Greasemonkey script question.

July 20, 2009 4:02 AM

I'm trying to find a specific MeFi greasemonkey script. It would 'bookmark' the last comment you read, so when you returned to the thread, a grey scrolling bar would appear on the left-hand side, pointing down, until you hit the last(ish) comment you read, when it would turn into a slightly different shape. What was this thing called? I cannot find it on userscripts.org.
posted by flibbertigibbet to MetaFilter-related at 4:02 AM (32 comments total)

MetaFilter Scroll Tag.
posted by gman at 4:06 AM on July 20 [1 favorite]

Is anyone else having trouble with Greasemonkey no longer working, apropos of nothing?
posted by shakespeherian at 4:56 AM on July 20

This script has vastly improved metafilter for me.

In fact, lots of Plutor's scripts make metafilter an all round nicer place to be. It's always disappointing to use mefi on a different computer. The comments aren't numbered, there's no mefi navigator, no scroll tag.

Thanks, Plutor! And matthewr! And all those programmers who make this place easier to use.
posted by mosessis at 5:00 AM on July 20

Shakespeherian, my mefi scripts are still working fine. Have you installed anything else recently?
posted by mosessis at 5:03 AM on July 20

Plutor rawks! Whoever wrote MeFi Navigator rawks, too.

I'm amazed at the functionality these guys get out of so little code. MeFi Navigator is only 145 lines long!

That's why I'm never going back to internet explorer. That, and the fact that I'm using Ubuntu.
posted by double block and bleed at 5:09 AM on July 20

I do have a weird thing where the scroll tag forgets where I was if I close firefox, but I already bothered Plutor once about a bug that wasn't in another script and I figure he has better things to do than answer my stupid questions.
posted by double block and bleed at 5:23 AM on July 20

mosessis: Shakespeherian, my mefi scripts are still working fine. Have you installed anything else recently?

Everything new I've got disabled. Currently my situation is: Greasemonkey doesn't work, then I disable Greasemonkey and reinstall it (don't have to uninstall to do that) and then restart Firefox. Greasemonkey works until the next time I restart Firefox, after which it's as if Greasemonkey doesn't exist until I disable it and reinstall it again.
posted by shakespeherian at 5:28 AM on July 20

Oh, wow! That script makes the site much better. I can leave in the middle of a thread and come back to it later now (as long as I stay on the same computer at least)! And the new comments number is much more meaningful. Thanks for pointing it out!
posted by JDHarper at 5:43 AM on July 20

shakespeherian: "Greasemonkey works until the next time I restart Firefox, after which it's as if Greasemonkey doesn't exist until I disable it and reinstall it again."

Did this start when you upgraded to 3.5? Is this happening with any other add-ons? I hate to ask a silly question, but is the monkey face in the lower right corner color and happy, or gray and sad? (Left click it to toggle.)

There's a filed bug that sounds similar to you, but unfortunately that reporter isn't as detailed as you.
posted by Plutor at 5:46 AM on July 20

Also, can you install scripts even while Greasemonkey appears broken? When you click on this link do you see source code or an "Install this script" dialog?
posted by Plutor at 5:48 AM on July 20

Based on the descriptions here (I'm using Safari these days), MetaFilter Scroll Tag is a wonderful script. Kudos to Plutor.

That being said, this is functionality that should be built into MetaFilter. Even Fark has this. It would save a lot of bother for me, that's for sure. I can has pony now? Please?
posted by Crabby Appleton at 6:04 AM on July 20

"Even Fark has this" is a really bad argument.
posted by gman at 6:06 AM on July 20

I'm using ff 3.0.11 on Ubuntu amd64.

Yes, the monkey is happy, all of my other scripts work and I can install scripts. I've looked where you store the positions in prefs.js and they are all there (why don't they use SQLLite for that?).
posted by double block and bleed at 6:08 AM on July 20

Crabby Appleton: "11Based on the descriptions here (I'm using Safari these days), MetaFilter Scroll Tag is a wonderful script. Kudos to Plutor.

That being said, this is functionality that should be built into MetaFilter. Even Fark has this. It would save a lot of bother for me, that's for sure. I can has pony now? Please?"

I say we keep adding ponies to MeFi until either the server dies in a puff of gray smoke or MeFi becomes sentient and organizes the rest of the internet servers to enslave us. Either or, really.
posted by double block and bleed at 6:11 AM on July 20

Plutor: Did this start when you upgraded to 3.5? Is this happening with any other add-ons? I hate to ask a silly question, but is the monkey face in the lower right corner color and happy, or gray and sad? (Left click it to toggle.)

I think it started with the upgrade to 3.5.1, but I'm not positive. Unfortunately I'm at work now where Greasemonkey seems perfectly happy (3.5.1 here too) and I won't be back home until 6pm central. The fact that it works here makes it seem like an extension compatibility issue; the only other difference between my work setup and home setup is that home is Vista and work is XP, and I don't think that would matter. Thanks for the helps, though-- I'll report back this evening.
posted by shakespeherian at 6:41 AM on July 20

"Even Fark has this" is a really bad argument.

Why? Because Fark is so icky?
posted by Crabby Appleton at 6:50 AM on July 20

Crabby Appleton: "11Based on the descriptions here (I'm using Safari these days), MetaFilter Scroll Tag is a wonderful script. Kudos to Plutor.

Finally, this mysterious prepending of numbers on some quoted comments is explained. LEARN TO CUT AND PASTE.
posted by DU at 6:54 AM on July 20

DU: "Crabby Appleton: "11Based on the descriptions here (I'm using Safari these days), MetaFilter Scroll Tag is a wonderful script. Kudos to Plutor.

Finally, this mysterious prepending of numbers on some quoted comments is explained. LEARN TO CUT AND PASTE."

This is caused by the MeFi quote script and the comment numbering script not playing nice together. The quote script picks up the line number in the quote. This doesn't show up in the quick-preview box, so I always forget to edit it out.

I use the script because cutting and pasting didn't work very well. I couldn't use regular scissors to cut my laptop monitor, I had to get air powered industrial tin snips and even then, the screen would go dark after I started cutting. Paste didn't work, either. I had to use an epoxy resin adhesive.
posted by double block and bleed at 7:25 AM on July 20

I should really fix Mefi Navigator so it works on AskMe too, and add vacapinta as a mod.

I'm amazed people are using that comment numbering script — I made it one time to help me get the (at the time, much-prized) 2000th comment in a particularly epic longboat thread, and I didn't really expect it to have any other uses.
posted by matthewr at 7:35 AM on July 20 [1 favorite]

I should really fix Mefi Navigator so it works on AskMe too, and add vacapinta as a mod.

Yes, pretty please! Esp. the former. I'll give you a cookie! :)
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:31 AM on July 20

As far as I know, after the update to 3.5 any new scripts that you install stop working. Old scripts that you have installed continue to work.
posted by flatluigi at 10:40 AM on July 20

I just installed the MetaFilter Scroll Tag script with no problems. (FF 3.5, Vista)
posted by JDHarper at 11:22 AM on July 20

matthewr: "I should really fix Mefi Navigator so it works on AskMe too, and add vacapinta as a mod.

I'm amazed people are using that comment numbering script — I made it one time to help me get the (at the time, much-prized) 2000th comment in a particularly epic longboat thread, and I didn't really expect it to have any other uses."

See now that I have a fabulous arrow to guide me I no longer need your script to number everything. :)


See attached: Silly numbers showing up in my quotes be gone after this post.
posted by Gravitus at 1:38 PM on July 20

Finally, this mysterious prepending of numbers on some quoted comments is explained. LEARN TO CUT AND PASTE.

WORRY ABOUT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.
posted by Houyhnhnm at 1:45 PM on July 20

@shakespeherian, I had a similar problem. None of my Add-ons worked, my dropdown (File, Edit, etc.) menus didn't show, and my toolbar and Google Toolbar were missing. I was using FirefoxPortable 3.0.11 from PortableApps.com.

I ended up having to run "firefox -safe-mode" from the command line and reset a bunch of settings (I'm sorry, I don't remember what), as well as uninstall and reinstall all of my add-ons.

Then, I installed the update to FirefoxPortable 3.5.1.

I've been re-setting my saved passwords and adding on the add-ons I actually valued (including Greasemonkey and Greasefire) from before and things seem to be OK again.

I know that's a rather high-maintenance answer, but it's the one that seems to have worked for me.
posted by kalessin at 1:48 PM on July 20

I should really fix Mefi Navigator so it works on AskMe too, and add vacapinta as a mod.

While you are at it, it does not have me signified as an astral mod, either.
posted by Meatbomb at 3:02 PM on July 20

Oh man I love gman (for the link) and Plutor (for his brains). THE ARROW WILL RETURN!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:18 PM on July 20

Upon returning home, it appears that restarting Firefox leaves Greasemonkey happy provided I don't use the 'Restart Firefox?' button in the Add-Ons window after reconfiguring. No idea what's causing that, but I guess I'm okay for now.
posted by shakespeherian at 4:50 PM on July 20

I should really fix Mefi Navigator so it works on AskMe too, and add vacapinta as a mod.


The reason to highlight mods in Metatalk is that their words carry more weight - when Matt or cortex or jessamyn speak they are usually laying down policy.

I'm not a 'policy' mod. When I post to Metatalk its because I'm giving my opinion - the opinion of a regular user.
posted by vacapinta at 3:29 AM on July 21

Update: My settings and add-ons were lost again!

I think it's because I'm running Windows 7 RC. I've started running Firefox 3.5.1 as Administrator, and not automatically restarting but closing the browser and starting it again, running as Administrator.

I'll update if that appears to be working.
posted by kalessin at 7:37 AM on July 21

Running Firefox 3.5.1 as Administrator in Windows 7 RC appears to be solving this problem.
posted by kalessin at 5:17 AM on July 26

DUDE YOU CAN DRAG THE ARROW

HOW DID I NOT KNOW YOU COULD DRAG THE ARROW

DOUBLE-PLUS AWESOME
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:25 PM on August 10