Hope this is the right forum for questions about the forum.
On portableapps.com forum, once click reply or add comment, on a post w/ several comments, you can not read any previous comments. One might need to re read them, to make their new comment accurate or grab quotes.
I assume? this is a function of the forum software, but most forums will allow scrolling while posting, to read all previous comments. Is there any way around that on this forum, other than duplicating the tab to look at previous comments?
Also, is there a recognized html tag for underline on forum posts? "u" doesn't work / isn't recognized.
Thanks.
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I can't really answer how the forum works per say, but I do know that it is generally bad practice to use underlines because they are heavily associated with links, and people will complain of broken links if underlined text does nothing. If you want to emphasize something, just use <em> or <strong>. Maybe a mod will be able to fill in the rest.
Addendum: One answer to a possible interpretation of the first part of your question is that there is a "reply" button under each comment. This allows you to see that exact comment when you're commenting back and is how the comments appear stepped in some threads. Just be warned that once a comment has been replied to, it can no longer be edited by the original poster, so edits or comments back must be in replies or new comments.
Thanks, but all I see when I hit Reply is the LAST reply. Useful to a point, but often one needs to re read several comments for facts from each one. Or sometimes, you get 2 or 3 quick responses & want to respond to each. Depends on how detailed the thread is.
Or, you're trying to piece together info from several replies (even if you didn't start the thread). That's why most forums show all comments - for one page (I think).
If I click "Add New Comment" (on an existing thread), all I see is my original post (if I started it). That's not too helpful.
Maybe others have much more photographic memories, but I find it a hindrance to only have access to one reply out of an entire conversation, when composing replies.
Unlike other forums where you reply to a post and may be commenting any of the above comments, these threads are nested. So, you are replying to either the post or one of the comments. When you reply to the post, you're replying to the post itself and your comment will show up at the top level. When you reply to a comment, you are replying to that specific comment and your comment will show up nested (indented) underneath that comment.
Underlines are specifically disabled as they are intended for links and simply cause confusion.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
OK, thanks. We'll have to agree to disagree on the value of seeing only the last reply or all (on that page) when replying to a thread. Here, I'll just open a duplicate tab, showing all replies, if I need to review them.
It's just different. In other forums you reply to the thread, including all comments. Here, you reply to specific things and replies show as nested. Like you would on reddit, SlashDot, etc. If you have something to say to two different people about what they posted, you'd reply to each one of them (each reply shows nested so everyone can see what you replied to) rather than a single post about both and having to quote them both in that reply (like you do on un-nested forums).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I would have to agree with the OP (even here I am not sure what their name is, as their name is nowhere on this reply page). I have found myself on numerous occasions, copying my entire reply, then going back to the main thread to get relevant info, then re-replying, and pasting my reply back. Typically the second time around I remember to +Click to get a new tab.
There are a number of forums that allow inline commenting, while still being threaded. The Verge forums are an excellent example of this.
It amazes me that on the internet you can be anything you want, and yet so many people still choose to be idiots.
"Underlines are specifically disabled as they are intended for links and simply cause confusion"
Of the thousands of webpages I have seen over the years and the many forums I have participated in this is the only one that has visitors that think all underlined words indicate links and dumbs down the forum to their level.
Sad IMO.
Ed
As a web developer I have seen far too many people try to click on underlined text.
I am quite happy to miss out on being able to underline text in the forums for this very reason.
Ever seen people misunderstand what was written? I have. We should eliminate words in postings too.
Ed
Since the early days of the internet links have been underlined.
It is one of the first design principles taught to beginner web-designers - don't use underline in text that isn't a link. While sometimes people do break this principle it almost always leads to confusion.
Until the day where we all speak one language that has no room for creative flair/emotion there will always be confusion between one person's writing and another person's reading of it, but if we can assist in preventing some of that confusion, why shouldn't we?
I do agree that underlining shouldn't be allowed in forums, but as mod_wastrel notes, there's like 4 or 5 differences between a link and a merely underlined text.
My personal reason for not wanting underlining though is that it looks ugly. It's an outdated form of text which IMO looks something comparable to TYPING IN ALL CAPS like my former religious education school would do (they would also make the text underlined and to emphasize they would italicize and bold the text. I still cringe at the memory).
I guess if you really want to, you can underline with links to nowhere or make text that changes color when you hover over it (the latter actually confused me the first time I saw it).
A lot of people still double-click links, too.
I don't think underlined text confuses any even semi-intelligent persons. Links usually result in one or all of the following when hovered: cursor changes to a pointer, link text changes color (which was likely different to begin with), URL and/or some text msg. pops up either in a tooltip or link target display or both. For someone to miss all of the signs of a link and be confused by simple underlined (formatted) text... well, that would be just pitiful. I prefer to develop for rational, thinking people who pay attention... and leave the others to fend for themselves.
I have nothing to offer this conversation other than a big thank you for explaining this layout!
I don't use any other sites that are set up this way, and comming from a long life of 'standard forums', this threw me for a loop!
Now I understand the only other confusing site I've started using, userstyles.org
So a big thank you for the discussion!