Is there some reason that you feel compelled to participate in this? I mean, if it's happening in your SP campaign, it's happening because you allow it to happen. I don't do this, I tend to rest when my session is over. I use food for healing after fights, and I try to not expend all my "Oh crap" spells, just in case something big comes up. What I find hard to believe is that someone in France doing this is going to somehow adversely affect someone in Canada. Especially if they're not in a MP session together. To me, this is akin to being upset that someone rolled up a female Drow wizard, when everyone knows that only male Woodelves can be wizards. In other words, this "issue" is really a non-issue, because if one is dead set against it, they are more than free to not do it. It's not like the game forces it on us, after all.
So no, I don't think that George resting after every encounter is a problem, if that's the only way George can play. George did, after all, spend his money on the game, the same as I did. I think it's a rather silly mechanic, and won't be using it, but I'm certainly not going to be prepping up the bonfires, and sharpening the pitchforks over it either.
It is a problem because it shows that Larian has not properly paced and balanced the game.
How so? As I stated, I only do Long Rests at the end of my playing sessions, meaning that it's entirely possible to play a lot longer than 5 minutes between long rests, like 4-5 hours longer.
This "issue" seems a lot more like "I don't like that someone else may do it", and someone else is likely to, than any real problem with the mechanic. I think I've only ever used Short Rest like 3 times. So no, I'm not seeing it.
