Comments on: Can we move the byline to the top?

Can we move the byline to the top?

Quietgal — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:43:05 -0800

Suggestion for a small format change: how about putting the byline on top of the comment in discussion threads? This would allow us to efficiently skip comments from users we don't want to hear from without resorting to user killfiles, and without wasting precious seconds of I'm-surfing-at-work-and-I-really-shouldn't-be-doing-this time to realize that this is a comment from that guy. Having the byline at the top would save a bit of scrolling and skimming, since you'd know what you're getting into right from the start. Also, some MeFites are "must-reads" for me and I'd like to make sure I don't blow past them.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:47:12 -0800

How about a GreaseMonkey script?

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:56:11 -0800

Dammit, now I've had to read a comment by Captaintripps!

By: ?!

?! — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:56:22 -0800

How about hiding the bylines and just judging the comments on their worth alone?

Or maybe a greasemonkey script that puts three random bylines on each comment and you have to guess who actually made the comment?

By: oddman

oddman — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:05:12 -0800

How about a script that randomly reassigns the bylines in a particular discussion?

OK, seriously now, wouldn't having the byline above the comments make it harder to read? Aren't we accustomed to reading the signature after the comment not before it? Granted some websites like slashdot and plastic place the names above the comment but they have comment boxes not just bylines. I really prefer mefi's cleaner layout.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:06:52 -0800

This is why I sometimes read threads from the bottom up, with the added benefit that parsing the discussion backwards qualifies as a mental exercise.

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:18:54 -0800

I understand the feeling, but putting the byline on top wouldn't be a "small" change in design -- it'd be pretty radical and I doubt Matt would do that. also, it would make the poster's name more important than the content -- now that we're not a closed community anymore, it makes less and less sense. at this point, after 5 years here, I mostly see new names in threads, new people. having the names on top wouldn't add anything, I wouldn't know them anyway.

a greasemonkey script really seems like the best way to solve your problem.

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:20:03 -0800

How about a script that randomly reassigns the bylines in a particular discussion?

I seem to remember that, Miguel I guess, made that proposal once upon a time. like, let's all switch usernames for a day and see what happens. I seem to remember I agreed, it'd be a funny day. just for once, though.

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:32:23 -0800

How about not reading Metafilter so that your mind is never disturbed or polluted. Or opened.

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:33:21 -0800

Matteo, a GreaseMonkey script - even if I knew how to create one - is a bit more than I'd want because sometimes I read everybody's comments and sometimes I want to skip certain peoples' comments. Often a thread will start out OK but after a while a flamewar subthread starts and at that point I'd rather skip the flames and focus on the main discussion.

Also, I didn't think this format change would be a big deal (IANADBA). It would only be worth it if it's easy for Matt since it merely adds a minor bit of efficiency to my flame-avoidance. If it's a major undertaking, #1 can feel free to kill this feature request.

By: dash_slot-

dash_slot- — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:43:45 -0800

How weird. I was just coming here to point out that in the My Comments feature, usernames top off the user comments, and it slightly irritated me. I was about to suggest that - for the sake of intra-site consistency - the usernames went below the comment. However, if the versa occurred - that all of Mefi went 'name above comment' - I would be ok with that.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:55:06 -0800

Its not so much that I don't want to read certain peoples comments, its just that I don't know what voice to read them in.

By: y2karl

y2karl — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:10:56 -0800

This is why I sometimes read threads from the bottom up, with the added benefit that parsing the discussion backwards qualifies as a mental exercise.

What he said.

Its not so much that I don't want to read certain peoples comments, its just that I don't know what voice to read them in.

Today, I am channeling Droopy.

Now, you've made me really mad.

By: Pigpen

Pigpen — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:46:54 -0800

I'm sure I remember Matt saying somewhere that "byline below" was a deliberate design decision made to discourage people from making snap judgements about the value of a post based on who wrote it.

By: Johnny Assay

Johnny Assay — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:59:14 -0800

I don't know what voice to read them in.

What we need is a GreaseMonkey plugin where the "less desirable" users' posts are replaced by the "Wah wa-wah wah" sounds that represent the parents' voices in the Charlie Brown specials. That would rock.

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:11:54 -0800

my voice

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:27:45 -0800

How about some sort of way to let me know what comments are written by Albanians? Fucking Albanians.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:29:18 -0800

This would allow us to efficiently skip comments from users we don't want to hear from

That's exactly the reason why they are on the bottom. Posts and comments are judged by their words first, not who is saying them.

This is by design.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:35:36 -0800

riiiiiight.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:37:20 -0800

No, I think I've heard that rationale before. Way back in the day.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:43:03 -0800

How about not reading Metafilter so that your mind is never disturbed or polluted. Or opened.
posted by ParisParamus

*head explodes*

By: y2karl

y2karl — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:04:40 -0800

Shameless and clueless, that's Pitiful Paradigm.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:07:42 -0800

It was from way back, I never liked how slashdot put the names up top and how that reinforced prejudiced behaviors. It still happens here, but I wasn't going to help it along.

I've heard many times that people have been surprised by a long, thoughtful comment that they read through til the end and didn't notice until they were done that it was written by someone they used to dislike, or disagree with, and how it changed their opinion of the other member.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:36:45 -0800

riiiiiight.

i just like saying "riiiiiight".

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 13:40:02 -0800

the following information was made by blue_beetle

Can we sign our posts before putting in the content? I think that would be the bees knees!

the above information was posted by blue_beetle

By: terrapin

terrapin — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 13:54:16 -0800

Wow. I heard quonsar's comments in Bill Cosby's voice. Neat.

By: nkyad

nkyad — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 14:09:02 -0800

Here, here, a Greasemonkey script that hides everything but the text from all comments in a Mefi page:No Poster Name.

Beware this is just something I put together in half an hour - it is incompatible with MetaFilthy and will probably break other scripts that rely on information being wiped out. That said, have fun.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 14:36:26 -0800

The only thing that script needs is a hr after each comment, so there's a break and you know who is saying what.

By: nkyad

nkyad — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 16:43:07 -0800

The only thing that script needs is a hr after each comment, so there's a break and you know who is saying what.

Reinstall and you're done...

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 16:47:42 -0800

Mathowie, thanks for the explanation. Carry on.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:03:55 -0800

Incidentally, the my comments page does have bylines at the top. Why the discrepancy, Matt? Mind you, I think that page is screwed up 29 ways from Sunday :) Probably not intentionaly, but the next time you look at the page, it might be something to re-evaluate.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:24:14 -0800

?! : "Or maybe a greasemonkey script that puts three random bylines on each comment and you have to guess who actually made the comment?"

I don't know that that would be a useful script, but it would be kinda fun.

oddman : "OK, seriously now, wouldn't having the byline above the comments make it harder to read? Aren't we accustomed to reading the signature after the comment not before it?"

Yes, but it could be made pretty easy to understand by using indenting. That is:

posted by bugbread at some time on some day
Hi mom.

posted by bugbread's mom at some time on some day
Hi son.

Note: I realize this idea has been vetoed. And my comment about formatting is not meant to imply that I agree with the suggestion. It was just pointing out that having the byline above the post would not necessarily be harder to read, even if Slashdot style boxes were not implemented.

By: nkyad

nkyad — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:25:48 -0800

And Quietgal, since I can't stop playing anyway, just for you: Poster Name First.

The same warning applies: this is a quick and dirty poorly tested script - use it at your own risk.

By: nkyad

nkyad — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:31:26 -0800

Just noticed the bugger above does not work here on the brown, just on the blue - go figure (as I said, quick and dirty).

And bugbread that is, I think, the greatest thing about Greasemonkey - it may be all about one end user experience. So, if he/she wants the byline first, why not let her/him have it, regarless of what I, Matt or you think about it?

By: arto

arto — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:33:23 -0800

How about a GreaseMonkey script to leave the usernames alone, but delete all the comment text? That way I can keep all my mental prejudices intact, without wasting all that time reading.

Except comments that consist only of "." -- those I want transformed into pornographic haiku about Margaret Thatcher.

oh iron lady chef
my salad was tossed so well
so what's for dinner?

By: arto

arto — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 17:35:55 -0800

p.s. Your search - "pornographic haiku about margaret thatcher" -- did not return any documents.

Shame on you, Internets. Shame on you.

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 18:32:38 -0800

Do some people not realize that the ME in MeFi is just a contraction, not a pronoun?
This is getting ridiculous. Learn how to write a user script, scan the comments from behind a protective cushion, or train a monkey to recognize and scribble over comments/people you don't care for with a dry erase marker.
If it bothers you, then it's up to you to do something about it.
If it bothers us and negatively affects Metafilter, I have faith that the community's best interests will be protected.
That being said... a lot of people think that it would be good for MeFi if ampersands were featured in every post, comment, and username. I trust you'll do the right thing, Mr. Mathowie, sir.
For the community.

By: qwip

qwip — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:10:30 -0800

What I would like is that the anchor would be at the top, so long post that were linked to wouldn't be cut off at the top. Seems like putting the poster at the beginning of the post would solve that problem anyway.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:48:52 -0800

Incidentally, the my comments page does have bylines at the top. Why the discrepancy, Matt? Mind you, I think that page is screwed up 29 ways from Sunday :)

That's what happens when you pay a programmer that doesn't actively use the site to make something for you. I do need to revisit it and improve a few basic things.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:57:58 -0800

There, tweaked a bit for now, to put usernames below. I had been meaning to tweak that ever since I first launched it.

By: Gator

Gator — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 21:07:20 -0800

My Posts still has the usernames on top.

By: PareidoliaticBoy

PareidoliaticBoy — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:46:35 -0800

I can think of three commenters here whose posts I'd just as soon never have to read; but some tiny part of my brain tells me that this might actually be a bad thing.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 04:13:40 -0800

Possibly germane thoughts on anonymity and the opposite.

By: ?!

?! — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:00:07 -0800

More than possibly germane, stavros. That was very interesting.