OP Spotlight

May 6, 2008 5:13 PM

Visually distinguish the OP's comments? (At least in AskMefi.)

So invariably on AskMeFi Posts I'll end up scanning for the OP's comments. More often than not, a follow-up by them is required and also you can often get a cliff notes version of the best answer/advice by reading their responses (if they come back). This would be a perfect example.

I usually use Firefox's search highlight for the OP's name, but have the MeFi gods ever thought to distinguish the OP's comments in some way ? (like best answer with the "grey box") Or at least include a mark that indicated the OP ever commented ? (also like best answer with the check mark)

Just curious. I didn't want to start fiddling with Greasemonkey without at least first putting the idea out there.

posted by JakeLL to feature requests at 5:13 PM (46 comments total)

This script does it very well and I believe is pretty widely used.
posted by pete0r at 5:17 PM on May 6 [1 favorite]

And now, ladies and gentlemen, here he is again! The man who put it up there first! Absolutely resplendent in 00BFFF Deep Sky Blue! Let's give a BIG MeFi welcome to... the OH! PEE!

*cue zippy MetaFilter theme music and hearty applause*
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:34 PM on May 6 [3 favorites]

It's a good script. Highly recommended. WOULD RUN AGAIN AAAA++++++++
posted by rtha at 5:57 PM on May 6 [1 favorite]

You know what? I'm with the OP here.

I don't want to install a stupid script to get this. I'd really like to see OP comments stand out by default. This would aid in communication overall. But they shouldn't be the standard Best Answer grey, I think, because people would confuse OP comments with Best Answers.

And that's disadvantageous for several reasons.
posted by SlyBevel at 6:29 PM on May 6 [6 favorites]

Previously on MetaTalk.
posted by nowonmai at 6:31 PM on May 6

Which is not to say that I don't think this is an excellent idea.
posted by nowonmai at 6:33 PM on May 6

I read MeFi from at least three locations on a regular basis: home, work, cellphone. I'd love to be able to highlight as well, and Greasemonkey can't do it at two out of three of those. So yeah.. this would be awesome (and I would imagine fairly trivial to implement? Yes? No?)


I have no pie but I do have fresh shortbread if anyone would like
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:36 PM on May 6

Is there a Greasemonkey script that posts "There's a Greasemonkey script for that" in every feature request thread from now on?

There should also be a script that makes a "Is there a Greasemonkey script that posts 'There's a Greasemonkey script for that'" joke.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:39 PM on May 6 [4 favorites]

This would be great and fine but I think it is second priority to some sort of "punch you over the internet if you are posting an easily-searched duplicate".

I think it would also be easy at that point to implement a "punch you over the internet twice if you post an answer to an AskMe question which is exactly the same as an answer given earlier, and you were so caught up in mouth-foaming must-contribute fervor that you didn't bother to read any of the other ones to notice that you would be being both ignorant and redundant" feature.
posted by blacklite at 6:49 PM on May 6 [1 favorite]

blacklite There's a Greasemonkey script for that
posted by salvia at 6:52 PM on May 6

yeah, check out MeFi navigator for greasemonkey-- amazing app, that. It labels admins (not that I need that mind you, but it's a feature bundled in with my meta-stuff), original poster, and a drop down list next to each user in threads that allows one to jump to their other comments.
posted by exlotuseater at 7:04 PM on May 6

Remember, kids: switch to a heavier grade monkey lube for the summer months. You don't want that little rascal to overheat.

When commenting on MetaFilter, popechunk uses only Castrol brand monkey grease.
posted by popechunk at 7:44 PM on May 6 [1 favorite]

Hey, did anyone realize that there's a greasemonkey script that does this very thing?

dnab, I would like some shortbread thank you. Also, consider making it with some chopped fresh rosemary and fancy imported butter. Yum!
posted by desuetude at 8:01 PM on May 6

If you use Firefox: ctrl-F or apple-F, enter name in search bar, tada! name is highlighted, no monkeys were greased in this process.
posted by bobobox at 8:05 PM on May 6

Or, as I see, you have done that.
posted by bobobox at 8:07 PM on May 6

Wow. I hadn't realized how useful having greasemonkey installed is. The MeFi navigator script is very handy.
posted by Memo at 8:21 PM on May 6

I've always wanted this, too. Something noticeable if you're looking for it, camouflaged otherwise. Yay for the greasemonkey kids, but this really just seems like a basic readability thing that should be in the site itself. Threads get long, posts look alike, usernames are wierd. Just give a little teensy hint!
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:51 PM on May 6

Yeah, never understood why this wasn't done. It makes perfect sense and has no drawbacks.
posted by dobbs at 8:54 PM on May 6 [2 favorites]

The answer is NO.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:59 PM on May 6

Unless it changes to 'yes'. In which case, never mind.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:00 PM on May 6

I think the answer kind of remains "hey, maybe, kind of working on other stuff in the meantime", basically.
posted by cortex at 10:14 PM on May 6

I'm pretty sure this was implemented months ago.
posted by team lowkey at 10:42 PM on May 6

GODSPEED YOU, DEAR FEATURE REQUEST!
team lowkey: Unfortunately, it has not been implemented - though it's been requested over and over (and over and over and over!) again. Perhaps with enough encouragement and enthusiastic requesting, the mods will finally see how fantastic and worthy a feature this will prove to be. Pretty please with sucanat on top ❤.

And perhaps, if we're lucky if the mods are drunk enough, they'll entertain the return of ~✧*GLITTER GRAPHICS*✧~.
posted by numinous at 11:01 PM on May 6 [1 favorite]

PONY REQUEST: ALL FUTURE SITE MODIFICATION TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH GREASEMONKEY.
posted by Kwine at 11:20 PM on May 6

bobobox your name turned to green print on white. That is so cool! Just as if I knew what I was doing.
posted by Cranberry at 11:57 PM on May 6

I don't like monkeys. Especially greasy ones. Speciesist? YES.
posted by WalterMitty at 12:45 AM on May 7

I think it's a good idea... not everyone uses greasemonkey, or even compatible browsers, or even uses the same computer every time they access mefi. In fact I'd wager it's a very small technically-oriented minority of the site that uses scripting.
posted by modernnomad at 4:20 AM on May 7

I installed Greasemonkey on my Firefox in a few seconds, restarted Firefox, then popped over to the link and installed the script. It probably took less time to do that than it has to figure out what I want to say here and type it.

Is Greasemonkey incompatible with some browsers, is that the objection to it? Cuz it's not a stupid script, it's a smart script. Works fine. We're beating a dead horse here, unless Matt and PB want to go all out for every single request and modify the site all day long, these user-created solutions seem fine to me. Or is it just tastier coming from Matt?
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:40 AM on May 7

Greasemonkey is only available for Firefox. Some Greasemonkey scripts can be made to work with Opera, but since it's a bit more of a pain to get them installed there (you have to download them and put them in a specific directory under your Opera install) and that browser has an even lower market share than Firefox, it makes it a bit moot. The big missing piece is IE. And although there are more than one Greasmonkalikes for IE, it's still hit and miss.

Not to mention that if you're still running IE, you're probably doing it because you're on a work machine that's got some annoying security settings preventing you from doing anything useful.
posted by Plutor at 4:53 AM on May 7

I think the missing piece is Safari.
posted by Pants! at 4:57 AM on May 7

So is there a GreaseMonkey script that will let me favourite the mods reasons for deletion?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:31 AM on May 7

I've already been through this.
posted by Jofus at 6:47 AM on May 7 [1 favorite]

'Why doesn't this movie have a soundtrack?'

'Psh, everyone can just bring their iPod into the theater.'
posted by shakespeherian at 6:54 AM on May 7 [7 favorites]

Don't like greasemonkey? Your computer came with CTRL+F (or Apple+F).
posted by baphomet at 8:19 AM on May 7

Is there a greasemonkey script that will predict the point at which commenters will stop reading the post AND most of the comments, and just type as if they're the first person to encounter the issue?
posted by goatdog at 8:39 AM on May 7 [1 favorite]

I think that begins as soon as the post goes up.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:45 AM on May 7

We should just have a really complicated Greasemonkey script that creates a page with links and discussion of websites and then we could just shut down Metafilter.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:56 AM on May 7

Can we just make this site viewable only with Firefox and be done with it? j/k, sort of
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:05 AM on May 7

Also, consider making it with some chopped fresh rosemary and fancy imported butter. Yum!

Why would you do that to a perfectly good batch of shortbread?
posted by jacquilynne at 11:31 AM on May 7

Cortex: I think the answer kind of remains "hey, maybe, kind of working on other stuff in the meantime", basically.

Plutor: Greasemonkey is only available for Firefox.

So the horse, er, pony, isn't dead, it's just waiting in the stall, hoping to run wild and free someday.

I had an awful flashback of people taking away my Mac and exchanging it for a PC and forcing me to use MS Frontpage as well as the evil IE. Thanks for being patient, Plutor, and answering my question. I bow to all you cubicle jockeys and your battle with the evil overlords of IE.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:36 PM on May 7

jacquilynne, don't knock it till you've tried it.
posted by desuetude at 12:39 PM on May 7

dobbs : It makes perfect sense and has no drawbacks.

Sure, but that's what I said about getting a pet fire-breathing dragon. Now, three burned cities later, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I should have opted for the rabbit instead.
posted by quin at 7:53 AM on May 8

I didn't know they even had fire-breathing rabbits.
posted by cortex at 8:15 AM on May 8

Request: One (1) pony, fire-breathing.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:16 AM on May 8

I'd like to point out again, as I've done in previous MeTa posts requesting this feature, that this kind of highlighting would improve both readability AND the quality of answers given on AskMe. Yeah, it would make things more convenient for readers/commenters who would like to look for follow-up info from the original poster, but it's also more likely to get the attention of people who would otherwise have commented without reading the follow-up. Commenters who have seen the posters' follow-up will give more useful answers, which makes the site better. Like dobbs said, "It makes perfect sense and has no drawbacks."
posted by vytae at 10:05 AM on May 8 [1 favorite]

Can we make the OP's comments <blink>?
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:08 AM on May 9