Marking best answers with checkmarks individually

July 14, 2006 7:39 AM

A wee small pony: could best answers in AskMe threads be marked individually with the checkmark icon?
posted by Zed_Lopez to Feature Requests at 7:39 AM (20 comments total)

Why? Is the completely different background color for best answers too hard to spot?
posted by dobbs at 7:40 AM on July 14, 2006

My browser settings override web pages' color choices with white text on a black background. This makes me lose the different-color background for best answers, and there's no other marking of them.

Matt, could you please consider adding the checkmark icon to best answers, after the "flag this post" icon, maybe?
posted by Zed_Lopez at 7:42 AM on July 14, 2006

Yes if you are using a monochrome colour scheme.
posted by Mitheral at 7:42 AM on July 14, 2006

(I was working on my unannounced [more inside] as you responded, dobbs.)

And, yes, I know this is a small thing, and my browser settings are my own damn fault; I'm just hoping Matt might consider it also a small thing to implement.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 7:44 AM on July 14, 2006

This sounds like such a small adjustment, and it would be a big help to readers with visual requirements that include non-default color schemes.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:47 AM on July 14, 2006

Huh. Ya learn something every day.
posted by dobbs at 7:47 AM on July 14, 2006

Future hint Zed Lopez, get your complete question (main page and MI) prepared in a text editor before posting. That way you can immediately paste the MI and post it as the first comment.

Faint of Butt writes "and it would be a big help to readers with visual requirements that include non-default color schemes."

And people using screen readers.
posted by Mitheral at 7:49 AM on July 14, 2006

√
posted by Plutor at 8:39 AM on July 14, 2006

This would be great, especially if the check were like the one Plutor used because then it would work across the normal and the simple styles.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:06 AM on July 14, 2006

You know, another weird thing (since I don't like posting meta threads) -- the favorites are only linked on the date, which is weird, because I have been heavily trained to click on titles.

also I drool when people ring bells.
posted by fishfucker at 10:06 AM on July 14, 2006

Sort a side-pony to this one; can the check mark on the front page link to the first best answer? Then if each best answer inside has a check, that check could be a link to the next best answer. Is that even possible? Practical?
posted by carsonb at 10:14 AM on July 14, 2006

carsonb, that would be really goddam confusing to anybody not expecting that specific behavior, though.
posted by cortex at 10:46 AM on July 14, 2006

Instead of the checkmark, which is a little GIF, how about some text that said something like (marked as best answer)? That way, you could enter said text in your browser's text search field, and jump right to the marked best answer(s).

I've not been able to figure out a clever way to make my browser jump right to the differently-highlighted text.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:51 AM on July 14, 2006

Maybe small text after the question with
Best answers: 1, 2, 3,
each one being a link to that answer?

Or maybe a link on the question page that says "Show only best answers" and ajax-y auto hiding of everything else?

Just brainstorming.
posted by Brainy at 12:02 PM on July 14, 2006

Ajax! On this server?
posted by bonaldi at 7:47 PM on July 14, 2006

Hmm. See, the check mark is designed for accessibility. It has the alt text "this question contains answers marked as best," which will show up (or be read) in special browsers developed for accessibility to the disabled.

But on the other hand, it's true that the check mark as currently designed doesn't address the problems faced by users who use a most standard browser with a different color scheme. I guess a question that naturally arises then is...how many people will this help? What proportion of Mefi members use a non-standard color scheme? And would placing the check mark next to individual "best" answers diminish its significance as a marker that says "this thread has been answered"?
posted by limeonaire at 7:29 AM on July 15, 2006

I do like Brainy's second idea, though, to have a way to show only best answers in a thread—it'd be similar to the option on the main AskMefi page that allows you to only show threads that have been marked best answer, and wouldn't necessitate changing the meaning of the check mark.
posted by limeonaire at 7:31 AM on July 15, 2006

This would be great, especially if the check were like the one Plutor used because then it would work across the normal and the simple styles. - jessamyn

Well, the current system does work on the simple/plain/white MeFi style because best answers get shaded with a grey behind them.
posted by raedyn at 8:33 AM on July 17, 2006

[derail]
What's a 'pony'?
[/derail]
posted by baylink at 9:42 AM on July 17, 2006

It's a change request (so named as to evoke the birthday wish of a child, probably one who's naive, spoiled, or both.)
posted by Zed_Lopez at 4:43 PM on July 17, 2006