Expand posts in-place on the front page? May 21, 2011 11:09 AM Subscribe
Link next to [more inside] that would fetch the remainder of the post and expand it in-place on the front page?
As an AJAXy effort this seems a bit smaller and simpler then the whizzy new "display new comments" feature; for one thing it would only be triggered on a user action. It would give the reader the ability to read a full post including the [more inside], but not the comments, while staying on the front page. After exploring the full post (or as much of it as you think you need to) one could either dive in to the discussion or move on.
Apologies if it's been suggested before and I missed it. When searching for it I only found one comment that suggested the "include it in an expandable hidden div" approach, which I can see why you wouldn't want to do, if only for reasons of bandwidth, spiderable content, etc.
As an AJAXy effort this seems a bit smaller and simpler then the whizzy new "display new comments" feature; for one thing it would only be triggered on a user action. It would give the reader the ability to read a full post including the [more inside], but not the comments, while staying on the front page. After exploring the full post (or as much of it as you think you need to) one could either dive in to the discussion or move on.
Apologies if it's been suggested before and I missed it. When searching for it I only found one comment that suggested the "include it in an expandable hidden div" approach, which I can see why you wouldn't want to do, if only for reasons of bandwidth, spiderable content, etc.
I can't really think of any substantial reason to object except it's that it's two clicks either way. It seems neat, but other than that what's the justification? (I could very well be missing something like 'this would make reading mefi on mobile devices easier' or whatever, so do please clue me in if I am.)
posted by carsonb at 11:28 AM on May 21, 2011
posted by carsonb at 11:28 AM on May 21, 2011
Yeah, that might be a cool feature, and would likely not be too hard to implement for members.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:42 AM on May 21, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:42 AM on May 21, 2011 [3 favorites]
> It seems neat, but other than that what's the justification?
Because if you see 4-5 interesting posts on the front page with more inside, you have to switch to that page first, read the rest of the post, then back out to the front page to read the next "more inside".
You could open each more inside link into it's own tab (which I sometimes do when I want to see a bunch of more inside posts, but a good chance they end up in a tab graveyard).
Would would be really great is if you can also do the "more inside" on your favorited FPP page, as right now it doesn't even show a "more inside" button at all. Which if you forgot why you favorited meants going to read the entire FPP, instead of being able to expand and see the above / below the fold options while still on your own favorites page.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:02 PM on May 21, 2011
Because if you see 4-5 interesting posts on the front page with more inside, you have to switch to that page first, read the rest of the post, then back out to the front page to read the next "more inside".
You could open each more inside link into it's own tab (which I sometimes do when I want to see a bunch of more inside posts, but a good chance they end up in a tab graveyard).
Would would be really great is if you can also do the "more inside" on your favorited FPP page, as right now it doesn't even show a "more inside" button at all. Which if you forgot why you favorited meants going to read the entire FPP, instead of being able to expand and see the above / below the fold options while still on your own favorites page.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:02 PM on May 21, 2011
> Would would
What would.
And by "favorited FPP" page, I mean this one. As you can see the top one, the Heckler's FPP, is cut off before the fold, with no indication of "more inside", while you can see there is a ton more inside on the post itself.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:05 PM on May 21, 2011
What would.
And by "favorited FPP" page, I mean this one. As you can see the top one, the Heckler's FPP, is cut off before the fold, with no indication of "more inside", while you can see there is a ton more inside on the post itself.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:05 PM on May 21, 2011
Metafilter: instinctively anti-AJAX
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:21 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:21 PM on May 21, 2011
Another vote in favor! This would be a fantastic feature.
posted by dialetheia at 12:30 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by dialetheia at 12:30 PM on May 21, 2011
Yeah, this is a great idea.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 12:39 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 12:39 PM on May 21, 2011
Salon's implementation of this idea regularly crashes IE6 at my workplace.
Whether this is the fault of the idea, the implementation, the browser, or my lead-fingered clicking, I don't know.
posted by Trurl at 12:49 PM on May 21, 2011
Whether this is the fault of the idea, the implementation, the browser, or my lead-fingered clicking, I don't know.
posted by Trurl at 12:49 PM on May 21, 2011
> Whether this is the fault of the idea, the implementation, the browser, or my lead-fingered clicking, I don't know.
It's IE6.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:51 PM on May 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
It's IE6.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:51 PM on May 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
Using out of the box jQuery there's very little chance of the same problem occuring on MeFi.
posted by Artw at 1:13 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by Artw at 1:13 PM on May 21, 2011
But then instead of going inside to see the [more inside], you'd be bringing the [more inside] outside, and so the [more inside] wouldn't actually be inside?
posted by verstegan at 1:35 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by verstegan at 1:35 PM on May 21, 2011
I'm in favour because it would help with some forms of mystery meat like the recent Les Twins post.
posted by Mitheral at 1:48 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 1:48 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is probably the best thing to happen because of [more inside] since St Thomas wrote his Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation and De Tristitia Christi in the Tower.
posted by Abiezer at 1:50 PM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Abiezer at 1:50 PM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
Yeah, that might be a cool feature, and would likely not be too hard to implement for members.
posted by mathowie at 11:42 AM on May 21
That's kinda what I expected; one concern I had before suggesting it was that it might reduce the ad impressions that help to keep the site going and the mods supplied with enormous donuts. But since logged-in members don't get ads on the full-post/comment pages anyway, my guess was that it'd be be a net win from a cost/revenue perspective.
posted by George_Spiggott at 1:57 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by mathowie at 11:42 AM on May 21
That's kinda what I expected; one concern I had before suggesting it was that it might reduce the ad impressions that help to keep the site going and the mods supplied with enormous donuts. But since logged-in members don't get ads on the full-post/comment pages anyway, my guess was that it'd be be a net win from a cost/revenue perspective.
posted by George_Spiggott at 1:57 PM on May 21, 2011
If it were me implementing this, I would:
1) Change [more inside] to [more] and have it ajax in the rest of the post instead of linking to the thread. So you'd have to click the "5 comments" link to get to the thread, as you already have to do for all posts that do not have [more inside].
2) Do the above link changing in an onLoad handler, so if you have JS disabled, it would work the way it currently does.
3) Brace myself for all the complaints that will come from users upset by the change to a core bit of the site UI.
4) Consider adding a user pref for the feature based on the volume of complaints. Or maybe tweak the current "Inline comment updates" preference to control both inline comments and inline [more].
5) Have a beer.
posted by ericost at 2:09 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
1) Change [more inside] to [more] and have it ajax in the rest of the post instead of linking to the thread. So you'd have to click the "5 comments" link to get to the thread, as you already have to do for all posts that do not have [more inside].
2) Do the above link changing in an onLoad handler, so if you have JS disabled, it would work the way it currently does.
3) Brace myself for all the complaints that will come from users upset by the change to a core bit of the site UI.
4) Consider adding a user pref for the feature based on the volume of complaints. Or maybe tweak the current "Inline comment updates" preference to control both inline comments and inline [more].
5) Have a beer.
posted by ericost at 2:09 PM on May 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree with ericost's point (1)... Maybe the [more] could display the extra bits, and then morph into a [comments] link?
posted by kaibutsu at 2:53 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by kaibutsu at 2:53 PM on May 21, 2011
This is what you're talking about when the site is closed for rapture?
posted by jack_mo at 3:05 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by jack_mo at 3:05 PM on May 21, 2011
Can we also get infinite scrolling on the front page?
I mean, if the mods make it back from being raptured.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:07 PM on May 21, 2011
I mean, if the mods make it back from being raptured.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:07 PM on May 21, 2011
That is why ericost designs websites that change lives. If we do this, we'll follow those steps exactly.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:20 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:20 PM on May 21, 2011
Let me play Devil's Advocate with an argument AGAINST being able to bring the [more inside] outside:
When you click to see the rest of the post, you almost always get at least a glimpse of the first few comments, which I consider a feature, not a bug. Being able to always remain shielded from exposure to the comments thread reduces the 'serendipity' factor and reduces potential for participation. The users who click to see the comments are often different from those who click to see the [more]. And sometimes you do HAVE to be "exposed to anus" if you're ever going to help make it less anus-y.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:35 PM on May 21, 2011
When you click to see the rest of the post, you almost always get at least a glimpse of the first few comments, which I consider a feature, not a bug. Being able to always remain shielded from exposure to the comments thread reduces the 'serendipity' factor and reduces potential for participation. The users who click to see the comments are often different from those who click to see the [more]. And sometimes you do HAVE to be "exposed to anus" if you're ever going to help make it less anus-y.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:35 PM on May 21, 2011
> When you click to see the rest of the post, you almost always get at least a glimpse of the first few comments, which I consider a feature, not a bug.
This is about seeing the complete post without having to navigate to a new page, nothing about anuses.
Also, I'd suggest that [more] turns to [less] and stays where it is (under your mouse), incase you expand a giant post by accident, so you don't have to hunt to the end of the [more inside] to find the [less] button to toggle it off.
posted by mrzarquon at 3:55 PM on May 21, 2011
This is about seeing the complete post without having to navigate to a new page, nothing about anuses.
Also, I'd suggest that [more] turns to [less] and stays where it is (under your mouse), incase you expand a giant post by accident, so you don't have to hunt to the end of the [more inside] to find the [less] button to toggle it off.
posted by mrzarquon at 3:55 PM on May 21, 2011
(Also, I just realized [more] is already used when looking at the truncated comments on a favorites page, which takes you to the original comment, and would not have the same ajaxy expansion powers as the [more] text would on a FPP).
I'll go drink some scotch now before the rapture takes it away
posted by mrzarquon at 4:01 PM on May 21, 2011
I'll go drink some scotch now before the rapture takes it away
posted by mrzarquon at 4:01 PM on May 21, 2011
The biggest loss here would be the potential for [more inside] maternity clothes. Did anyone ever make those?
posted by nobody at 4:19 PM on May 21, 2011
posted by nobody at 4:19 PM on May 21, 2011
ericost writes "1) Change [more inside] to [more] and have it ajax in the rest of the post instead of linking to the thread. So you'd have to click the '5 comments' link to get to the thread, as you already have to do for all posts that do not have [more inside].
"2) Do the above link changing in an onLoad handler, so if you have JS disabled, it would work the way it currently does.
"3) Brace myself for all the complaints that will come from users upset by the change to a core bit of the site UI.
"4) Consider adding a user pref for the feature based on the volume of complaints. Or maybe tweak the current 'Inline comment updates' preference to control both inline comments and inline [more].
"5) Have a beer."
I'd make the beer step three. Make that several beer. It'll make the new step four go a lot easier.
posted by Mitheral at 5:31 PM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
"2) Do the above link changing in an onLoad handler, so if you have JS disabled, it would work the way it currently does.
"3) Brace myself for all the complaints that will come from users upset by the change to a core bit of the site UI.
"4) Consider adding a user pref for the feature based on the volume of complaints. Or maybe tweak the current 'Inline comment updates' preference to control both inline comments and inline [more].
"5) Have a beer."
I'd make the beer step three. Make that several beer. It'll make the new step four go a lot easier.
posted by Mitheral at 5:31 PM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
I like this as well.
posted by MustardTent at 6:17 AM on May 22, 2011
posted by MustardTent at 6:17 AM on May 22, 2011
"I'd make the beer step three."
Ideally, a beer would accompany each step.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:30 AM on May 22, 2011
Ideally, a beer would accompany each step.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:30 AM on May 22, 2011
The only issue(?(or a bug? (or a feature?))) that I can see is that I bet the number of comments will drop dramatically. People may well just not bother to comment if it requires loading a separate page.
posted by Magnakai at 3:02 PM on May 23, 2011
posted by Magnakai at 3:02 PM on May 23, 2011
I don't think that follows, Magnakai. We already have a lot of posts that don't use [more inside]. People comment on them anyway.
posted by LogicalDash at 5:23 PM on May 23, 2011
posted by LogicalDash at 5:23 PM on May 23, 2011
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posted by phunniemee at 11:17 AM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]