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Around SBN: Raiders' GM Begins The Purge

SBN Suggestions Thread

Avatar_tiny by Graham MacAree on

So it's been more than a year since we made the switchover to the live-commenting madness of SBN 2.0, and a lot of the initial kinks in the system have been ironed out. However, it's still not perfect, and with that in mind I thought I'd open up a post here to talk about what could be done better. From the authors' point of view, here's a list of things we'd like to see:

1) Auto-updating hidden comments.

2) Easier figure titling/captions

3) Linking to individual comments not requiring a load of the entire thread (the way it used to be in SBN 1.0)

What about the rest of you?

Comment 253 comments  |  4 recs  | 

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Comments

Display:

I'd like to see a comment edit window, even if it's just 30 seconds or something.

We’d lose some funnies I’m sure, but we also wouldn’t have 60 *this is what I actually meant comments in every gamethread. Auto image resizing when an image exceeds a certain pixel size would be nice as well. And links defaulting to opening in a new window would be great.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 20, 2009 11:19 AM PDT reply actions   4 recs

Agred with everything you and ac have listed

Also, I would love for it to not automatically highlight new comments. If I’m getting caught up in a thread and somebody posts a reply further up it automatically makes that my focused comment. Hitting “z” then marks it as read without ever showing the comment on the screen.

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Jun 20, 2009 11:39 AM PDT reply actions  

Yes this a thousand times.

Also a mark all as unread shortcut would bu super for those times when comments update and a link gets clicked.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 20, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions  

I want it to highlight new comments, but I want my comments to count as new.

A new comment should be any comment that has appeared since I was last here, and comments I just wrote count.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Jun 21, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

More from the Mod's POV

Allow individual blogs to set image/commenting standards. For instance, I want us to be able to require a subject line and to require a preview when an img tag is being used.

by Matthew on Jun 20, 2009 12:00 PM PDT reply actions  

What about individual thread settings

Things to speed up game threads and the like. Being able to set image limits or even filesize limits when creating threads might be beneficial to users whos browsers love to crash

by Brian Floyd on Jun 20, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

I agree, but that's a big request.

They already have the code to do what I want to do, they just need to give us control over it on a blog-wide scope.

by Matthew on Jun 20, 2009 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

It occurred to me though that one couldn’t do something like this if subject lines were required, however.

Though this is admittedly a small gripe.

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 21, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

.

I think that doing something like this would fit what you want.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'd like comments to remain marked as unread until I actually shift+A or Z through them.

Occasionally I’ll accidentally back out of the comment thread or click on a link that navigates me away from the comments*. It kind of sucks having to go back into the comment thread and having them all marked as read.

*And on another note, it would be nice of links were by default set to open in a new window/tab.

by BrianL on Jun 20, 2009 12:15 PM PDT reply actions  

I'd like a rec leaderboard available to non-mods

also, I’d like to be able to un-join blogs that I don’t participate in – I have memberships at Halos Heaven and Bruins Nation that I never post on – the only SBN sites I have a desire to post on (currently) are LL, Field Gulls and DRB.

by seattlebruin on Jun 20, 2009 12:36 PM PDT reply actions  

I'd rather do away with reccing comments altogether because who the fuck cares.

It is useful as a way of bringing diaries up to the top and keeping them visible longer, but is a waste in comment threads. You can see good photoshops without them turning green.

"Even the stupidest of men, by some instinct of nature, is convinced on his own that with more observations his risk of failure is diminished."
-Jacques Bernoulli Ars conjectandi 1713

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 20, 2009 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions   3 recs

I do

but if someone is asking to enhance rec features I think the other side needs to be given voice as well. I don’t think recs add anything to the site except for a lot of meta-discussion.

"Even the stupidest of men, by some instinct of nature, is convinced on his own that with more observations his risk of failure is diminished."
-Jacques Bernoulli Ars conjectandi 1713

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 20, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions   2 recs

People still do it, though.

They don’t only post “Rec’d”, but they post a comment saying “Good job! Rec’d” or something similar.

by Coach Owens on Jun 20, 2009 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

Maybe a lot of that is claiming or announcing ownership of the rec. That might be important for some.

There may be a difference between explaining why a rec was given (personally I rec certain comments for kind of weird reasons), and saying ‘hey it was me that gave this rec!’. If you could see who rec’d comments without having to do the impossible of sorting through every profile…
Personally I think don’t matter and while serving a purpose rec’s are goofy. But then I realize I’m not everybody, plus there is a lot of fun to be had with recs.

by Kermit. on Jun 20, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

Absolutely a method I use

Especially when the OffTop threads were so huge and I didn’t have much time.

by Robert Lintott on Jun 20, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

LL has a pretty high threshold for green comments, though.

There are threads full of awesome discussion that don’t have any green comments. Not saying we should be like other sites where one rec makes the comment green, but if you’re only scrolling for green comments, you’re really only going to find puns and dick jokes. Which are funny, of course, but you’re probably doing yourself a disservice.

by Teej on Jun 20, 2009 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

Green comments are usually connected to the good sub-threads.

I don’t have time to read everything, so scrolling through the larger threads while keeping an eye out for green comments works for me. It’s not that important for me to kept in the loop of everything that happens here. I was just trying to illustrate why recs are a great feature.

by Wilder. on Jun 21, 2009 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

In a way I think recs cause people to put more thought into the stuff they post

They see which comments get recced and which ones don’t and that affects what they think is worthy of posting.

by OlSalty on Jun 20, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

Speaking of recs

I’d quite like to have a quick mod feature (equivalent to flagged comments) to identify who is recommending really bad comments rather than spending like four clicks in order to figure it out. Not that it’ll get anyone banned straight away, but it sure puts people on the watch list if they’re rec’ing non-ironic sexism/racism/stupid.

by Graham MacAree on Jun 20, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Agreed.

I’d like to know where I stand.

by .Taylor on Jun 22, 2009 7:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

Okay, here's another one.

I’d really like a way to customize the drop-down “My Blogs” menu. I’ve joined a few blogs to comment once or twice on something specific and have no real desire to read them on a regular basis. I know you can use the “favorite” button to display certain blogs, but I simply don’t need more than three or four blogs to display. I know it probably seems petty, but it’s really irritating.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 20, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions  

I would like to see sign links go away

or have no sigs at all.

There’s few things more annoying than clicking on some stupid link that no one cares about mid-game thread and losing your place and having to re-load the GT.

by Poochie on Jun 20, 2009 2:14 PM PDT reply actions  

If sig links aren't going to go away

then I would like to see some kind of an “Are you sure you wish to navigate away from this page?” prompt appear in comment threads when a link like that is clicked.

by BrianL on Jun 20, 2009 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

I would love to see a personal message type thing.

This would make is so that we don’t have leave the site to discuss something personally with another poster. Also it would make it so that we can email people who do display their emails.

by Kirk on Jun 20, 2009 2:27 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

Great idea.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Jun 21, 2009 2:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

Considering most of us have tabs, leaving to email isn't that big of a deal.

I don’t think that I want PMs, unless you have some sort of “allow” feature. I would rather use our facebook group to allow people to connect who wish to do so, or have more people take advantage of emails. PMs on SBN just seems like it would lead us down bad paths.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 22, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think I like PMs because while most of the regulars have each others e-mail/phone/Facebook

there are some that aren’t available via those means, so it would be nice to be able to contact them without having to clutter LL threads.

by seattlebruin on Jun 22, 2009 8:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

When mobile commenting comes online I would really like to see options to disable certian content

When I load a GT with10 gifs either hog the resources on my phone or crash it all together

by Robert on Jun 20, 2009 2:33 PM PDT reply actions  

I agree with this as well.

I am tired of getting like ten giant boxes on my phone with nothing on them so I would rather not see them at all because while my phone is processing that it can’t play them it is draining battery and making me constantly go to the top of the page.

by Kirk on Jun 20, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions  

I, for one, can't wait for mobile commenting

And agreed it would need to be dumbed down so it doesnt destroy my phone

by Brian Floyd on Jun 20, 2009 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

It would be nice to see a "Who's Online" option.

I sometimes come here at funny times of the day compared to most other LL users on the West Coast. I’d like to see which other users are logged in so that when I post a comment I don’t bother waiting around for an instant reply if no one else is around.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Jun 21, 2009 2:21 AM PDT reply actions  

I'd like to amend this and say "who's online" is not as important as

“number of users currently online.” That would support anonymity while still giving you a rough estimate about how many people are going to participate. Then no one will have to know that Poochie stays online all day and all night reccing his old comments with his new profile. Also, another reason “Who’s online” would be tough would be that if you are looking for users you generally interact with, if those users choose to opt-out the entire system becomes superfluous. Don’t know how many would opt out, though.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 22, 2009 4:05 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

Anti-suggestions

Images in sigs.
Color and/or sizeable text
Automatic translation of emoticons to cute animated gif images

I would rather have cancer.

What're ya gonna do with those pies, boys?

by rickpo on Jun 21, 2009 11:57 AM PDT reply actions   1 recs

I concur, but I have a bad feeling that down the line the comments will eventually have more needless bells and whistles like these.

The comments section needs to stay as organic as possible if commenting is to flourish.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Jun 21, 2009 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions  

Additional thoughts from the Department of the Archives
  • The archives have been fucked to the heavens after the start of 09. I can no longer go back and look at part 1 of a game thread because they don’t show up in archives.
  • When doing power searches outside of LL similar user names get confused. Example
  • It would be nice if I could have quick links to all parts of a game thread from inside it instead of just parts 2/3/4/etc
  • A built in spell check that has the names of athletes already programed in. I hate having to go to google whenever I want double check if I spelt the name of a random player correctly.

by Robert on Jun 21, 2009 12:35 PM PDT reply actions  

A few thoughts:

1) Search/scroll button for recced comments – as mentioned, sometimes it is a good way to power through threads.
2) Fanposts written by users on the same day they joined the blog (even if they were on another blog first) must be approved by a moderator.
3) It would be nice to have a nifty little secret code you could type on the main page that makes pictures of Griffey pop up on your screen every time you click a button. Something like up up down down left right left right enter.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 22, 2009 3:34 AM PDT reply actions  

They already have the ability to delete content and replace it with snippets of epic poetry.

And have done so on multiple occasions. So I do not think that is such a huge deal. Unless you are responding to the “ones first LL fanpost” in which case I agree. Same day, though, seems like a fair consideration.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 23, 2009 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

This sounds like what I was going to suggest

Some kind of automatic tie-in to make play-by-play show up in gamethreads. Something like:

Bottom 9th
Ichiro Suzuki singles on a groundball to shortstop Augie Ojeda. Ronny Cedeno to 2nd. None out.
The comment could be highlighted in blue to differentiate it. I think adding this context to the GT would make them really readable after the fact, instead of having to guess what exactly happened when 15 comments say OOOHHHHHHH YES I’M COMING )O*&)*&)& or FUCKSTICK DIE KILL HATE. I realize that there is no official tie-in with MLB, but SBN has so far managed that and the updated linescore appears on the site so there must be a way.

by lemonverbena on Jun 22, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions   2 recs

This would be pretty sweet

but since we’ve never seen automated comments before, it might be a hell of a job for the SBN tech crew. Additionally, I’d assume all the blogs would want something like that – where do you draw the line? Just repeat the information in the play-by-play from the leagues’ website (every play for football, counting shots for basketball, etc.?)

by seattlebruin on Jun 22, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

Football would definitely be more complicated. You would have to include every play from scrimmage.

But only each “event” play would be needed in baseball, not each pitch. Those plays happen at a pretty reasonable pace that I think would add to, not disrupt, the gamethreads. It would be a tech challenge for sure. If the input of plays was significantly delayed it wouldn’t work very well. Gameday is behind the threads as it is.

by lemonverbena on Jun 22, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

I like this *much* more!

If SBN can pull off inline play-by-play with a box score widget in the game thread I’d… jizz in my pants!

by manyoso on Jun 22, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

A pipe dream, I think

I just don’t think it’s quite legit having live updates. It only adds more thread delay in the event of a GTE explosion, in all likelihood.

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions  

My only suggestion is

to eliminate the option to have links in comments open in a new tab/window – all links should open in new tabs/windows by default.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 22, 2009 2:23 PM PDT reply actions  

I know it was brought up in the last one, but I would like to add it to the current list:

I would like the ability to highlight or hide posts from certain people.

Maybe a blue-hued comment for highlighted users, and an Amazon-styled [You have elected to hide posts by this user. To show click here.] for hidden users.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 12:17 PM PDT reply actions  

What about the ability to highight the comments of your favorite commenters.

This will also make sure that the content of comments isn’t repeated by people that blocked the first people who asked/answered. Also allow you to scroll to the people you like.

Also, =(

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 23, 2009 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

This:
What about the ability to highight the comments of your favorite commenters.

is what I was talking about in regards to highlighting posts in my posts.

I like the scrolling idea, but looking through the comments in this thread alone, it seems if we all got what we wanted, there would be no keys left for this feature.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

Seconded.

The Rise of a Superstar:Justin Upton-.425 wOBA, 21 years old.

by Goose on Jun 23, 2009 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't want the ability to hide posts by user

It leads to:

a) confusion
b) tacit allowance of trolling (i.e. people will ignore posts rather than do something about it)
c) perpetuation of that fun Seattle game called passive aggressiveness

by Graham MacAree on Jun 23, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

Rebuttal:

A) We already have repeat posts, and the power users that would do such things as hide other users would I hope know better than to not look. I would argue also that not being able to hide a mod is an obvious point.
B) I figured with the harder line that the mods (Matthew in particular) have been taking, tacit rules enforcement would become less of a user function. It seems most of the regulars now don’t want any of the smaller rules enforced whatsoever anyways, and that function has fallen totally into your hands as site admins.
C) Sorry, but I fail to see how this would really effect in in one way or the other. Elaborate, please?
Let’s say I don’t like sb, and instead of replying with sarcastic comments to everything he says (because let’s face it, I can’t help myself), this makes me take that extra step to show the comment before I come back with something pointless and rude. After a while, either I stop taking that extra step or I take him off my hidden list and continue as before.
Unless you mean loudly and publicly declaring that you don’t see their posts, which I think could be curtailed quite easily.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

Your mom.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions  

;P

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

.

A) We’d have more.
B) We’d have more work and that makes me crankier.
C) You really don’t see this being used as a tool to turn LL into a bunch of smaller communities that would operate more or less independently? Suddenly there’d be twice as many annoying new things going on (along with seething dislike for each other), which wouldn’t be a problem to anyone but the people who are obliged to read everything (i.e. me).

by Graham MacAree on Jun 23, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

A is a given, but not something that I saw as a huge deal. Fair enough.

B I thought we were already there in a large part. What used to be a largely user-guided site has become increasingly less so, and I didn’t see the trend going in the other direction anytime soon.
C I didn’t really see that possibility, honestly. I guess it’s something that could happen, but coming from the point of view of a lurker (lately), i just don’t see people excluding everyone but their clique.
Assuming that I am wrong about the first point, I can certainly see the second.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

This seems like it would lead to a lot of redundancy and confusion.

If you hide one commenter’s comments, then you’d have to hide every subsequent comment in a sub-thread as well.

by abender20 on Jun 23, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

I wasn't talking hiding in a mod sense, more like an amazon sense.

The responses below it could give a context as to whether the comment is worth showing.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions  

Collapsible threads like at Deadspin/Lifehacker would be cool

The original post in a thread would always be displayed but the subthread could be hidden if you want. It could even preserve the nested-ness that currently exists.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

This would make much more sense.

I like this idea actually. Saves load time and what-not.

by Kirk on Jun 23, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions  

I know it has been kicked to the curb and I understand the reasons,

but I almost threw the hiding certain people’s comments idea out there myself. There are really only two people who I would consider doing it to and they do not post all that regularly. However, when they do I almost always find myself wishing I had never read the comment.

by Sec 108 on Jun 23, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

Okay, yes, definitely.

This should be an obvious change. Not like poll answers are particularly private, but there is no reason for them to be shown.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 23, 2009 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'm willing to bet on what the popular response to that one is.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

This may be my favorite post ever.

I said that yesterday to Robert but geez. This amazing.

by Kirk on Jun 23, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

Two things would need to be true:

1) There won’t be a 2nd game thread.
2) You have no intention of reading any of the previous comments.

And if both of those are true, waiting for the game thread to load should be your punishment for coming late to the party.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 23, 2009 11:47 PM PDT up reply actions  

One simialr rec related request.

When you go to your profile and it shows your recent activity, it says things like “(1 reply).” Could it also say something like “(3 recs)?” It would be fun to be able to go to your profile after a long game thread and see where recs occurred. If I am curious now, I have to scroll down looking for my user name, and that is both time consuming and makes me feel stupid for looking.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 25, 2009 2:11 AM PDT reply actions  

I just posted this in the OFFTOP but I think it belongs here too

Comment subject lines are no longer clickable, so comments cannot be collapsed. Is this intentional or a bug?

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 25, 2009 10:20 AM PDT reply actions  

Umm the rollover ads suck

There are currently a lot of ads in the right column that expand when you roll over them, but don’t collapse unless you click an X. From a usability perspective this sucks – any action initiated by a rollover should be retracted by an un-rollover (i.e. not mousing over that ad anymore). If you want to have expandable ads, only let the ad expand on a user click, i.e. I’m actually interested in the ad.

It’s really, really annoying, and something we’ve specifically un-allowed on the Amazon.com homepage.

by appleshampoo on Jun 29, 2009 11:30 PM PDT reply actions  

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