Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks
XP is just a number
 
PerlMonks  

Re^3: Listing Best Replies First: destroys threads and annoys readers

by trippledubs (Deacon)
on May 06, 2019 at 04:52 UTC ( [id://1233377]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Re^2: Listing Best Replies First: destroys threads and annoys readers
in thread Listing Best Replies First: destroys threads and annoys readers

It's not that sour, just browse as anonymous. I don't know that it destroys the threads, probably going too far, but I Just don't think it makes sense to have a conversation out of chronological order. I'll sample a couple selected best nodes.

What do MOST logged in users do? How do you yourself order replies? If you prefer to read them in chronological order, and you being a discerning and rational person obviously prefer the best, then it would be a courtesy to extend that to visitors. Typically up-votes follow chronologically, so in a lot of cases it makes no difference. It's probably the most annoying for people very familiar with Perlmonks and don't log in because it's not convenient or quit logging in altogether.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^4: Listing Best Replies First: destroys threads and annoys readers
by Your Mother (Archbishop) on May 06, 2019 at 13:55 UTC

    Thanks. Your post is about 20x better than the OP since it contains evidence and logic and a name.

    The headline above the replies is “Replies are listed “Best First’” so it’s perhaps less confusing than the OP wants us to think. It is a fairly common default on many sites and it’s more clearly labeled here than on some.

    That said, I think there should be an option to browse chronologically at the top. That’s how I have my settings, as you suggest. :P But I usually read entire threads if it’s a topic I care about. Folks just passing by looking for specific answers don’t. I don’t know for the casual, non-monk reader if having the best on top is objectively better or not. I can see arguments for both so affording both with ease seems best to me.

    That said, I don’t demand free work from others—I still haven’t broken in my commit bit—so my opinion is just a data point for Gods.

      The real "problem" is far more fundamental and wouldn't be changed by chronological order.

      It's the old ideological war between linear° and threaded discussion boards.

      And as usual people want the cake and eat it too.

      (Threaded discussions with linear order? WTF )

      Please note that SO is limiting to 3 "levels" depth. (Question/Answer/Comment- And I am always confused by that structure)

      IMHO the only possible answer is a "flexible" adjustment to the needs of the current reader.

      I.e. DHTML to optionally show the sub-tree overview like in RAT, reordering the replies, folding and navigating them.

      There is for sure no right order for threads, if one reply provokes a large subtree, then the next direct reply is buried behind, even if it's the "second best" reply.

      Folding is the only alternative which comes to mind.

      BTW: I'm still waiting for an example where another answer was implicitly referenced without linking or naming the author.

      I remember rare instances of people talking about "the former reply".

      But most replies here are from regulars, which don't do this.

      So it's not happening "often"

      Cheers Rolf
      (addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)
      Wikisyntax for the Monastery FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice

      °) compare phpbb if you don't know what linear boards are, or look at WP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation_threading

      > I still haven’t broken in my commit bit

      In case you are interested ... ;-P

      The replies are generated in list replies

      my $orderby= $VARS->{notesortorder} || $settings->{orderby} || "createtime";

      The sort order is labeled in shownote

      24: my $orderby= $VARS->{notesortorder} 25: || $settings->{orderby} 26: || "createtime"; 27: 28: my %orderby_labels = ( 29: 'createtime' => 'Oldest First', 30: 'createtime desc' => 'Newest First', 31: 'reputation desc' => 'Best First' 32: ); 33: 34: my $replies_info; 35: if ( $orderby_labels{$orderby} ) { 36: my $fmt_replies_info = htmlcode( 'formatRepliesInfo','', $NO +DE ); 37: if ( $fmt_replies_info =~ /^[^0]/ ) { # something other than + zero 38: $replies_info = qq(<span class="note-ordering">Replies a +re listed '$orderby_labels{$orderby}'.</span>); 39: } 40: } 41:

      List replies is called later.

      47: htmlcode('list replies')

      So I think you can change line 38 to show a select box changing $VARS->{notesortorder} and performing a reload.

      Cheers Rolf
      (addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)
      Wikisyntax for the Monastery FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice

Log In?
Username:
Password:

What's my password?
Create A New User
Domain Nodelet?
Node Status?
node history
Node Type: note [id://1233377]
help
Chatterbox?
and the web crawler heard nothing...

How do I use this?Last hourOther CB clients
Other Users?
Others lurking in the Monastery: (5)
As of 2024-03-29 13:35 GMT
Sections?
Information?
Find Nodes?
Leftovers?
    Voting Booth?

    No recent polls found