would agree with the Akademio's decisions.

Miland said in his message in the other thread that it is treated as intransitive, even though its meaning makes us want to treat it as transitive. But using -n with it is not the same as calling it transitive, as I mentioned earlier; you could call it "-n substituting for a preposition".

erinja:Aren't we mixing topics here?

Maybe, and you’re actually right in your posting that "transitive" and "able to take -n" don’t mean the same thing.

darkweasel:We discussed this about two years ago, here: Plaĉi al mi and/or plaĉi min - seems that in that thread you had a different position to now.

Yes, I remember a lot of ink being spilt on this. I consulted an akademiano, who explained that plaĉi takes an indirect object.

Miland:you won't find it in PMEG.

Indeed. PMEG says:

PMEG:"Plaĉi - La subjekto estas tio, kio havas bonajn ecojn aŭ kondutas bone. Tiu, kiu sentas plezuron pro tiu boneco, aperas kiel al-komplemento: Al ĉiu besto plaĉas ĝia nesto.PE.16 Lia heroeco tre plaĉis al mi.FE.45

Translated: "Plaĉi - The subject is that which has good qualities or good conduct. The person who senses pleasure due to those qualities appears as an al-complement."

We should also bear in mind however that the author is on the record as saying "plaĉas min" is not wrong:

Bertilo:"Plaĉi" definitive estas netransitiva.

Sed aliflanke oni rajtas uzi N anstataŭ "al", kaj tial ekzemple "Via nova robo plaĉas min" estas tute ebla frazo (eĉ se ege nekutima) anstataŭ la normala "Via nova robo plaĉas al mi".

Sed tamen "plaĉi" estas netransitiva. En tiu frazo "min" ne estas rekta objekto. Tie "min" estas egala al "al mi". Tial oni ne povas diri: Mi estas plaĉata de via nova robo.

Translated: "Plaĉi is definitely intransitive.

But on the other hand one may use -N instead of "al", and for that reason "Via nova robo plaĉas min" is completely possible (even if very unusual) instead of the normal "Via robo plaĉas al mi".

Neverthelesss, "plaĉi" is intransitive. In the phrase using -N, "min" is not a direct object, and is equal to "al mi". One cannot therefore say "mi estas plaĉata de via nova robo."

This is all quite interesting. Thanks for looking up this extra info. This causes me to wonder if 'plaĉi' is unique in the Esperanto list of roots, or whether there are other words like this one.

So "mi plaĉas min" is shorthand for "mi plaĉas al mi"?
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@cFlat7, I don't think it's unique, just get any other adjective root and you should have the same thing.

Tio ruĝas al mi = It's red to me (translated for all the times you'll ever need to use that sort of sentence... )

I don't think "plaĉi" counts as a adjective root strictly speaking due to the way it's defined in the EO-EO dictionary (the definition is for plaĉi not plaĉa), but it acts like one from what I see.

ceigered:So "mi plaĉas min" is shorthand for "mi plaĉas al mi"?

"Mi plaĉas al mi"?? = I like myself.

I suppose you meant 'Tio plaĉas al mi'! And I would use the form with 'al' in there, as the other one sounds pretty weird.

Yes, it might be theoretically possible as the Bertilo quote demonstrates, but as that quote also says, it's very unusual. Not something to promote on a site for learning Esperanto!

Chainy:

ceigered:So "mi plaĉas min" is shorthand for "mi plaĉas al mi"?

"Mi plaĉas al mi"?? = I like myself.

[...]

Yes, it might be theoretically possible as the Bertilo quote demonstrates, but as that quote also says, it's very unusual. Not something to promote on a site for learning Esperanto!

Well, I was apprehensive writing it given how I've never seen it before

As for whether or not I meant "mi" instead of "tio", I did actually mean "mi" I was thinking about things I liked at the time of writing,

tommjames:..the author is on the record as saying "plaĉas min" is not wrong..

Dankon, good point about -n taking the place of a preposition, rather than indicating a direct object. I've edited my message accordingly. The point made by the akademiano that I consulted made was not about this, but simply about the transitivity of plaĉi as such.