# How do forums identify similar OPs? And did quoting change? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [August 18, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217 "2025-08-18T13:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/21 "2025-08-18T21:33:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > The preview pane is still there for me, if I switch the upper left button to M+. Again, language, maybe what you call a “preview pane” is something different that the window which has a double down arrow AND a double-headed arrow in the upper right, and a double left arrow in the bottom right, and which mirrors what I am typing in the left-hand window (which has 13 buttons above it)… I think the thing you see as an “M+”, I see it as M ⬇. That toggle is a new feature that replaced the old preview pane. The preview pane used to be a panel on the right which you could toggle on and off. The place you typed your post would appear on the left, and could be expanded to full screen with no preview pane. The editing pane on the left showed the raw text and all the markdown you might use. The right was how the post would appear after you finished it. They’ve changed things so there’s a toggle and you can’t see both views at once anymore. ETA: The preview pane used to show you exactly how your post will appear; this supposed WYSIWYG toggle doesn’t show everything, for example when I tried to put that down arrow in there, it wasn’t showing correctly while I edited this. But now while I’m revising my post I do see the emoji there. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/22 "2025-08-18T22:54:35Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > I think the thing you see as an “M+”, I see it as M ⬇. That toggle is a new feature that replaced the old preview pane. The preview pane used to be a panel on the right which you could toggle on and off. And it still is, it’s still there unless you hid it. Just like before when you could hide it. I use the preview pane every time. I’m using it with this post. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/23 "2025-08-18T22:55:37Z")
So what do we click now to get it back, the simultaneous view of what you’re typing in markdown, and the preview to the right of that? I’ve lost those controls that were there before. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/24 "2025-08-18T22:58:01Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > So what do we click now to get it back, the simultaneous view of what you’re typing in markdown, and the preview to the right of that? > [@Atamasama](#): > > When you switch to “M” that puts you in markdown mode and should give you a preview window unless you’ve hidden it. To unhide it, click the \>\> double right arrow in the bottom-right corner of the window. (Again, this is only in markdown mode, where the button is “M”.) As previously stated. It’s the same little double arrow we had before there was a choice between the WSYIWYG and markdown modes (basically, there was _only_ a markdown mode before). If you are in markdown mode and don’t see it, click the arrows in the bottom-right corner to unhide it. Going into markdown mode and hiding the preview pane is the best workaround when you’re trying to post a link to a video you want to embed in a post, so it’s good that we still have the ability to hide the pane, but if you forget to put it back you might forget it’s available. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/25 "2025-08-18T23:04:08Z")
Ahh.. thank you, that arrow to unhide the preview pane _disappears_ when not in the markdown mode, and I was just missing it. Okay, so, my bad, I was confused. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/26 "2025-08-18T23:05:50Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > Okay, so, my bad, I was confused. Not your fault, the new UI is _really_ different. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/27 "2025-08-19T02:52:40Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > that arrow to unhide the preview pane _disappears_ when not in the markdown mode Because (the theory goes), you don’t need a preview pane when you’re using a “What You See Is What You Get” editor. Your editing panel is your preview. Hence, no preview, and no button to summon the preview. People who get confused need to just select the Ⓜ ⬇ toggle and get back **exactly** the same behaviors they were used to. For a change, the Discourse devs (eventually) made all their new editing juju **completely optional**. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2025, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217/28 "2025-08-19T12:51:04Z")
One more comment on the “similar OP’s” feature. … The warning when you start a new OP that it is similar to existing OPs uses a completely different mechanism than does the “related topics” feature at the bottom of a page. The selections at the bottom of the page are often pretty good. The warning while you’re composing your title is utterly brain damaged. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-forums-identify-similar-ops-and-did-quoting-change/1022217.md?page=1)