# How are people feeling about Discourse? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 25, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428 "2020-11-25T16:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/221 "2021-01-12T16:01:18Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Also, in vbulletin, if you clicked on the number of thread posts, shown on the list of threads, you got a nice little list of every person who posted to the thread, and how many times. Click on that for a person, and you got all of that person’s posts in the thread Has this been answered? The same function is in Discourse only it’s in thread. Right after the first post there’s a drop box arrow that opens a list of frequent posters. Click on a posters icon and up comes a profile with “x replies in this topic”, click that to sort out just their replies. It basically shows the thread with everyone besides that poster hidden. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/222 "2021-01-12T16:09:04Z")
Huh, you don’t even need to do that. Click on a poster’s icon in thread and it has that “x posts in this topic”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/223 "2021-01-12T18:35:00Z")
That’s not how I used it in vBulletin. i used it when I wanted to: 1. find out if someone posted to the thread 2. find a post by someone I was pretty sure posted. But yes, it’s been answered, and yes, the summary at the top of the thread is usually good enough, although it seems to not include all the less-frequent posters to the thread. (or maybe I haven’t learned how to expand that.) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/224 "2021-01-12T18:55:29Z")
The discussion about the @ function is kind of irrelevant, though, because vBulletin, IIRC, did not have shout-outs. Seems like we got along fine without it. (I am curious what you get when you @eschereal yourself.) ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/225 "2021-01-12T20:58:50Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > The discussion about the @ function is kind of irrelevant, though, because vBulletin, IIRC, did not have shout-outs. It’s relevant because the same broken search functionality is used if you want to pm or search for a user. Did you get a notification from @ing yourself? @DemonTree ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/226 "2021-01-12T20:59:28Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Did you get a notification from @ing yourself? @DemonTree I did not. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/227 "2021-01-18T00:07:34Z")
Sorry I haven’t been around. I needed to take a break. I tend to get too involved, you know, like the parent who is “coaching” a bit too fervently from the sidelines during a game … that’s completely my bad, not y’alls. 💕 As for as the name `@` mentioning issue, I suggest it would be much easier to process that feedback if it was in a distinct topic in the #site-feedback category? One way to accomplish this: a moderator could use the admin wrench 🔧 on this topic, select the posts, then use the “split” function to split those out into a new topic? Ultimately what matters to me, and what we strive to encourage in the Discourse software, is aggregate community happiness. I hope we have recruited a set of solid community mods to replace [the dearly departed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-has-passed-away/914121) Tuba Diva 😢 … the flexibility and malleability of software is incredible, and it is [extremely satisfying to tend to your digital garden](https://blog.codinghorror.com/tending-your-software-garden/), but _moderators_ are the most important element of any community. By far. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/228 "2021-01-18T00:26:12Z")
Welcome back, **codinghorror**! So glad to see you back. Thank you for all the help and technical advice you give here. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/229 "2021-01-18T00:44:10Z")
Welcome back! A vacation can do a body (and a mind) a lot of good. I think you’ll find our group collectively much more settled in than the last time you were fielding feedback. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/230 "2021-01-18T00:55:28Z")
No need to allocate blame to anyone but me. I’ll take it all, because it’s true – my strength (I’m very enthusiastic about our software!) is also my weakness (I’m perhaps _too_ enthusiastic about our software!) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/231 "2021-01-18T01:39:43Z")
If you’re looking for issues to tackle, one of our hotter topics is the weird way @{autocomplete} doesn’t work. It may be a database indexing issue, or it may just be a challenge with our 99.44% long-dead inactive user list containing way too much noise and not enough signal. But it flat doesn’t work for most attempts against most usernames. But works just often enough on just enough other usernames to drive folks bananas. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/232 "2021-01-18T02:03:38Z")
Yes, as I mentioned above, we need a dedicated topic for that one, so it should be split out from this kitchen sink topic it is currently in (or start a new one with examples). ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/233 "2021-01-18T02:19:36Z")
Hi @codinghorror ! (Yes, that autocompleted just fine, TYVM!) Yes, Welcome back! Ooooooh have we missed you Lo! these many months! And Ooooooh! have we got a backlog of pent-up moans and bitches to lay on you now! The mods are going to have to assign us rationed appointed days and hours to lay them all out, like getting Covid jabs! You’ll be months digging out! :evil-leering-Snidely-Whiplash-grin: 😄 > [@codinghorror](#): > > my strength … is also my weakness Spoken like a true Zen Master! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > If you’re looking for issues to tackle, one of our hotter topics is the weird way @{autocomplete} doesn’t work. . . . > > But it flat doesn’t work for most attempts against most usernames. But works just often enough on just enough other usernames to drive folks bananas. Aha! Maybe codinghorror knows something about psychology that you don’t! It turns out that “rewards” for “desired” behaviors that happen only sporadically are far more reinforcing that “rewards” that happen every time. This works for people as well as other animals. In the animal-training world, this is called “random interrupted (or variable) reinforcement” and every performing animal trainer knows about it. (Right, @dolphinboy?) In the people-training world, this is a well-known reason why people get so fond of gambling. Cites: > **[Schedules Of Reinforcement - Psychology](https://www.parentingforbrain.com/schedules-of-reinforcement/)** > > Schedules of reinforcement affects how fast a new reinforced behavior is learned, how long it will last, and how likely it will extinct. > **[Can Slot-Machine Reward Schedules Induce Gambling Addiction in Rats? - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31049772/)** > > Similar to drugs of abuse, random-ratio reward schedules are highly motivating and, in humans, are thought to foster gambling addiction. Animal gambling models, however, have not yet demonstrated the compulsivity so characteristic of drug addiction.... [https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-intropsychmaster-2/chapter/operant-conditioning/](https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-intropsychmaster-2/chapter/operant-conditioning/) > [@](#): > > Once a behavior is trained, researchers and trainers often turn to another type of reinforcement schedule—partial reinforcement. In partial reinforcement, also referred to as intermittent reinforcement, the person or animal does not get reinforced every time they perform the desired behavior. There are several different types of partial reinforcement schedules ([link]). These schedules are described as either fixed or variable, and as either interval or ratio. Fixed refers to the number of responses between reinforcements, or the amount of time between reinforcements, which is set and unchanging. Variable refers to the number of responses or amount of time between reinforcements, which varies or changes. Interval means the schedule is based on the time between reinforcements, and ratio means the schedule is based on the number of responses between reinforcements. > > [. . .] > > Because the reinforcement schedule in most types of gambling has a variable ratio schedule, people keep trying and hoping that the next time they will win big. This is one of the reasons that gambling is so addictive—and so resistant to extinction. > > [. . .] > > Among the reinforcement schedules, variable ratio is the most productive and the most resistant to extinction. Fixed interval is the least productive and the easiest to extinguish. Hey @codinghorror, are you going to re-instate your cool avatar? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/234 "2021-01-18T02:27:19Z")
We need a longer period of time to review long posts for typos to edit them. Maybe the length of the edit window for any post should be proportional to the length of the post. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/235 "2021-01-18T02:38:14Z")
> [@codinghorror](#): > > I hope we have recruited a set of solid community mods to replace [the dearly departed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-has-passed-away/914121) Tuba Diva 😢 … the flexibility and malleability of software is incredible, and it is [extremely satisfying to tend to your digital garden](https://blog.codinghorror.com/tending-your-software-garden/), but _moderators_ are the most important element of any community. By far. The problem is that we currently don’t have an active admin–just someone holding down the fort, which is why you were getting so many requests that would have been more appropriate for an admin to tackle by changing settings. We haven’t ever had more than one admin since our old site was hacked. Welcome back, and I hope you’ll tell us before you need to take a break next time, so we’re not left speculating. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/236 "2021-01-18T15:05:47Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > We need a longer period of time to review long posts for typos to edit them. That’s a local configuration value, not a Discourse limitation. You’re asking to change long-standing SDMB policy, not Discourse. > [@Senegoid](#): > > Maybe the length of the edit window for any post should be proportional to the length of the post. I suspect **that** would be a change to Discourse, although maybe not. Discourse has a lot of capability, probably including some we haven’t seen here. But it would still need a policy change. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/237 "2021-01-18T15:29:08Z")
> [@codinghorror](#): > > No need to allocate blame to anyone but me. I’ll take it all, because it’s true – my strength (I’m very enthusiastic about our software!) is also my weakness (I’m perhaps _too_ enthusiastic about our software!) Was this meant for me? It had my icon in the reply-to corner. Allocate blame? Did I miss something? This was in response to: > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Welcome back, **codinghorror**! > > So glad to see you back. Thank you for all the help and technical advice you give here. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/238 "2021-01-18T16:02:46Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > It had my icon in the reply-to corner. If you click that icon, it will expand to show what post is being replied to. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/239 "2021-01-18T16:08:57Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > If you click that icon, it will expand to show what post is being replied to. Thanks. That’s the post I quoted in my post. The welcome back post. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428/240 "2021-01-18T16:15:05Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Thanks. That’s the post I quoted in my post. The up-arrow in the upper right corner will take you to the post being quoted; if you quote part of a post, that little inverted caret next to the arrow will expand the quote to show the whole post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-people-feeling-about-discourse/926428.md?page=13)