July 14, 2006

Question I have a question about the way thread comments are listed...

Question: Why does Monkey do the list of recent posts to threads the way it does? Instead of wiping out the list a couple of times a day, wouldn't it be better if the list rolled over after a certain number of items were on it? What I propose is that the list be ordered not by date of the original post but instead by dates of the comments. The list would contain maybe twenty items. When a new one was added the one that had been on the list the longest would drop off of it. It seems like this would be a much more useful way of organizing it for those of us who like to keep track of all comments made to threads, especially the older ones. I know that i find it especially frustrating everytime the list of comments is wiped out and restarted.

posted by Berek 18 years ago
  • Surely the list is only restarted when you log out and in again (either by design or by web-trickery), then you get the list repopulated as threads are commented on. It's not cleared a couple of times a day, is it?
  • I think it's based on when you closed your browser after last accessing the site.
  • One solution would be hat it would be nice to get comments as a feed, so you can see new posts as a feed, but then also be notified when new comments are added. I agree, Berek, it would be nice to be able to catch the comments like that.
  • What path said. In other news, "penis".
  • I think it's based on when you closed your browser after last accessing the site. HM, interesting conjecture. As an experiment I will leave my Monkey borowser open all day and see how the list looks. Perhaps one of the admins could wade in? Assuming they auctully read this stuff.
  • In other news, "penis". That's Mr. Penis to you!
  • admins? HA! The best we can do is to bugger quid's corpse. I'm this close to proving beyond doubt that we're actually housed in an old Burger King off I-41. That guy David who worked there for like a week was testing out Metaphilter clones during the french fry cycle and forgot to stop the server. The site goes down periodically when a roach crawls over the loose Ethernet cable.
  • Closing your browser's link to MoFi erases whatever's in the sidebar. While I want to access all threads, I frequently break my browser connection so as to not have a huge long list dangling in the sidebar. Recommend opening and resetting your profile page to display 10000000 [the Recent comments to display box], otherwise you won't see information about new comments being made in older threads. We are much more than just those topics displayed on our index page.
  • If only there was a MoFi blog where questions like this could be asked and answered. But, hell, we don't even get a preview button.
  • A blog someone could @#%%! post to!! *rings doorbell annoyedly*
  • bees - I think it only happens when you close the browser. I'll frequently visit here, check out some other stuff, and come back here to see if anyone has posted the unlimate link. The sidebar stays filled. But, on those occasions when I find yet another way to close my browser without intending to, the eraser robot does its job.
  • Sidebar is a sometimes food.
  • Hey, who broke the doorbell?
  • My problem is that if I sign on at work, get to read a couple threads on a break, then go home, the links are reset including the ones I didn't get a chance to read. I think I probably miss a lot of brilliant comments that way. Or at least a few references to horse buggery...
  • Hi Kids . . I'm petebest. You might know me from such threads as "George W. Bush is a Weenie", and "Mr. Saucy's Good-Time Medusaritararium" . . but horse buggery is something we should talk about in terms of not having. You see kids, when a man wants to get plooked in an equanical way, the Internets are there to make things worse. So remember - RTFA, treat all living things with respect, and as I said to Mygothlaundry in "Flush Mountain Jamboree", "Call me sometime when you're In That Monkey Way(tm)!" *wink*
  • *smacks Petebest behind the head, hooks up wires to ears, starts pressing doorbell
  • Lara - I thought that the changes to the sidebar were organized by a cookie on the computer you used to access the site, so that your computer at home would have all the links since the last time you closed that browser. Maybe tracicle will clarify when she has a chance to read this thread.
  • Dude, you didn't write "Curious George." /cold stare
  • You've just made a mockery of everything I stand for.
  • bees - I think it only happens when you close the browser *senses he's missed something* Repeats: Closing your browser's link to MoFi erases whatever's in the sidebar. Closing down your machine can also do it, path. Ditto restarting. And loosing your electrical supply. Or an ISP connection etc.
  • Ralph, Pete: you mean like the MeFite's have got? Berek: I refer you to the sidebar where it says: "In lieu of a MetaTalk, any issues regarding bugs, suggestions, FAQs, technical questions, etc. should be posted as comments in my blog, where someone will attempt to answer your question or fix your problem." And there's even a link to the blog just for your amusement. Carry on and have a nice day!
  • Carry on and have a nice day I think I saw that movie.
  • hey, driving, I'm searching for a wikipedia entry on sarcasm to send you, but I think I have lost the will to live.
  • Oh, a sarcasm detector. That's a real useful invention.
  • Sarcasm detector? Like we'd use one of those on this filter?
  • We use the sarcasm deflector a lot, though...
  • I wish there was a way that we could comment on these posts.
  • *raises shields*
  • The new blog is so green. I miss the purple.
  • path has answered Berek's question. There's no perfect comment-tracking system and certainly not one that will please everyone, so this is the system we will retain for the rewrite. I'm hoping we'll have RSS feeds for comments, but since neither of us know much about RSS, it'll be done fairly late in the scheme of things. Berek, please remember to put the "Curious George" part in your posts as much for the benefit of those who search by those terms as for any other reason. I think I must be colourblind: everyone says MoFi is lavender when I reckon it's grey-blue, and I think the old blog template was blue too.
  • I think it would be better if it would just show more of the most recent comments when I log on, say thirty. I will make sure to use the Curious George tag next time I ask a FPQ(Front Page Question). But, as long as this is a question thread, does anyone have any good sites that they would recommend for html code that can be used here? Specifically, how do you all post the pictures? Lastly, Tracicle, I think, except for how the comments are tracked, that you all have a damn fine site.
  • *fluffs up Trac's shiny monkey fur All hail the MonkeyBashi! TUM: what about a sarcasm detonator?
  • Specifically, how do you all post the pictures? As seldom as possible.
  • :|
  • Images ... well, I like text that stays put and co-operates with a reader instead of jumping around. Even an interesting thread, after being cluttered with images, isn't worth re-visiting.
  • Okay, but can anyone recommend someplace where I can find more about the specific commands? Also, I never done the website deal. How should I go about starting one?
  • Berek, I recommend the FAQ, which is linked in the sidebar and on the "Post" page. As for starting a webpage, go to blogger.com, pages.google.com or livejournal.com and go to it. It's very easy. I agree bees. Images make viewing comments much more annoying. Some images are great, and funny, and once in a while even relevant, so yes. Minimal is best. There's no simple fix -- if everyone used size attributes in their image tags, the page would load "placeholders" so the text would be in the right place. It seems it would be worth requesting an "images on/off" toggle in the profile page as a pony.
  • HM, I like the images myself. Does Monkeyfilter have some kind of built in spellchecker? And if it does, how do I turn it off? Every so often I will be trying to type a comment, like now, and when I hit the apostrophe or slash key a bar appears on the bottom of the screen. The apostorphe or slash will not appear on screen. That is why there are no contractions in this comment. The thing is, it just happens sometimes. Is this something monkeyfilter related or is there some ghost in my machine? Thanks for the help.
  • Berek, about the images: might try rummaging here. I don't use 'em myself, so can't tell ye more. And about a spelllchecker: we don't have such a thing (by now ye will have noticed our deficiencies in this respect). The new Firefox browser 2.0 (although it's a beta version) comes with a spellchecker. A lot of our monkeys like FF, (I do myself, though I am too n00b to trust me with a beta). Find that hitting any key with unaccustommed vigour has peculiar and usually undesired results.
  • bees, you are an asthmatic handing out cigars, you are.
  • Berek, I think you have ta' gremlins. I don't have a problem, and I'm a real doofus when it comes to fixing something on teh compooter.
  • tick, man's able to decide how much or how little he wants to use images without me trying to control him. Oh, free monkeys! Get 'em here!,
  • I bet that irritating spellchecker is probably related to the control key. I often hit it accidently when aiming for the shift key. I just hafe to figure out what key it is in conjunction with the control key that triggers it so I can turn it off.
  • I did it I did it I did it!!!! *SQUEEEEEEEE* I promise not to abuse my newfound power.
  • Ick. What happened to the kitties?
  • But I like evil clowns. They make me happy in my pants.