MetaTalk

Back in the aughts, MetaFilter and sites like it were often improved by community-designed "userscripts" that added useful features to the default experience. Unfortunately, as more and more sites moved to mobile-first design, this power-user approach to customization declined in popularity (and accessibility). But that's no reason for such clever code to go to waste! We've reached out to some developers of classic, much-loved MeFi scripts who have generously agreed to let frimble incorporate their functionality directly into the site so it runs easily on any device -- initially as a direct port, then as a model for the new codebase if it proves popular and workable. First up: Plutor's humble MeFiQuote script, which adds a [quote] button to the byline of every comment on the site. Click to jump to the reply field while quoting the comment in full, with the username linking back to the original -- or on most platforms, highlight some text first to quote that excerpt directly! It's especially handy for mobile, where you'd normally have to type out a lot of tedious HTML and multiple copy-pastes to do the same thing. And if you used to use userscripts (or still do!), check out this list of classic MeFi scripts and share which ones you think would be worth adapting. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi on Mar 26, 2025 - 42 comments

This thread, which discusses the NY Times article on raising teenagers is extensively cited in today's NY Times magazine. In particular, GuyZero, Sangermaine, Sys Rq, and Corb's comments are quoted!

Hello and welcome NY Times writer, whoever you are!
posted by jasper411 on Apr 5, 2015 - 410 comments

I was recently called out by another user for the style I use when quoting others. The criticism was that, by wrapping the other person's comments in <small> tags, I was engaging in a deliberate effort to diminish the importance of what they said. Is this a legitimate criticism? [more inside]
posted by tonycpsu on May 4, 2014 - 169 comments

Quoting more then a sentence or two from a user or article? Let me introduce you to the blockquote tag to use in place of italics. [more inside]
posted by royalsong on May 21, 2012 - 129 comments

I'd like to talk about how we're quoting each other. [more inside]
posted by roll truck roll on Mar 6, 2010 - 106 comments

Quoting capabilities for MeFi mail? Yeah, I know, it's not meant to be a full-fledged mail client, but it's annoying when someone responds to something you said and you have to go back to your sent folder to remember what the heck it was.
posted by desjardins on Feb 5, 2009 - 27 comments

Here's a little quoting bookmarklet for Metafilter threads that I thought folks might find useful. Highlight a text snippit you'd like to quote and click the bookmarklet. It'll format the snippit as a quote and paste it into the comment box for you. [more inside]
posted by Jeff Howard on Feb 27, 2008 - 32 comments

Great thread and everything, but shouldn't we be a bit concerned that the post itself is just the first two paragraphs (even the same links) of the main atlantic article, without even attribution? Seems a bit off to my delicate sensibilities.
posted by Sparx on Sep 6, 2007 - 59 comments

Slightly better CSS: Could the CSS for useful elements like blockquote be improved so that quoted text from previous posts does not have to be faked with ? A now-common style of changed font, larger left indent, and line down the left side might work.
posted by joeclark on Apr 21, 2006 - 64 comments

Quote pony? Whereby a user can quote another post without having to copy/paste and add italics. Gut feeling that if this was easy and feasible it would already exist, but you never know...
posted by fire&wings on Nov 15, 2005 - 33 comments

I'm a newbie here.

How do you quote the Preview feature when replying
to other comments in a thread?

btw,i synidicated MetaFilter on LiveJournal the other day.
posted by bearybipolar on Nov 20, 2004 - 14 comments