Request for comments: new feature

[John Robinson]

I've been tinkering with a new way to do self-search. It will display the comments as if they were in a thread, but only displays those comments addressed to you or posted by you.

Have a look at it here:

Last 100 posts involving you -- in reverse chronological order, like latest posts

New posts to you (since last time you checked) -- in forward chronological order, like a normal thread

I think this should be listed in forward chrono order, but that might make browsing your self-search awkward.

[eureka!]

Cool. Really cool...

[firewalk]

I like these. Very nice!

[Askel5]

Will we be absolutely restricted to flagging only registered members? For instance, I've used *MANO* to flag my Mom without her being readily identified on the forum. (She's gotten enough grief about me over the years ...)

I also have been flagged to threads on which my name doesn't appear. I figure that's a glitch of the temp fix but -- just out of curiosity -- why do you think that is?

I'm glad to see the new search still lets us know whether we've been pinged individually or as part of a phalanx. I'm not one of those who minds being on bump lists but like to know the difference.

Thanks for the continued tinkering. Without a doubt, you're talented and a bit of a perfectionist ... But I figure the real reason you knock yourself out to perpetually improve this place must be the Big Bucks we pay you.

=) ... for the dweebs who don't know I'm kidding.

Many thanks to you and your Dad. I still think he's one of the richest men on earth.

[boris]

I like em both, but I still miss the ability to post from inside a thread.

Bring it back!

--Boris

[RightWingMama]

You have done a great job!!!

[amom]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh this is awsome! Thanks for the heads up JohnHuang2.

[deport]

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Experimental Self-Search

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Now this could be interesting..... ES-S

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Sorry!!!

[Varmint Al]

Looks good to me. FreeRepublic is getting better all the time.

[Star Traveler]

Also can you add a "Delete" button, so we can remove these "messages" from our Self-Search?

I think he said he might consider putting in a preference to not be flagged by an "all" -- on those threads.

[freekitty]

I like it John. It is easy to read and search.

[Young Werther]

Click Click

[KLT]

Wow, Nice, Like this easy format....Do I have to Ignore this post as well? Thank Goodness for your patience, I don't know how you put up with us.....LOL

[Physicist]

Two recommendations for the "all" feature:

First, in the "self-search" screen, make sure that the user can tell that it's an "all" ping by saying so in the "To:" field (just reproduce the "To:" field from the actual reply).

Second, create a setting so that users can opt not to receive replies to "all". The trick here is replies that are addressed "To: Joe Doakes; all". In this case, Joe Doakes should be able to see it in his self-search, even though he has opted not to receive replies to "all".

Tall order, I know. Just giving you something to shoot for. I do hope you can implement the first suggestion easily; that alone would be a big help.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Comments?

Yeah, this 'all' baby should have died in the cradle!

Probably shouldn't use the 'cradle' analogy but this is a pain in the neck!

[DoughtyOne]

While late, I'd still like to offer my congratulations for these new ideas, that make the forum much more functional. Wow! Way to go bud.

[Colonel Jim]

Very cool John

[Physicist]

A further suggestion. Is it possible to preserve the "To:" field in all replies found by the sender's self-search page? For example, when I see this reply in my self-search page, it will tell me that I made a reply in this thread, but it won't remind me whom I addressed.

I just know that three weeks from now I'm going to be saying, "Gosh, I made a really brilliant comment to John Robinson on some thread or other, now where was it?" Or not. But you get the picture.

[Physicist]

A further further suggestion. When a thread is deleted, the replies made on that thread should not be indexed with the self-search feature. It's maddening to see the traces of replies to me that can no longer be read.

[supercat]

Oh, here's something that makes me absolutely nuts. In the text box where I'm typing now, it used to be that when I tried to scroll beyond the end of the text with the arrow keys, the cursor stayed at the end of the text. Now it gets transported magically to the top of the text with the next keystroke. The only safe way to position the cursor at the end of the text (e.g., to append more text) is by using the mouse, which is awkward. Can this be put back the way it was?

Physicist isn't dreaming--I have the same problem [IE 5.00.2614.3500] It really is annoying; my guess is that there's a small change in the [form] HTML, but without having old and new copies to compare it's hard to tell.

Also, if I might put my 2¢ in on a few other issues (is that 6¢ total?):

• The self-search would be much more useful if posts were clearly marked by some bright colored indicator to indicate whether they were to-me, by-me, or to-all on threads I'd posted to. Additionally, or as an alternative, include at the top of the self-search a list of all the threads in each of those categories.
• It might be nice to be able to mark a thread as being 'of interest' in which case the system would cause a notation to appear on the self-search screen any time anyone writes to it. This would be really annoying if default behavior, but at times it could be handy. For example, someone may ask a technical question to which I don't know the answer but would like to. It would be nice to be able to express my interest in this thread (and also receive any all-pings from it) without having to stick in a "me-too" post.
• FR is awesome. Keep up the good work!