" 
 I actually think it reduces clutter, but I need to explain that. I almost always use WP:LDR  style refs. (As an aside, while editors adding to an established article should be cognizant of the style in use, so I probably would do something different if all existing ref were Harvard style,  the LDR style is compatible with the standard way most editors edit.) 
 I think LDR requires a name. 

 As an example, look at an article I was working on currently: Clara Gregory Baer. The fourth edit is the first one that has not been used more than once. The ref in the text is 
 
 < ref name=NCAA/>. 

 If I didn't give it a name, it would have to be: 

 < ref>NCAA Women's Basketball, access date 24 January 2007< /ref> 

 Which is much longer. 
 I accept that the total count of characters, counting both the stub in the main text, and the proper ref down in the reflist is a bit longer, but the LDR style materially reduces the clutter in the edit window, which is I think what concerns you. "