Housekeeping stuff at the Chant Cafe
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    I don't know how other people feel, but to me the change in the way comments are handled seems inconvenient, at best.

    1. It seems that one can only comment with a Google account? If so, I am quite unhappy about this, because my Google gmail account is for my private use only. My Yahoo account has been the public account I have used for years, and I shouldn't have to change everything just to suit the whims of a Google-based comment system.

    2. The "link" for the comments will only open in a window that replaces the main Chant Cafe window, rather than allow the user to open it in a new tab or window. This is very user unfriendly, especially if one is browsing through several postings at the Chant Cafe with comments, continually having to reload the main Chant Cafe page.

    3. The reported number of comments displayed by the comments links is not always right. It ;has reported one comment when there are none, or two comments when there is only one. Checking for a nonexistent comment just underscores the problem in item 2.

    4. It is my impression that the number of comments since the new "feature" was implemented has fallen off dramatically, perhaps because of other users finding the new system awkward or unfriendly, as I have.
    Thanked by 2MarkThompson Liam
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    Agreed on all counts, the new system is simply awful. In particular, if I can't open something in a new tab, I'm not going to open it at all. My loss, I guess.

    Somehow comment software is one of those things that was good and usable about 5-7 years ago, and has gotten steadily worse and less reliable ever since.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    Fwiw, I think #3 is a temporary problem.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    I think I can disable the google only point. I can also try something new on embeds.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Ok, I've taken off Google only comments. That ruins the pretty format.

    I made this change due to growing complains about IntenseDebate. Now I'm thinking that I made a mistake and there might have been better solutions. So it goes.

    I'll probably end up enabling some different system.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    The one great improvement btw is in the sharing tools.

    The thing that prompted this change in the first place was the mobile edition, which had a different system of comments. If I knew for sure that Intense would address that, I would try it again.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Thanks for working on this, Jeffrey. I've found the new system horrible as well.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Ok, I've reverted to IntenseDebate under a new account. Now we have the best of the old and the best of the new share tools. Tell me if anything is wrong.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    ok stable. hope this is good
    Thanked by 2Kathy Ben
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    Much better! Thanks for all the hard work, Jeffrey!
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Dittos JT.
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    At the risk of upsetting the apple cart ...

    I find the 'most recent first' listing of the comments somewhat disconcerting. This is not because it is a change from the previous situation, but rather a matter of convenience. What is disconcerting is encountering a posted comment, which is a comment or continuation of a post further down, which is itself a comment on a post still further down the list. And, when one of these comments is itself long enough to require scrolling down to read through it, having to then scroll back up to find the chronologically next comment or reply just seems downright awkward, if not frustrating.

    We had this problem with our bulletin board at CPDL and found that putting most recent comments at the end was far better, even if it meant that one who has read a thread is simply revisiting the topic to catch up has to scroll down; however, we also do have a clickable link that takes the reader to the first unread post.
    Thanked by 3Spriggo Salieri Ig_Noto
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    Is it just me, or does it seem like only yesterday the Chant Café came into existence? And now it's this international force! Pretty amazing!
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    It's just you, J-MO. Still amazing tho', that's fo' sho', much love, bro'.
    Thanked by 1Paul_Onnonhoaraton
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