ATTN: We Need Polling, Filters, and Search Options for Threads.

Polls, filters, and "in-thread" search options would GREATLY add to functionality and create a more user friendly thread.



Polls:

The original poster (OP) should be able to create custom polls that would appear at the very top of the thread before the original post. With this option, much information from member input can be condensed into a simple graphic with percentages.

I know this would be very popular, as it would allow great insight into many topics and the thoughts of members.

I would suggest that, if there is the possibility of misuse/ abuse to purposefully change the results, there should be a visible option to show "Poll by Public (including members), "poll by members", and "Poll by members who have contributed (i.e. posted) (to the thread)"

Perhaps, moderators could even insert polls to help condense information.



Filters:

Currently, all posts in a thread are sorted by time-stamp.

The option of sorting the posts in a thread, by use of filters, could be of great use.

The ability to sort posts in a thread by: number of stars (or lack of), most replies to a post (be it the OP's post or other member), reverse order (of time-stamped posts), and number of posts on a page would be a powerful tool. These are just some examples of the top of my head.

I don't know about other members but I would also like to be able to filter out posts that have been removed (yet remain and detail why the post was removed)

Multiple filtering would result in the ability to easily review what is important to the member who is viewing the information.

In regards to "Most replies"; posts that start an avalanche effect within a thread can be tracked by showing the initial post followed by each reply to that post which are ordered by time-stamp. Once the bottom is reached then the next post with the second most replies would follow ... and so on in that order.

These are just some of the ideas for filters that I can think of, at the moment.



Search Option:

An in-thread search option would be an incredibly valuable tool.

Sometimes a thread can become so large that going page be page to find something in particular can be a tiresome task. Do you really want to search for something page-by-page when there are over 100+ pages? An in-thread search option would also be incredibly more easy, compared to the global site search.

There have been times that members saw something in a thread and needed to reference it, only to go back sometime later and have to wade through many pages (or even more if the thread is still active). Some threads can easily reach an almost ridiculous number of pages and posts with no way to sort or search. All of this work just to find something quite specific. Sure, it's great if you remember the specific page number or bookmarked it .... but what if you can only recall who posted it or the exact keyword/s (or phrases) of what you are trying to find? Good Luck!

___________________________________________________________________________


Thanks, to everyone who took the time to read this, and I truly hope these ideas will be implemented.

All comments and criticisms are welcome and, of course, all idea's are welcome. The more the better.

I hope that the owners and moderators take notice of this thread and weigh-in here to discuss all possibilities in regard to script changes.

*Side note: I think, it would be a good idea, to keep the stars of posts of banned members. Just because a member has been banned does not make their rated posts irrelevant.

**Side note: I think having a "page views" graphic would be cool to.

- AeonStorm -

I think these are some good suggestions especially the search feature for the thread but I have a difference of opinion on the other 2 in a way.

With the polls, I think they should be below the OP not above. Sometimes it may be needed to read the OP in order to make an opinion and I would not want to scroll up to vote then scroll down to read the rest of the thread. I realize this is not really an inconvenience as I am not that lazy but the polls might have a different question or set of answers if they were below the OP. I also realize that one may wish to read the entire thread prior to voting and a scroll up or page change may be needed to be done anyway unless the OP mentions the poll as at the end of the thread and it actually perpetually remains as the last post. I do realize this may contradict the last post notification on our "myATS" page for threads we have posted in so that answer is beyond me so maybe at the end of the OP would be better.

As for the filter, I see a lot of time the trollish posts receive the most stars and the intelligent and insightful posts receive none. This type of filter would put the good replies in random places in the list and would be just as difficult to find.

My 2 cents.


Edit to add: I love your mini background. Very nice choice in images

reply to post by Agarta



Thanks for your input, Agarta.

I see you've actually put a lot of though into where the poll results would be placed, which is great! The polling questions should obviously be at the bottom of the OP and then maybe there could be a link to a separate window containing the results or the results could be hidden on the page just above or below the question and hitting a simple "show poll results" would reveal them

I understand what you say about the problem with the stars. I've actually though that that should maybe be replaced with a "thumbs up, thumbs down ....take the average" type of approach. That would solve the problem of trolls getting way to many stars with no way of taking them off.

I like your background to that would make a nice tat

Respect,

-AS-

reply to post by AeonStorm

The polling questions should obviously be at the bottom of the OP and then maybe there could be a link to a separate window containing the results or the results could be hidden on the page just above or below the question and hitting a simple "show poll results" would reveal them

I like the option of showing the poll results but I was thinking a slightly different approach. How about, instead of a link to another window with the results, when a member votes it automatically switches to the results image and the IP is recorded. This would narrow the ability to vote again in the attempt to fix an outcome. The only problem with this example that I see is the possibility of other members of the same household using the same IP may not be able to vote but I'm trying to narrow down a real plausible possibility for this feature.

reply to post by Agarta


No, yeah that's all good. I know what you mean about the IP thing as my brother could not give me stars for posts and vice versa as he was on the same LAN. I totally agree with recording IP addresses so no one can vote twice .... I would think that those in the same house hold or on the same LAN wouldn't influence results too much ... then again it depends on how many votes are tallied and in what time frame and how big the thread will get during it's lifetime in the archives.

I would not see what the point of lack of stars filter would be it would make the thread make no sense.
Say if someone had a good point then the other person with lots of stars replies back you would get lost.

Originally posted by amraks
I would not see what the point of lack of stars filter would be it would make the thread make no sense.
Say if someone had a good point then the other person with lots of stars replies back you would get lost.

edit on 10-10-2012 by amraks because: (no reason given)

A "least stars" filter would allow newcomers (or even those who have posts without merit) to a thread to be recognized. This would have nothing to do with the amount of stars of other posters who are replying to the specific post.

If it did, replies could be based on merit of and difference of stars since the "least star" poster (if there is a good point, information, etc... ) posted. I don't think that this would be difficult to do since every post is time stamped... the only difference is that stars received would also be required to have a (behind the scene) time stamp. You can think of that as a thread-within-a-thread. But that order does not have to be.

The whole point of this filter would be to allow those with the least amount of stars to be shown first after the OP ... It has nothing to do with the quality of the post. However some people might like to take a look at posts that have merit and have been overlooked ... and this would be a way to do it.