Suggestion for Discussion Board Posting Feature

[pburn]

I've run into what I think is a really helpful posting feature on another chat/discussion board venue.

So many times, in my quest to become a board legend, I've spent way too much time composing a brilliant, witty, and memorable response to another member concerning some issue or other. When I finalize my comments and post them, I discover that three people have already managed to post way better answers in  three sentences than the paragraphs that took me twenty minutes to compose. So now, my answer looks like I'm just repeating information that's already been posted, albeit in a much more fascinating read. Embarrassing.

On the other venue, before my comments are actually posted to the thread, it shows all the comments that have already posted in the intervening time between starting the reply process and posting it. It gives me (as a poster) the opportunity to cancel my post or edit/revise my comments so as not to repeat information that other people have already posted. Of course, if one chooses, one can still post the original comments, if it is felt there is some merit  in repeating what everyone else has already covered. 

I think it's a brilliant way to avoid cross-posting. 

So that's my suggestion for today.

The end.

[eburtonlab · Accepted solution]

@pburn 

If I think of it, I sometimes use the "View discussion in a popup" link on the reply page under the text box. Right clicking to open in a new tab allows me to check the current thread to see if there are any new replies before I hit "post".

I often forget, though; so a more automated process would be useful.

[pburn]

Will that work if I use a pop-up blocker? I'm not sure if I can whitewash my pop-up blocker for individual sites (like I can with Adblock Plus).

If it works, it would be a good tool to get used to using!

[eburtonlab]

@pburn 

Will that work if I use a pop-up blocker? I'm not sure if I can whitewash my pop-up blocker for individual sites (like I can with Adblock Plus).

It works for me in Firefox if I right click and choose "open link in new tab".

Actually, I just checked, and left-clicking also opens the link in a new tab, but that may be due to some browser setting I chose at some point (possibly "Open links in tabs instead of new windows").

[eburtonlab]

@pburn 

I'm not sure if I can whitewash my pop-up blocker for individual sites

I had to dig around in my browser options, but it looks like Firefox does allow whitelisting of sites for the built-in pop up blocker. It is listed under "Privacy and Security". I think when a popup is blocked, there is an icon that appears in the address bar that you can use to override the blocker and add the site to the whitelist. It has been a while since I have used it, though.

[pburn]

Okay! I use a Chrome browser on a Windows 10 machine, so I'll have to check it out!

[pburn]

Okay, so, I've been playing around with the "View discussion in a popup."

On my machine, it actually does open the thread in a new tab instead of a popup, so that's good. But it doesn't automatically refresh in real time, right? So, in order to determine whether there have been any interim posts, I'd have to refresh the thread in that new window? Is that your experience, too? Or are you seeing it update/refresh itself?

That's not a bad solution, but I do like the feature the other venue offers, where you see all the interim posts when you try to submit your post.

[eburtonlab]

@pburn 

On my machine, it actually does open the thread in a new tab instead of a popup, so that's good. But it doesn't automatically refresh in real time, right? So, in order to determine whether there have been any interim posts, I'd have to refresh the thread in that new window?

It does not automatically refresh in real time, no. But I think it loads the latest current page at the time you click on the link, rather than a cached version; I will have to try a manual refresh next time I post in a popular thread to see if there is a difference.

[pburn]

So I would click on it just moments before I post my own comment to check for later posts.

Got it! I'm def gonna start using that! Thanks!

[pocomocomputing]

My suggestion is to not compose a post that takes 20 minutes and has many paragraphs.

Try to post in 10-15 lines or less and 2-3 paragraphs to make it easy to read and answer the question. If you post more than that, you most likely are just going off topic.

Besides, if most forum readers are like me, you read a few of lines at the start and end of long posts and skim the middle looking to see of there is any content worth reading.

I tend to be verbose and am told b my wife and others to answer the question, not give my life story. LOL.