[Add to activity]

March 31, 2016 9:40 PM

Can we have an "add to activity" button on the front pages like we do for favorites? If so, what should it look like? Discuss.
posted by Anonymous to Feature Requests at 9:40 PM (20 comments total)

I like reading the comments before deciding whether or not to inflict them on my RA.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:51 PM on March 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

We generally try to reduce the amount of choices on the front page, and aren't super in favor of adding something. Totally worth talking out, though.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:15 PM on March 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

I personally don't find it too much an imposition to click onto a thread to add to my activity. I don't like, think your proposal will cause any damage or anything, just not sure if it's much of a problem currently?
posted by smoke at 11:08 PM on March 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

While I wouldn't make use of this pony the sort of related pony of having a method to add to activity at the bottom of a thread I'd ride like a Elasmotherium sibiricum and Metafilter threads were the plains of Siberia.
posted by Mitheral at 12:40 AM on April 1, 2016

This is the weirest April Fools thread yet
posted by beerperson at 5:02 AM on April 1, 2016 [7 favorites]

Please add an icon to add the mic drop icon to long threads that stays at the bottom, when it's Favorited by 3/5ths of the the current posters the topic is automatically closed.
posted by sammyo at 5:51 AM on April 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

I like this idea. I'm also concerned it might encourage people to skip the links.

What do you all think?
posted by zarq at 6:30 AM on April 1, 2016

I would feed this pony apples.
posted by grouse at 6:31 AM on April 1, 2016

If you aren't clicking into the thread, you will miss the [more inside], which might well provide important context for the material on the front page. You might then see comments in your Recent Activity and respond to them without ever seeing that [more inside], which could lead to misunderstandings and conflict. I think reading (or at least, having the option to read, lbr) the entire post is a bare minimum for adding a thread to Recent Activity.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:49 AM on April 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm not sure I understand. So are there posts that you are coming across that simultaneously make you think, "This is worthwhile and I would like to invest time following up on it" but also "Spend four seconds clicking through? MEH, eff that hassle"?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:50 AM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is the weirest April Fools thread yet

On that topic, I'd like to thank the mods for not doing any April Fools shenanigans this year. The previous years have been pretty great, but it's nice to have a rest from all the other websites who are hell-bent on demonstrating that the failure mode of clever is asshole.

Of course, it's possible I just haven't spotted it yet. In which case, more fool me, I guess.
posted by zamboni at 7:15 AM on April 1, 2016

And… thanks retracted.
posted by zamboni at 7:48 AM on April 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm not sure I understand. So are there posts that you are coming across that simultaneously make you think, "This is worthwhile and I would like to invest time following up on it" but also "Spend four seconds clicking through? MEH, eff that hassle"?

When I'm using my shitphone on my way to/from work (admittedly a moot point until June) it would be super useful to be able to add to activity from the front page instead of waiting the five minutes it takes to load, click, and go back, so I have stuff waiting for me when I get home or can use my smartphone that doesn't actually work as a phone but kind of a smallish tablet.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:49 AM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

And… thanks retracted.

I haven't seen anything yet. Am I more than usually profoundly unobservant today?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:51 AM on April 1, 2016

o nvm
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:54 AM on April 1, 2016

There's already a favourite button on the front page - so I feel like that rules out the arguments against someone wanting to save a post without clicking into it, no?

I would make use of this if implemented, but also understand the desire to keep the front page from getting too cluttered.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:00 AM on April 1, 2016

There's already a favourite button on the front page - so I feel like that rules out the arguments against someone wanting to save a post without clicking into it, no?

A favorite button on the front page makes sense for those of us that use favorites as bookmarks. You might want to go back to that thread later when you have the time to properly engage with it, but when you go back to it through your Favorites, you are reading the thread from the beginning, not from near the end, as you might be if you add it to Recent Activity.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:09 AM on April 1, 2016

So are there posts that you are coming across that simultaneously make you think, "This is worthwhile and I would like to invest time following up on it" but also "Spend four seconds clicking through? MEH, eff that hassle"?

Yeah, this is basically me on some FanFare posts with 10 comments or fewer. Well, not so much the "eff that hassle" part. I'd appreciate being able to add to recent activity without clicking through, but it's not a big deal that I can't.
posted by ODiV at 10:14 AM on April 1, 2016

fffm's explanation totally makes sense to me. The thing that seemed weird to me, explained in context, no longer seems weird.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:19 AM on April 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

Speaking of Recent Activity, is there any chance we can get season and episode numbers along with the post title for FanFare stuff? Usually the title means almost nothing to me, so I need to click to find out where it fell in the series. Not a huge deal though if it's any trouble to add.
posted by ODiV at 5:35 PM on April 4, 2016