Last thread was filling up, so here is a new one.
Looks like we are targeting this weekend for a redesign and rebuild, so please place your wants, needs, and desires, as well as anything that is broken in the comments below.
Any suggestions on design would be appreciated. I’d like to keep things as close to they are now, BUT BETTERER and NEWERER!
Also, please hit the tip jar if you want to pitch in on the costs of the build.
Constructive comments only. I will open up another open thread for your random blather.
Renie
Getting this weird message still when clicking on paypal donate button:
We are sorry, we are experiencing temporary difficulties. Please try again later. If this error occurred while making a payment, avoid duplicate payments by checking your Account Overview before resending a payment.
Message 3005
sistermaryelephant
Color coded system sounds good :p
rlrr
You forgot GOODERER…
bondirotta
John Cole – the rating system is not there to tell you whose comments to like. It is there to reward the cleverest writers and give them a little jolt of dopamin when they see that plus five symbol.
This is about human nature… this is about the pleasure principle… it is NOT about telling John Cole who to like the most.
Please, give it a shot. It will tie the community closer and create false, but pleasant illusion of bonhomie.
Rosalita
payment thingy worked for me
different-church-lady
Disable Clowncar on Ice Button.
BGinCHI
Not sure if someone suggested this yet, but along with the buttons for bold and italics and so on, could there be a button that when you push it the word VICTORY! in all caps in bold with an exclamation point shows up?
It would save the trolls a lot of typing.
different-church-lady
@bondirotta:
That sounds… dangerous.
Citizen_X
Don’t know if this was already mentioned, but it would be nice if links to comments in a thread worked in the mobile version. Right now, you have to scroll up looking for the commenter, or just pass on by.
BGinCHI
@bondirotta: This idea sounds like an idea had by someone who thinks facebook is “awesome.”
mark
image link at the top.
It is possible, and I can think of at least 4 different ways to do it with your rotating tagline.
8 ways with the image being a link and the tagline either being or NOT being a link.
—
the sullivan-style “read more/expand” js links instead of linking ‘more’ of each post to a separate page (have the separate page link be for comments to that post only, not for the rest of the post).
—
more love from you.
—
more LILY ONLY (and the T cat as everyone else is a fan. f that rosey from now on.)
pragmatism
emoprog/firebagger gatekeeper.
Warren Terra
The GOS comment system has been irritating in a number of different ways over the years, but one thing they have (had?) that was really nice was that when you visited a thread it would tell you which comments were new since last you visited the thread. This is obviously more important with threaded comments like they use, but it’s not a bad thing to have if it’s easy to implement.
Also, repeating my comment from the previous thread: at least five front-pagers are missing from the “contact” list in the upper-right of the page.
different-church-lady
@BGinCHI: No, no, wait… here’s something that would set BJ apart from all the other blogs: a pop-up list of the 25 most commonly used BJ catch phrases!
mark
oh yes, and fix the mobile. i personally just use the regular site on mobiles (i hate mobile sites) but this is where you desperately need the sullivan-style expander links instead of “read more” links to separate pages.
Warren Terra
Oh, and we need a page listing all the rotating taglines. Maybe even explaining the more obscure ones.
dmsilev
As noted many times in the previous thread, a smarter spam filter that doesn’t trigger on soshalism would be very welcome.
Honestly, there isn’t a huge amount that you need to fix.
bondirotta
There is a reason that Facebook guy is worth 28 Billion dollars. He had a fairly profound insight about brain chemistry. We are still a group of herd animals appreciating a nuzzle of a friendly nose on our neck.
Do not fight evolutionary biology, John Cole – implement the Like system. Maybe with Power Like button you can only use once in 24 hours…. so that we could have a tiered system of approval…
mark
some better way of finding other good blogs? the blog roll is hella stale
chrismealy
Test it with yslow
developer.yahoo.com/yslow/
github.com/marcelduran/yslow
Dee Loralei
I want the share buttons for facebook and twitter back. I’m miffed I wasn’t able to post your entire 53 Limbaugh lies screed on my facebook page.
BGinCHI
@dmsilev: Second this.
Maybe also a place where FPers can contribute to the bar tab for local meet-ups. Whenever we get the Chicago one going, that is.
mark
no LIKE button or comment voting up or down!!
(a new button, next to reply, that just says ‘This!’ and just one-click auto puts a reply from user simply stating ‘This!’ is somehow much more awesome.)
MikeJ
@bondirotta: And McDonald’s makes the best food in the world by that standard.
Steve
All I really care about is being able to block-quote multiple paragraphs. I’m a simple person.
Nylund
A site redesign? Does this mean we should all start adding an #IAMJOHNCOLE hashtag to all our tweets?
mark
when you reply to a comment, it puts that comment’s poster’s name as a link to that post you are replying to.
Can you have a hover, or long-press slide on touch devices, you whiners, where if you hover over that link instead of clicking it, a js window pops up with the comment in it, instead of jumping up to that comment, and then never finding the original reply you were reading in the first place.
make sense?
different-church-lady
@bondirotta:
He didn’t have an insight into that brain chemistry: he has that brain chemistry.
poohead
separate rss feeds for each front pager.
harlana
i put a little $ in the tip jar, hope to contribute more in future as my situation improves, i lurve BJ
bondirotta
How about the possibility of pushing THIS button next to a comment… and with every push, the comment shades deeper into blue…. and with every NOT THIS button push it shades deeper into red?
mark
more and better female readers.
…and oddly enough, (one specific) less female FPer.
and a FP support for ABL, maybe have her pick an additional FPer for you to let post here. She is too busy all on her own.
And a Lin, some good Asian-Americann-issue FPers. And someone to FP in Spanish once a day.
mark
and an African. Not African-American, an actual African, to FP some various whats-going-on-in-africa-since-our-news-never-covers-it-ever-except-pirates-and-terrorists posts.
mark
bondirotta – go to hell@bondirotta:
harlana
b/c i am stupid, i do not know how to do editing thingies when i go back to edit a comment (like block-quoting) – would be nice to have the Edit function look like the Reply function with all the same tools as above (or rather, below)
Warren Terra
@mark:
@mark:
Seems to me you’re describing a different blog you’d like to read. Heck, I’d not be shocked if that blog is out there someplace – go find it!
mark
@Warren Terra: not really, i actually wish John Cole could write all the posts all day sullivan style. I love his view/tone/take on things, but he seems too busy, and all blogs have a limited scope.
I’d just prefer to get all my news through the BJ filtered snark. Thats the better way to ask for it.
Lee
I know it is too much too ask, but I will anyway; A threaded comment section. It might be a steep learning curve for some, but it really makes it easier in the long run.
Also for mobile, images seem to be reluctant to load at times.
sistermaryelephant
Just wanna give a should out to Cole and/or whoever for starting the IP/handle banning again. I was getting bored calling Cole a stupid Clown without having to change IP’s and use another handle after.
So thanks for that and best of luck with the banning Cole you retard.
harlana
everything else is fine – i’d just like the edit function to work better, don’t change a thing other than that, just imho :)
RedKitten
I’m begging you, NOT a threaded comment section. Please.
Other than that, a better spam filter, and the ability to quickly share your posts on FB/Twitter/Whateverthefuckyouuse.
Warren Terra
@mark:
Leaving aside qualitative assessments of Sullivan, I thought he had a flock of staff and interns that found items for him and wrote the first draft of many posts, or wrote entire posts?
There was some kerfuffle because for many years he didn’t give them any credit for their writing, just let people assumed it was all his. I think they now get writing credit for their own posts – though not for finding links, and maybe not for drafts – but it’s hardly a model of Sullivan creating a blog himself.
adavis
My apologies if it’s been mentioned before, but the ability to view only posts written by a chosen individual (say, Tim F, or Dennis G, or even someone with a complete last name).
middlewest
@bondirotta: Go back to farcebook and never return again.
Warren Terra
@sistermaryelephant:
What sort of a shithead goes to any effort to overcome banning? The whole point of banning is that you’ve been unpleasant and of no use to the community, and people generally want to see you gone. Sure, you can find new ways to continue polluting a place you’re not wanted – but why? Why not go someplace you’d be welcome? Do you just enjoy being hated?
Carnacki
I really think the color and balloon image are stale and in need of a graphic redesign.
PeakVT
To add to my previous #2, I think the problems came from how the content and right sidebar are wrapped together, and then those two are wrapped with the left sidebar. Maybe there’s a reason for that, but if not then it think it would be easier to write a style if the right sidebar and the content were separated.
Warren Terra
Oh and one semi-serious suggestion, because I’ve seen it cause problems when he gets cited by other blogs: convince DougJ to stop adding silly suffixes to his name.
Soonergrunt
@adavis: We have that now. It’s called the scroll wheel.
Egg Berry
I haven’t read through all the suggestions, but it would be nice if there were a way to put more posts toward the top of the page, like in a more magazine-style format.
BillinGlendaleCA
@mark:
Yes
Sarah Proud and Tall
@mark:
I don’t know why you’ve got it in for poor Kay.
TooManyJens
@Warren Terra: It’s the same mentality that has led us to a state of affairs wherein the core principle of modern conservatism is “Do whatever pisses liberals off.” If you can’t actually think, pissing people off is about the highest achievement you can hope for.
dmsilev
@Warren Terra: They do it because, as I’m sure you are aware, some people enjoy being assholes to others. It really comes down to that. No real solution until someone develops a ban-hammer that can trigger on distinctive writing styles.
gogol's wife
@RedKitten:
No Like button, no threaded comments. I can’t and won’t read those, and if I lost BJ comment-reading-capability I would be very, very sad and nervous.
Nylund
Add me to the chorus of people who wish there was a way to sort/filter posts by authors.
mark
@Warren Terra: I know, i didn’t know i needed to explain the whole backstory of the situation to everyone.
Cole – More Posts! more topics. and free interns to do work for you. but please do NOT do the fluffy mimic-style intern-posting, i thought the other FPers were taking their place here.
Actually, i dont really think sullivan’s site is the best example of this, just its the biggest and easily recognized by most, so its a convenient doppelganger. Its a well run blog, but please dont think i’m asking for a mimic copy of it, i like BJ just how it is, just wish a few FPers, mainly Cole himself, had more time to repost interesting things on a slightly expanded topic set.
We barely ever get WV related posts. Hardly ever commend on the good posts, its just enough to keep up with the atrocities of the right. And while i love that and wouldn’t change it, its a shame there’s not more time to expand to other adjacent political things. Instead, we get periodic updates on European B-league soccer sometimes.
DaddyJ
Mobile woes: pardon if this has already been discussed/fixed, but in re: the mobile version showing up when you don’t want it to, I’ve noticed that the link to go to the desktop version (at the very bottom of the mobile page) is coded with “localhost” as the top-level domain, as opposed to “balloon-juice.com” — so naturally the phone doesn’t know where to go. And perhaps this is also why session preferences are not being retained. (FYI, I much prefer mobile-browsing BJ in big-screen mode versus mobile mode. Of the blogs I visit regularly, I think only TPM’s mobile layout works well.)
James E. Powell
I’m against any comment rating. Reminds me of Family Feud when the team members say “good answer, good answer.” And for odious comments, the best response is to ignore them.
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
+eleventy. Also, too, not trying to fix things when somebody tries to end a sentence with a bunch of exclamation points.
David Koch
YOU NEED TO ADD A BULLY PULPIT BUTTON
mark
@Sarah Proud and Tall: i LOVE kay’s posting, i LOVE getting Ohio views and news, and this is what i want, more Kay’s for other areas we NEVER get exposed to and the media literally never covers. Just like Kay, with that BJ glasses to look through!
General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)
Here’s the thang. I been here for a while now, and we have done this drill boocoo times. Suggestion threads out the yazoo. But in the end, not a thing has changed on this blog, except for getting a reply button, and maybe a better server. That’s it. When they were standing in line to keep things the same, Mr. Cole got in line eleventy times. I guarantee the same with maybe a little faster load time. All the other bugs are spiritual in nature, and controlled by WP and the Mighty FSM, and you can’t fix it as we would all get swallowed by a giant black hole, or something really bad. It would be like fixing time and space itself. ner dee will.
MosesZD
I’m fine with the site. Easy to please.
If I added anything, if you quote another user, bring the quote down automatically. But, that’s not important. You just need to think it through before you hit nerd rage…
Nicole
I really like the site as is. I would like the mobile version to be a bit friendlier- often links FPers put in their posts don’t show up on the mobile version.
And being able to block quote multiple paragraphs.
Please, no threaded comments. Some funny responses are even funnier for happening ten comments along. Don’t want to lose unintentional comedic timing.
Please no rating comments. High school was enough time to spend in the middle of a popularity contest.
Kay Shawn
I sent in a $ contribution last week, so here is my request: Puh-leese don’t implement that “like” bulls**t. I know this request is futile, but I had to mention it.
MosesZD
@bondirotta:
And 100% of the time devolves into cliques and a pissing contest. I’ve quit more clique-fest blogs than you can shake a stick at.
I hope it doesn’t happen here.
different-church-lady
@sistermaryelephant: But I do wonder what reward you find in it.
Have you ever wondered what reward you find in it?
Nicole
Oh, better linking to Facebook- when I copy and paste a link to the site, it doesn’t give any information about the post. This is a terrific blog and I’d love to turn more friends on to reading it.
different-church-lady
@David Koch:
He can do that with a signing statement. He just doesn’t want to.
different-church-lady
@Warren Terra:
There’s a simple answer to a simple question here…
Sarah Proud and Tall
@mark:
Oh. Silly me. So which front pager is it that you want to get rid of?
Loneoak
Maybe not properly a component of a rebuild, I dunno how these thingamigs work, but some sort of permanent repository for the pie filter would be great. Every once in awhile the topic comes up and people want to know where to find it. Seems to make sense to store it here or to build it right into the site.
Loneoak
Oooh, and the reply system would be so much smoother if you could highlight the text you want to quote and when you hit the reply button it could pop that text right into a blockquote. I know this sounds lazy, but I use it all the time in email and it’s very handy.
different-church-lady
@Warren Terra:
There’s a simple answer to a simple question here…
@General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero): Back when I was in photography school I would occasionally get stuck while working on a print. I’d ask a bunch of different people their opinions about what was wrong, and by the time they were done yammering with bad suggestions the process would have un-stuck my brain and I’d have figured out what I really wanted to do with it.
Nate Dawg
YES YES YES to the jscript “Read More” option that Sully has. Makes mobile reading soooo much better.
grape_crush
A means to keep a featured/popular post at the top so I don’t have to get carpal tunnel from scrolling and scrolling to find something more interesting than doggie and kitty pics.*
Also may require someone to make a judgement as to what’s being featured, so more work and whining to deal with.
Still unsure as to whether or not the comment form needs to be moved to the top of the comments section underneath the post. For longer threads (like this one) it might be nice.
(*heresy, I know)
Warren Terra
@General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero):
Not quite true. I’ve been around here since before there was an “edit” function; pretty sure you have, too.
Warren Terra
Has something been implemented in the last half-hour? I went for a walk, and I could no longer access the site (the desktop version) with my Android phone.
Ronzoni Rigatoni
@sistermaryelephant: Oh, Jeebus, don’t ban this one. She’s as entertaining as Rick (the Dick) Sanscrotum. She’s a keeper (butchew gotta really ignore her).
General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)
@Warren Terra:
You are correct, as it was added I think about the same time as the reply button.
RSA
In case it hasn’t been mentioned, this is about the mobile site, which I visit on my phone: images don’t show up (that may be intentional), and links to specific comments within a post seem to be broken. I’ll als second the request for a go-to-end-of-page link, for mobile browsing.
MazeDancer
If one is simply using Safari on the iPad, and visiting BJ like one would on a computer, and have not selected the go to mobile site button, it is basically the same experience, including having a reply button (by tapping link). Hope that sameness continues.
Though, sometimes the ad loading takes a longer time on the iPad, so one has to wait to scroll while the iPad bounces around. But that happens everywhere. Can’t imagine there is anything to be done about that as you have no control over ads.
Except, would you consider an ad free, paid in advance, annual subscription version?
Hoping site rebuild does not force iPad users to have to use Mobile version.
MazeDancer
If one is simply using Safari on the iPad, and visiting BJ like one would on a computer, and have not selected the go to mobile site button, it is basically the same experience, including having a reply button (by tapping link). Hope that sameness continues.
Though, sometimes the ad loading takes a longer time on the iPad, so one has to wait to scroll while the iPad bounces around. But that happens everywhere. Can’t imagine there is anything to be done about that as you have no control over ads.
Except, would you consider an ad free, paid in advance, annual subscription version?
Hoping site rebuild does not force iPad users to have to use Mobile version.
MazeDancer
On the other hand, a sluggish iPad can result in too many taps and accidental double posts. Apologies.
kindness
More blog directed drinking games.
Sly
@Warren Terra:
The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory explains everything.
Warren Terra
@RSA:
This is less of an issue for Android, because you can refresh a page without first scrolling to the top, and so refresh it starting at the same scrolled-down position. But, yeah, long threads really suck in iOS.
SuzieC
@RedKitten: Agree with this. Also, too, please keep BJ easy to read. I like having just one post at the top of the page. Hate the multiple post all over the page format of, say, HuffPo.
Summer
I love you just the way you are.
RSA
@Warren Terra:
You’re, like, Sherlock Holmes. :-)
(ETA: Meaning that I didn’t mention iOS, but of course you’re right.)
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
FTFY.
Thymezone
Either write a decent mod filter, or else add a dialogue that says “Your post violates the mod filter rules, please edit and resubmit.” Add a post preview to invoke this feature. You know, like a real comments section.
( face, palm, sigh )
Quicksand
I mentioned this before the last rebuild, and it still would be useful for me so I’ll bring it up again:
I’d like to see a REPLY button that doesn’t appear/disappear upon hover. It’s not very tablet-friendly. To paraphrase Yoda, on a tablet, it is either click or click not. There is no hover.
The workaround is to poke at the “Link” button for the post you want to reply to, then the “Reply” button appears. But it would be cleaner just to have a reply button at all times.
eemom
NOTHING sucks worse than nested comments, except maybe death.
DON’T ever do that here, I beg you.
Warren Terra
@Thymezone:
Sadly, editing and resubmitting doesn’t work. A Moderated comment is moderated until a FPer rescues it, even after it’s been edited to no longer trigger the filter. I’ve taken to using the “edit” function to copy the text, replace the comment with something about Moderation, and then submitting a new comment using the old comment’s text modified to escape the filter. Assuming I can tell what triggered it, of course.
Thymezone
@Warren Terra:
Yes, the filter behavior needs to be rewritten.
1) Add a preview
2) The preview is mandatory
3) The preview filters the forbidden text, and warns the user
4) The user edits until the filter is passed, then posts.
It’s the same functionality they have now, except that the filter is tested at preview time instead of post time. Just add the preview, call the filter, etc.
gogol's wife
@General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero):
(OT) Wow, I haven’t heard anyone say “boocoo” since my long-estranged half-brother about 50 years ago or so. Really nostalgic feelings here.
Warren Terra
@gogol’s wife:
But did your half-brother spell “beaucoup” correctly?
wrb
A “Firebagger” button that wouldn’t censor the comment but would place it on a background of rainbows and ponies and ice cream mountains and sparklies.
The background only shows up after several people have pushed the button.
hintn
Please, please, PLEASE make the mobile site work again and not load the web page!!! Thank you and godspeed on the rebuild.
General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)
@Warren Terra:
If you are taking the job of correcting my spelling, you should really eat yer wheaties, and be prepared to work overtime. Just soes you know.
JR in WV
Edit time out seems, I dunno, authoritarian.
Why shouldn’t the author be able to make a comment read better, reflect newly gained knowledge, etc. 20 minutes later. Or at least reset the timer if they manage to do an edit in the lousy 5 minutes…
And the word neighbor. Some places the spelcheker marks neighbor as not a real word… what’s up with that?
H. Neal
John, I think there were complaints on the last redesign because you couldn’t make the full banner clickable. I think I can probably work if you still think that matters. Drop me an email.
Also, when I get thrown into the mobile version of the site via the WP Mobile Pack, it is hard to get back to the desktop site. The link at the bottom of the page is missing your domain name or something. It could be a config problem with that plugin, or maybe someone just needs to add it in the template.
Good luck with the changes.