Thread updated warning

[BlueRevolution]

I'm sorry if this is a duplicate, but I'm not entirely sure what to search for, and none of my searches came up with anything relevant.

I've been posting on the help forum quite a bit of late, and I've noticed things have a tendency to go quite fast. If you write a longish post, like as not someone else will post first and you'll end up being redundant. This is especially unpleasant since vBull doesn't allow users to delete their own posts. I'm spoiled by SMF, but is it possible to implement a notice asking for confirmation that you want to submit the post even though the thread has been updated? This is how SMF handles it:

 

[Doctor Q]

If you click the Preview Post button, you can see an up-to-date list of the previous posts underneath the post preview and the text-editing area.

I think it's a good idea to preview posts anyway, and I almost always do so myself, so when I'm answering a question (as in this thread) I peek at other replies just before I click Submit Reply. I suggest that you do the same.

 

[Dejavu]

I intensely dislike this feature. For the novice, they may think there is something wrong with their post.

 

[BlueRevolution]

If you click the Preview Post button, you can see an up-to-date list of the previous posts underneath the post preview and the text-editing area.

I think it's a good idea to preview posts anyway, and I almost always do so myself, so when I'm answering a question (as in this thread) I peek at other replies just before I click Submit Reply. I suggest that you do the same.

Not a bad idea, but also not something with universal application. I don't just mention this for my own benefit, but for the many cases where the same thing happens to others or following my own posts. There's a lot of redundant information in the help forum because of this.

I intensely dislike this feature. For the novice, they may think there is something wrong with their post.

I don't know, I think "Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post," is pretty clear for anyone with basic literacy skills. It can be disabled in SMF, but I think it should be mandatory. It really clears up conversations in a highly-trafficked forum.

 

[rdowns]

I don't think that feature would do much to change this forum. The biggest reason we get duplicate information posted is that people reply before reading the whole thread. Also, some threads may be pages long and some may not read the whole thread.

That's why I find the multi-quote button so useful. Just tick it off on the posts you want to reply to and when you're done reading the the thread, you can easily delete those that you may no longer want to reply to.

 

[Dejavu]

I don't know, I think "Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post," is pretty clear for anyone with basic literacy skills.

Yeah, well, you'd be surprised.

 

[BlueRevolution]

I don't think that feature would do much to change this forum. The biggest reason we get duplicate information posted is that people reply before reading the whole thread. Also, some threads may be pages long and some may not read the whole thread.

That's why I find the multi-quote button so useful. Just tick it off on the posts you want to reply to and when you're done reading the the thread, you can easily delete those that you may no longer want to reply to.

I agree, multi-quote is a handy feature, but it's still contingent on people reading the entire thread. I can link a half-dozen threads today in the help forum alone that have redundant posts because of the lack of notification.

Yeah, well, you'd be surprised.

Don't you think this is the sort of person that should be added to the depopulation list anyway?

 

[MacDawg]

I agree, multi-quote is a handy feature, but it's still contingent on people reading the entire thread. I can link a half-dozen threads today in the help forum alone that have redundant posts because of the lack of notification.

There are some people that feel the need to chime in with their 2¢ worth regardless of how many times a question has been answered. It isn't always because the thread was updated and they didn't see it.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[tkidBOSTON]

I think people should just use the preview post button.

 

[BlueRevolution]

There are some people that feel the need to chime in with their 2¢ worth regardless of how many times a question has been answered. It isn't always because the thread was updated and they didn't see it.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

I think people should just use the preview post button.

Absolutely. Would it prevent duplication? No. Would it reduce the problem? I think so. I am a subset of people, and I now review my posts, but I am not all people. Most people do not think of these things, so they make their posts and likely never notice any other activity in the thread.

Even for me, as I do not usually preview my posts (I'm secure in my post-writing abilities ), doing so adds an unnecessary extra step to the process. Yes, if the page stopped you from posting until you had reviewed the changes to the thread, it would add another step to the process in those instances, but stopping to preview and to double-check (for those of us that would even think to do so) adds a step to every post.

 

[mgguy]

I usually do not preview my posts. However, I should because I almost always notice things in the final post that I want to edit, so I do. Is editing your post a problem as long as you catch it quickly and make the changes before others respond and quote you? Most of the time the changes are grammatical, but sometimes they are substantive. Does MR frown on this?

 

[Doctor Q]

I usually do not preview my posts. However, I should because I almost always notice things in the final post that I want to edit, so I do. Is editing your post a problem as long as you catch it quickly and make the changes before others respond and quote you? Most of the time the changes are grammatical, but sometimes they are substantive. Does MR frown on this?

Go right ahead. As long as you aren't changing a previous post to mislead people, it can be helpful to other members if you correct your posts. There are no rules about post editing because it hasn't been a problem.

in some cases, a post will get quoted before you fix a typo. If it's something serious, like a link with the wrong URL, that ought to be fixed in the post with the quote, report the post and ask a moderator for help.

 

[JNB]

As my responses are always more thorough, well-thought out, readable, to the point, and terribly amusing, I would ignore any that "beat me to the punch," as it were. My dear mumsy taught me to write slowly because I know you don't read that fast.