"My Comments" Shoutout

December 9, 2005 8:16 AM

Thanks for "My Comments". This is a great thing for MeFi.
posted by Miko to MetaFilter-Related at 8:16 AM (31 comments total)

Although I came out against the use of the possessive "My" during the redesign discussion, the actual function of this feature is transforming Metafilter for me. It's an easy way to track only the discussions a user is already interested in. It also allows conversation to continue beyond the point at which it has scrolled off the main page -- making for more meaningful and more often resolved discussions, and increased connections among users' ideas. Thanks for adding this incredibly useful and simple feature.
posted by Miko at 8:17 AM on December 9, 2005

.
posted by grouse at 8:21 AM on December 9, 2005

Agreed. It's a great feature.
posted by yankeefog at 8:40 AM on December 9, 2005

Also agreed, but I wish we had the ability to customize it a little more (although I think I heard about some other thread tracking feature coming?). At least to remove threads that go on for hundreds of comments without us caring anymore.
posted by loquax at 9:11 AM on December 9, 2005

My comments is a good feature, but the execution isn't quite on. If I comment in even a moderately active thread, and don't go back within an hour or two, the comments listed ("most recent 10") are pretty much useless to me. Someone once suggested that it should be the 10 following my most recent comment, which I agree with. There should also be a link that goes directly to my most recent comment so I can read the whole thread from that point.

But it is a great way to follow the thread's that I'd like to follow.
posted by Plutor at 9:15 AM on December 9, 2005

It would be better for me if it showed all comments to the thread since (my comment? last viewing of the MY Comments page?)

Seeing "24 since your most recent comment, last 10 shown below... " is not the best feeling.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:17 AM on December 9, 2005

Hm, I agree that it could use tweaking. I'd love to be able to 'dismiss' a thread I'm done with, and to see the 10 comments which appeared just after my most recent.
posted by Miko at 9:24 AM on December 9, 2005

We just had the discussion of which ten it should show: after your last comment, or at end of thread. There was not a clear consensus. Some preferred it each way.

Personally, I'm in the camp of: keep it like it is, but provide a link back to my most recent comment in the thread so that I can go back to where I last commented if I want to. Aknaton had a great idea with that suggestion, sez me.
posted by raedyn at 10:07 AM on December 9, 2005

I like the feature. I think that "ten after my most recent" idea is a bad one. It wouldn't really allow you to track the conversation, making it look static after if you've not commented in a while. If the comments that come up are interesting, you should just click through.

Also, MetaFilthy for Firefox takes you to the last comment you read in the thread, whether it's yours or someone elses. It works in all threads, not simply in ones you've commented in, and is indispensable for those big MeTa flameout threads.
posted by OmieWise at 10:08 AM on December 9, 2005

A terrific feature. Thanks, Matt.

If there are to be tweaks, I'll go along with raedyn and aknaton on putting a link back to my most recent comment.
posted by ibmcginty at 10:10 AM on December 9, 2005

Just chiming in, great stuff.
posted by IronLizard at 10:12 AM on December 9, 2005

BTW, I want to repeat that I love this feature.
posted by raedyn at 10:14 AM on December 9, 2005

I'll provide a link to your last comment. I think that'll improve things greatly.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:19 AM on December 9, 2005

Rule it does, thanks again mathowie.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 10:20 AM on December 9, 2005

mathowie writes "I'll provide a link to your last comment. I think that'll improve things greatly."

Awesome.
posted by OmieWise at 10:34 AM on December 9, 2005

Wow, I hadn't even noticed that was there - now I know, it's neat. Thanks, Matt.
posted by terpsichoria at 10:42 AM on December 9, 2005

done!
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:52 AM on December 9, 2005

mathowie: "done!"

Hooray!
posted by Plutor at 10:59 AM on December 9, 2005

Teriffic. Thanks!
posted by raedyn at 11:03 AM on December 9, 2005

and there was much rejoicing in the grey.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:08 PM on December 9, 2005

Matt: My Comments is disgustingly cool. But do you have a sense for what it's doing to the active lifespan of a post? It's definitely keeping me active for longer.
posted by lodurr at 12:25 PM on December 9, 2005

I have no idea what it will do to change behavior, I just noticed that I was addicted to my flickr pages that do the same thing and wished for the functionality here, so I paid someone to code it up.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:37 PM on December 9, 2005

Excellent Matt, thanks.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 1:30 PM on December 9, 2005

I kinda think it's bad for metafilter. I find that using it is too easy a way to participate here in that I spend much more time away from the commons, so to speak. I don't know if being so focused on the threads in which we've already commented is such a good thing. But I use it.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 1:48 PM on December 9, 2005

While we're talking about the mycomments page: Matt (if it's not too difficult) could there be an indicator on that page when a thread has been closed?
posted by raedyn at 3:16 PM on December 9, 2005

mathowie: "so I paid someone to code it up."

*Buys a CF book*
posted by Plutor at 5:29 PM on December 9, 2005

Is anyone still listening down here, like Matt? Thanks for the "my last comment" link, that was great, and fast. Can this page close tags like the rest do. If someone forgets to close the small tag the whole rest of the page remains small. I am amazed at how often this happens.
posted by caddis at 5:39 PM on December 9, 2005

caddis - ha! I always thought that was by design, as in after a few days inactive threads default to smaller or italic text.
posted by loquax at 6:42 PM on December 9, 2005

I really love My Comments, although Ethereal Bligh has a very good point about the change in perspective it causes. I kind of wish it looked more like the rest of the site... It would be really cool if the threads were colour coded based on the page they come from, for example. I think I would prefer a single column layout too, although I'm not sure, I can see how it might not fit properly with the page content...
posted by Chuckles at 10:06 PM on December 9, 2005

I'll provide a link to your last comment. I think that'll improve things greatly.

just noticed.
...and there was much rejoicing
YAAAY!
posted by carsonb at 9:18 AM on December 10, 2005

Yes, thanks so much for that! Pony pony.
posted by smackfu at 9:22 AM on December 12, 2005