Implement LJ's Notes feature

[foxfirefey]

Title:
Implement LJ's Notes feature

Area:
User interface

Summary:
Implementing LJ's new notes feature, as described here and here.

Description:
Most of this has already been implemented in the open source version of LiveJournal and a bug for adding this feature is in our bug database already; the main reason for posting this is to gather feedback on what people like and do not like about the Notes feature, so that we can adjust LiveJournal's implementation to one that best serves Dreamwidth's users.

Poll #869

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
25 (58.1%)

Should be implemented with changes.
11 (25.6%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
7 (16.3%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

The thing I didn't like about the LJ version and the reason I deleted all my notes very quickly after testing the feature is the little asterisk it places after the username, which I found ugly and intrusive. I would appreciate an option to choose whether or not to display such an indicator, or at least a more elegant and visually appealing method of indicatng wherre a note exists for a username.

I loved the idea of this feature, I just found the execution clunky.

[turlough]

I agree that the asterisk is quite irritating and I would definitely prefer some other solution. I love the feature itself a lot though so even the clunky asterisk haven't stopped me from using it extensively.

[zarhooie]

What do you think would be a good indicator?

[turlough]

Perhaps changing the user name to italics? Though lots of people change the look of the user name in their layouts so it might not be the best idea.

[(Anonymous)]

Personally, I'd prefer that there not be a visual indicator at all, so either having none or having the ability to turn it off would be necessary for me to use the feature in any way. If that wasn't possible, I'm really not sure what would work better. Maybe some sort of user-selected effect applied to the username (preferably NOT italicising or bolding, which are very intrusive too, so maybe change of colour or something? I really don't know! I just don't want a visual indicator, really! *g*)

[foxfirefey]

Color would be even worse than italicising or bolding; it's too complicated to coordinate across multiple styles.

We could add a CSS class to the span, certainly, so people could style it the way they wanted to on their own styles--then you could style it how you wanted.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I don't know anything about the technical side of it, just thinking about what I'd like to see as end-user.

If the CSS class thing let me choose NOT to style it any differently than usual too, that sounds like a good option!

[montanaharper]

+1

[azurelunatic]

The management page strikes me as alarmingly ugly.

It should also be able to sort by notes as well as sorting by username.

[ciaan]

I haven't been able to use the feature on LJ because I don't have a paid account there anymore, but it looks like an excellent idea and I would love to have it over here! I totally want to be able to make notes on everyone, and the only caveat I have so far is that those notes should never in any way be visible to others, and it looks like LJ had some flaws with email notifications of comments indicating the presence of notes.

[zarhooie]

I don't use Notes on LJ, but that's because I've got the context hover turned off. :)

Maybe we could stick the "this person has notes!" thing into the DW context hover thing? That'd solve the "eww this is ugly" problem.

[foxfirefey]

But that's one of the great things, IMO, of LJ's implementation: it works just fine with the contextual hover off. You can see who has notes with the asterisk, and hover over the username for the note.

[ciaan]

I wouldn't want it only in the hovermenu, as I turn that off.

[ratcreature]

I light of others' dislike of the asterix, I'd like to say that I like that solution. I found it very intuitive, like a footnote sign, and not ugly or overly intrusive. I find that certainly better than yet another fiddly, tiny icon with some confusing symbol, or changing the text formatting.

[foxfirefey]

I'm with you there. I guess there might be a compromise that can be had, with an option somewhere.

[triadruid]

Yup. Although I suppose a carat (^) might work too, as I think that's used in some programs for footnotes.

[foxfirefey]

My guess is that most people who hate the * would hate the ^, too. Hrm. But I could be wrong.

[foxfirefey]

I guess I could make a character option for displaying notes? That way, people could put it * or ^ or leave it blank.

[triadruid]

I kinda like that - Notes are only visible to yourself after all, right?

[(Anonymous)]

That sounds like the best option to me (am the anon from above, BTW *g*).

[turlough]

I like this. (I realised today that I could use CSS to get rid of the asterisk on LJ :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Any chance you would be willing to share how get rid of the asterisk on LJ? I'd love to be able to use the feature, but it was just too intrusive.

[turlough]

Of course. I added this to the custom CSS:

span .useralias-value
{
display: none;
}

[watervole]

I like the asterisk. It's simple and easy to remember.

[cesy]

Letting the user choose whether to indicate it with an asterisk, carat, bold, colour or nothing at all would be good. It sounds like an option in settings along with some CSS would achieve this.

[zvi]

My issue with the LJ implementation was not that I disliked having some visual indicator, but that I found it very confusing to have the asterisk appear to be part of the LJ username when it actually isn't. I would love to have a character indicator, but I do not want it to be part of the anchor for the username. An asterisk next to the username, but not part of it, if you see what I mean?

[foxfirefey]

So, not part of the username link?

[zvi]

Yes, exactly.

[zvi]

When you are viewing a person's profile, there is no indication that someone that I have made a note about someone in their circle. I would like to have an indicator on the profile page akin to the default indicator on styled pages.

(Not sure I'm making any sense. So, let me explain with examples.

I have made a note that eliotspencer is the smokinghot twin of lindseymcdonald. I go to view the profile of ckspouse49, who gives access to eliotspencer. When I view ckspouse49's profile, I would like an indicator that I've written a note about eliotspencer.

[foxfirefey]

I think that makes sense and could just be an indication with the after character on the name the profile. Then if people don't like it they could turn it off easily.

[got_swagger]

Is there any update of when a notes feature may be available for Dreamwidth?

[denise]

The programmer who's working on it has had a string of RL distractions, so no real timeline.