Allow linking to parent comment with only one child thread

[zaluzianskya]

Title:
Allow linking to parent comment with only one child thread

Area:
Comments

Summary:
I guess this would be sort of like reddit's context links: A way to view a comment's parent comment, but without any other children of that parent.

Description:
Sometimes I want to link to a specific comment or thread, but there's important context in that comment's parent. However, the parent comment might already have tons of other children. Especially when those other children are above the one I'm linking to, that's really inconvenient for the person I'm sending the link to!

Some way to show just the comment I want along with the parent comment would be a godsend. Preferably with some way to indicate that this isn't the entire thread (possibly with some kind of [click here to see X number of other comments] link, or some other indication).

Poll #18012 Allow linking to parent comment with only one child thread

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 34

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
15 (44.1%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
4 (11.8%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
3 (8.8%)

(I have no opinion)
11 (32.4%)

(Other: please comment)
1 (2.9%)

Comments

[denise]

(Commenters, please note this is an older suggestion let out of the queue very belatedly!)

I've always both liked and hated the way Reddit does this -- I like it for the context, I hate it because I can never be sure on Reddit whether I'm reading the whole thread or not if I get linked to the middle of the thread with just one comment for context and no indication that there's other discussion going on above/below it. So in theory I am 100% for this; in practice, I think I'd want somebody who really knows what they're doing UI-wise to draw a mockup of a few different scenarios first, and work out how the thing should behave in different circumstances.

If somebody wants to think up a "test suite" for this feature using comment hierarchy indicators to specify what gets displayed when things are linked to, that would be super helpful. Things like:

* You are looking at comment 2b. The parent shown should be comment 2.
* You are looking at comment 1g3a1a1d. The parent shown should be comment 1g3a1a1.

[zaluzianskya]

I'm with you in having mixed emotions on how Reddit handles this. It is just not obvious that you're not seeing all the comment's siblings.

[denise]

Yeah, exactly. Like, it's a great a feature! ...with an implementation that actually makes it LESS likely to promote conversation and context.

So, all for it, but want someone who knows what they're doing to design it instead of us just guessing...

[fiddlingfrog.livejournal.com]

I've long been a fan of the way LJ handles this on their new default site scheme. For instance, this comment [ http://andrewducker.livejournal.com/3552282.html?thread=37845530#t37845530 ] is five levels deep, but if you scroll the page up a few lines you'll get the opportunity to expand the parent comment and the chance to go up to the very top of the thread. The major drawback though is that because of the way anchors work those useful links end up "above the fold" and probably go unseen the majority of the time.

Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[azurelunatic]

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[zaluzianskya]

Ooh, this is nice. But I'm not sure if I like or dislike the fact that the collapsed sibling comments' headers take up the usual amount of space; imagine this if the comment you wanted visible was ten or twenty comments down, for example.

(But when I try clicking on the thumbnail, I get "Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.")

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[azurelunatic]

My thought was that there would at most be two sibling comment headers, one above and one below, using the first and last comment ID of the threads, and a count of the comments involved, to give a rough picture of what was contained within.

The "Threads" link would get you back to something approaching normal comment view, anchored to the topmost of the sibling threads.

And, eep: the direct link should be https://azurelunatic.dreamwidth.org/file/629945.png

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[zaluzianskya]

Ahh, I see. Now that I squint closer at the image I can see where it's coming from!

The link still doesn't work :( It's not set as private, is it? (I don't know if that would even be the problem, tbh.)

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[azurelunatic]

Set as public!

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[zaluzianskya]

It works now! Yeah, it's much clearer in full version what's going on there. I like it!

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[denise]

Hm, I'm getting the redirect warning too when visiting the large-size URL directly. I'm almost at brain capacity for the day so can't troubleshoot, but can you see if others can reproduce (and if so, file an issue for it?)

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[azurelunatic]

... it wouldn't happen to be the anti-hotlinking, would it? (Leaving this here for other troubleshooters.)

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[denise]

I don't see how it could be, but maybe ...

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[kerravonsen]

+1

Re: Some scribbling from someone who doesn't know what they're doing

[montuos]

+1

[kaberett]

+1

[zaluzianskya]

I just realized that "other children of that comment's parent" could be simplified to "that comment's siblings". Is that, like... a thing? And if not then can we make it a thing?

[denise]

It should totally be a thing.

[swaldman]

Sounds reaaaaaaaly confusing. Voted no, but given a mock-up that showed a non-confusing way to do it I'd probably change my mind. (didn't vote "with changes" because I think it's unlikely that anybody will *find* a non-confusing way to do it!)

[brainwane]

I'm voting "Other" for basically the exact same reason -- thanks for articulating it, swaldman!

[susanreads]

Would something like the method fiddlingfrog quoted, but with the sibling comments collapsed, work? So:
2 [collapsed]
2a parent comment
2a1 to 2a4 "see 4 other comments"
2a5 the comment you're linking to
its subthread, if any
2a6 to whatever "see more comments"
?

[zaluzianskya]

azurelunatic has a mockup upthread along those lines.

[susanreads]

[reloads page] aha! Posted between me loading the comments and finishing mine.