# Cannot distinguish reply to previous post vs reply to original post **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [May 5, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439 "2021-05-05T14:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/101 "2021-05-30T22:26:41Z")
I think it’s been pretty clear about the situation many of have paired about. I’m not sure how to make it clearer. There doesn’t seem to be any appetite by the actual admins to make changes, so it doesn’t seem worth trying to explain it all again. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/102 "2021-05-30T23:06:21Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I think it’s been pretty clear about the situation many of have paired about. I’m not sure how to make it clearer. I don’t know what that first sentence means, so you’re right that you’re not making it clearer. > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > There doesn’t seem to be any appetite by the actual admins to make changes, so it doesn’t seem worth trying to explain it all again. No one needs to explain anything in this thread again, whether it’s to the admins or to me, since anyone can read the thread. I’ve read the thread in its entirety multiple times. I’ve researched the problem of the icons and its fixes on the Discourse board. There are multiple threads on the Discourse board on this icon issue. From what I’ve seen, the solution of adding icons to every post would create more problems than it solves. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/103 "2021-06-06T03:33:01Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > the actual admins “Admins”? We have admins? ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/104 "2021-06-06T03:59:53Z")
> [@Notices about posting too much](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/notices-about-posting-too-much/927950/30): > > Let’s see… per [About - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/about) there are five administrators. These lists are ambiently ordered by date of presence so, the people at the top were on the site most recently. > [@Notices about posting too much](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/notices-about-posting-too-much/927950/31): > > Thanks for the link. Tubadiva was our admin, but she died. Ed Zotti is our acting admin for dealing with our owners and for setting policy, but he’s not acting as a technical admin. I, a mod, don’t recognize the other three names. They may be people hired to help with the conversation to this software. None is currently active in a “listen to user requests and potentially change settings” way. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/105 "2021-06-06T04:09:05Z")
We don’t need no stinkin’ admins ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/106 "2021-06-06T04:36:07Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > From what I’ve seen, the solution of adding icons to every post would create more problems than it solves. Who wants to add icons to every post? We just want to add a reply icon if we’re replying to the post directly above ours. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/107 "2021-06-06T05:17:50Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > We just want to add a reply icon if we’re replying to the post directly above ours. Post #97 in this thread. > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > That’s already true, except in the one case where you’re replying to the poster above you. In that case, that setting can be changed by the SDMB admin. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/108 "2021-06-06T15:39:59Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Post #97 in this thread. > > > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > > > That’s already true, except in the one case where you’re replying to the poster above you. In that case, that setting can be changed by the SDMB admin. The effectively non-existent admin. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/109 "2021-06-06T17:18:52Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > The effectively non-existent admin. Technically, the admin exists. But Ed Zotti isn’t a very proactive admin. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/110 "2021-06-06T20:01:59Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > > [@SCAdian](#): > > > > The effectively non-existent admin. > > Technically, the admin exists. But Ed Zotti isn’t a very proactive admin. Which is why I call him the _effectively_ non-existent admin. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/111 "2021-06-09T20:29:38Z")
This is a test post.   ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/112 "2021-06-09T20:29:58Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > This is a test post. This is a reply to the test post. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/113 "2021-06-09T20:30:41Z")
Another test post.   ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/114 "2021-06-09T20:30:57Z")
This is a reply to another test post. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439/115 "2021-06-09T20:34:15Z")
Results: If a post ends in   and someone replies by highlighting and quoting, because the highlight does not capture the **n** on- **b** reaking **sp** ace, the quote is not full and is not auto-deleted. However, if a post ends in   and someone replies by clicking reply and then the quote button, the quote includes the non-breaking space. And the quote is auto-deleted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-distinguish-reply-to-previous-post-vs-reply-to-original-post/941439.md?page=5)