That preview that you do not-so-well

March 11, 2009 12:00 AM

Bug report: The preview function is disabling some features.

Recently, I've noticed that upon clicking "preview" while writing a comment, the page reloads with some of the comment functionality stripped. Specifically, all the favorite counts, favorite buttons, and flag buttons disappear. Also, I've got a Greasemonkey script that places a "quote" button after the flag button in each byline -- this vanishes too (which is inconvenient when I decide to quote after previewing). The usernames and timestamps remain in place.

Is this a side-effect of the recent server changes? I don't recall seeing it in the past. It occurs in Firefox, IE, and Chrome, FWIW.

posted by Rhaomi to bugs at 12:00 AM (16 comments total)

It's come up before. The preview page is an intentional relic designed as a test of your ability to cope with the fact that the universe will break your expectations in the most delightful way.
posted by carsonb at 12:43 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]

Thanks, carsonb. It's surprising the problem is so long-standing -- I'd never noticed the lack of buttons before. I guess that's a hint at how nonessential those functions are during preview...
posted by Rhaomi at 12:53 AM on March 11

I believe the preview page actually uses different server code than normal pages. Bug and features get out of sync because of the fork. It's bad design, but few people care.
posted by ryanrs at 1:03 AM on March 11

Hm, I could probably fix the Greasemonkey script so the [quote] buttons are there when you preview..
posted by Plutor at 4:57 AM on March 11

Mefiquote has been updated exactly one year minus a day after the last update. There's another much-requested feature (only quote what's highlighted!) and a handful of bug fixes.
posted by Plutor at 5:58 AM on March 11

Yeah, the preview is a temp landing page that enabling every exact feature on would a crazy amount of work for something few see for a short amount of time.
posted by mathowie at 7:56 AM on March 11

You need "be" at the end of that sentence for true Yoda-speak, Matt.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:54 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]

I wish there was some way to embed Vorloniness into a comment so we could do Kosh instead of Yoda. You can only use

Impudent.

so many times.
posted by cortex at 9:32 AM on March 11

Thanks for the quick upgrades to an already-stellar script, Plutor. I'll install it as soon as I get home!
posted by Rhaomi at 12:16 PM on March 11

Whenever I click preview my formerly witty and insightful comment becomes rather mundane and vacuous. Can you fix that for me?
posted by blue_beetle at 12:26 PM on March 11

Yeah, the preview is a temp landing page that enabling every exact feature on would a crazy amount of work for something few see for a short amount of time.

OTOH, now that we have AJAX, you could just swap in the comment preview div for the commenting div when you hit Preview. Then all the other features on the comments in the other divs would still be fine.
posted by smackfu at 12:50 PM on March 11

You need "be" at the end of that sentence for true Yoda-speak, Matt.

Actually, it should appear after "work" for true yodafication.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:19 PM on March 11

Plutor: "I wish there was some way to embed Vorloniness into a comment so we could do Kosh instead of Yoda."

That's kinda fun. Highlight one person's words, then hit the quote button for someone else.
posted by team lowkey at 3:20 PM on March 11

Dammit, illiad...
posted by cortex at 3:28 PM on March 11

cortex: "Highlight one person's words, then hit the quote button for someone else."

You could do that before, just by, you know, typing something different.

team lowkey: "I'm so drunk right now."

Yeah, like that.
posted by Plutor at 5:02 PM on March 11

Yup? Fun, right?
posted by team lowkey at 5:30 PM on March 11