I don't mind my hair being long.
Not a big fan of having very short hair.
When it gets to a certain length though, such as when the fringe starts getting in your eyes all the time, then it's a nuisance and I get it cut a little bit shorter.
Never had much problem with keeping it clean or anything though.
Just give it some shampoo and conditioner when you shower and it'll do fine. Don't really need to condition multiple times a week either. With me the conditioning lasts some time. Once a week does me fine.
And the best thing about long hair is that it keeps you warm and you don't quite feel as soggy if you get caught out in the rain.
When I have my hair cut short suddenly my ears are freezing.
Edit: Depending on your hair type and how you feel about the look you could try using a hairband to tie it back to a ponytail, or you could use an alice band or similar elastic-hair-band to pull the hair back. The look doesn't suit all people, but for some it's nice.
I just wouldn't recommend you do something sillier, like using hair-clips (if you're a bloke) or cutting off your fringe only, unless you like having an ugly mullet.
