I just realized something, here is a previous thread I started which was a different problem with Discourse:
And there was a really cool solution to the problem that doesn’t involve going through all of the steps to take someone off of ignore just to read one stupid post.
Well, that solution is out the window now. And I just ran into the problem today in fact. So one Discourse bad decision is making another one worse.
At least there were a couple of other nice suggestions, but the “full quote” option was the simplest and most convenient one.
Yeah, the full quote function was so useful and so basic that I don’t think there’s really a good excuse for this move.
Believe it or not, I don’t actually have anyone here on ignore (I’m certain that the image of that function is not the empty set ), but what you describe does sound like a clever and useful workaround.
I’m a software product manager, which means I determine what software should do. It’s a lot more than just the user experience, but UX is a big part of it.
So for the record, I think removing the Full Quote button was a bad call. But I want to slightly push back on a couple things that always come up in threads like this.
One of the first things a good PM needs to learn is when to listen to users and when not to, and how to ask the right questions. Users will not tell you the best way to do something. They will tell you what they are used to. Sometimes that’s good, but it can also perpetuate bad design, and innovation is impossible if it’s all you ever do.
Instead, you need to look at their workflows and the problems they face, and solve those, sometimes in new ways that seem disruptive at first. A good PM actually does know what users need better than they do. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad PMs building software. (Overall, I think Discourse has good PMs, even though I disagree with them on certain features like this one).
Well, of course. A sure way to build crappy software is to listen to every bit of feedback and try to address every request and complaint. You’ll end up with a Frankenstein monster that is difficult, confusing, and does nothing well. You can’t make everyone happy and will build crap if you try.
Good PMs figure out the software they want to create for the audience they want to support. You still might build crappy software, especially if you don’t understand your audience, but at least you have a shot at something decent.
Now, right in the middle of the toolbar menu that’s missing the speech bubble, is an arrow for “Upload”, which we can’t even use. Has this always been there? Can we trade it in for our speech bubble?
I just noticed this now when trying to quote something on mobile. The quote bubble icon is gone in the editing window and there is no way to actually show what I am replying to unless I first highlight it and then select Quote.
I came here today because I’m noticing the same thing. I tried to quote someone and the option is gone. There is nothing to the left of the Bold option.
I noticed in the thread I was posting in that other people still have the option. They were quoting on threads that were current.
I don’t see why the ignore list would affect it. In the past when other people quoted someone I have on block it just showed blank text where there post would be. So I don’t see how that would be related to the issue.
Anyway, I demand an apology and a small stipend to support my lifestyle until this issue is resolved.
If you read the post I referenced, if you have someone on ignore and they are the first poster in a thread, you don’t get the option to show that first post if you’d like the way you could if it was any other post in the thread. But someone pointed out a very easy way to see the post; reply to it and click the “full quote” button, and you’d see the post appear in your editor. (You can then cancel the reply after you read it.)
There are only 3 other ways to read that post that I know of… Temporarily remove that person from your ignore list (which is a pain in the ass since you have to go deep into your preferences to get there), or sign out of the board so that you are reading the thread as an anonymous person (no account, no ignore list), or you can log into the site in privacy mode on your browser (or use another browser) where you aren’t signed in.
None of those workarounds are nearly as convenient as the full quote trick, which no longer is available.
You can still quote from other posts by highlighting the text you want to quote
and clicking the “Quote” option that pops up.
But that works differently from the “Quote whole post” button which has disappeared.
I’m used to seeing a “speech balloon” icon to the left of the Bold command. Did you guys (or @codinghorror) fuck with it, and if so, whom shall I contact to instruct them to un-fuck with it?
), but what you describe does sound like a clever and useful workaround.
