Usability Improvements Locked In Comment Count

Brian

So this year I implemented a new policy: all donations not ticketed for site contributors or Phil Brabbs get tallied at the end of the year and then I go spend that money on improvements to the site. This year we've made some adjustments to the comment system:

  • Comments have been re-themed to take up less space and hopefully cut down on the phenomenon where a series of replies ends up with comically thin content areas.
  • Comments have been ajaxified: no need to reload the page to post a comment.
  • The voting system has had a major hole closed: votes on items older than a week do not affect userpoints.
  • Another system hole closed: it now costs a point to vote, whether it's up or down. This will prevent people from getting slightly over 20 points with a series of sock puppets and vote-spamming other people. Also, the ratio for posting new threads and diaries has been altered: it's now +1 for up, –1 for down. Comments remain +2 up, –1 down.

There are a couple bugs with the sidebar and placement of some of the new features that should get worked out in the next couple days.

UPDATE: The AJAX was not quite ready for prime time and has been temporarily pulled.

UPDATE II: A lot of users are issuing complaints, which I will address over the next few days. Bear with us.

Comments

JeepinBen

August 12th, 2010 at 4:16 PM ^

Have to switch to plain text editor to post

(using Chrome) Just informative, I'm not trying to stir up trouble

Also, now there are a finite number of MGoPoints in the universe? Cannot be created or destroyed? MGoPoints are matter? Are they the dark matter people are looking for?

Cosmic Blue

August 12th, 2010 at 4:31 PM ^

how will this stop vote spammers from giving themselves more points? i'm assuming they would be using multiple accounts to vote for themselves. in that case they would still be adding 1pt to their collective point total with each vote

kevin holt

August 12th, 2010 at 6:38 PM ^

they keep their point total high enough so they can still generate content, comment, and vote (presumably -1 since we're talking about spammers). It's not just so they have a high point total that means generally nothing.

Also, though it's a cliche that generally means it was intended, I did not intend the pun in this comment's header

Plegerize

August 12th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^

I have found I have to switch to plain text as well. Perhaps it is an issue with the browser being used? Just wanted to document that with you as well.

Also I was an MgoPoint spamming whore, pos-banging everyone I came across. I guess I will have to change this habit now. I like the idea though, an eye for an eye per se...

BlockM

August 12th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^

or maybe it's something that's been removed on purpose, but I really liked having some sort of box around each post. Helps to differentiate between them all.

jmblue

August 12th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^

I can understand the reasoning behind having negative votes cost points, but it seems strange for positive votes to do so.  I can see this resulting in fewer votes and more redundant "I agree" replies. 

Bodogblog

August 12th, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^

your point totals, because they're not changing much now

Don't really like the format either. Kind of looks like all the other boards now. Where's the backwater charm?

soupsnake

August 12th, 2010 at 4:24 PM ^

if you think about it a downvote on a post takes a point away from you and from that person, so a downvote results in -2 points. An upvote gives the commenter 2 points but takes one from the vote. So an upvote results in +1 point.

Plegerize

August 12th, 2010 at 4:24 PM ^

You can still up-vote yourself then and receive positive points. But that's really the only scenario where voting will actually benefit the voter.

I see a lot of conceited mgovotes in the future...

joeyb

August 12th, 2010 at 4:24 PM ^

The RTE doesn't work in Chrome so I had to switch to the PTE.

The only problem I have with this format is that it is hard to tell what is a reply to another comment and what is a new thread of comments. You might consider drawing some lines along the left side to make it a bit easier in that sense.

Bodogblog

August 12th, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^

No one will neg you because they won't give up the points

... wait a minute, is this exactly the behavior change Brian wanted?  It angers me when Cook acts like a god and I comply... The hell with you Crom and all that

Mason

August 12th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^

Ah... I get it now.  I got so worried when I saw negative points.  I've been doing my best to not be a worthless poster in this great community.  I think I viewed the forum for 4 months with solid reading before even making an account.

kvnryn

August 12th, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^

I was proud of my first-day-possible registration merit badge. You can still see a user's joined date, but only if/when you reply to their comment. (Edit: oh - now I see your footnote...I need to read more DFW apparently.)

Also, it just took a really long time for me to be directed to this reply page, but that could be totally unrelated.



I like the new look. Thanks for the continued improvements, Brian.