Merge Double Posts

Nao

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Merge Double Posts
« on May 9th, 2011, 06:34 PM »
Feature: Merge Double Posts
Developer: Nao
Target: users
Status: 100% (complete.)
Comment:

Some admins don't like when users post multiple messages in a row on a topic. This feature allows them to automatically merge these posts until after a certain delay has passed. Users can also choose to merge posts manually with a Merge button.


Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #2, on May 9th, 2011, 06:46 PM »
This version should, if I remember right, also reflag the topic as having new items if you'd already read the old one.


Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #4, on May 9th, 2011, 07:45 PM »
Yeah, this isn't based on my code, but the other one that's since been tweaked and improved (and unlike the version on sm.org, it actually works with our current release!)

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #5, on May 9th, 2011, 08:29 PM »
There are three merge mods that I know of:
- Pete's
- An Italian modder's (I posted on his topic a lot at the time)
- Din1031's mod, which he gave up to me. I never released it officially as a mod for SMF, but my own rewrite is to be found in Wedge.

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #6, on June 6th, 2011, 11:38 PM »
Quote from Nao/Gilles on May 9th, 2011, 06:34 PM
Feature: Merge Double Posts
Developer: Nao
Target: users
Status: 100% (complete.)
Comment:

Some admins don't like when users post multiple messages in a row on a topic. This feature allows them to automatically merge these posts until after a certain delay has passed. Users can also choose to merge posts manually with a Merge button.
That's something totally neccesary. :D


Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #8, on June 7th, 2011, 07:27 AM »
Without it, the world would implode. Chaos would rule everywhere! Our little drama episodes would be nothing. :P

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #9, on June 11th, 2011, 08:20 AM »
Could this be setup as a sort of bump limiter?

E.g. have an option to prevent it from updating the timestamp or anything, so it doesn't get bumped. The user will have to wait so many hours/days before their next post actually sends the topic to the top.

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #10, on June 11th, 2011, 08:46 AM »
AFAIK the options are
Merge the 2 post... no bumping
Or
Prevent the user from posting again for X hours, unless someone else posts... again no bumping

Or.. Disable the feature and allow bumping,

These are per board settings.

Roz

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #11, on June 22nd, 2011, 08:13 PM »
Quote from Arantor on May 9th, 2011, 06:46 PM
This version should, if I remember right, also reflag the topic as having new items if you'd already read the old one.
But should it really? If there's no change of content with the post merger, I don't see the reason the unread flag should stay up. It warns the user for new content, when there isn't any, just a change of post structure. A minor quirk, but a quirk nontheless.

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #12, on June 22nd, 2011, 08:22 PM »
There is new content, the new post that got merged is new... so it's like making a post and editing it, it gets flagged as unread.

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #13, on June 23rd, 2011, 12:10 AM »
The only case that could be made for not flagging it unread is if you already read the later post, then happened to manually merge after the event.

When the new post is made and auto merged, it is new content you won't have seen, so it should be marked unread.

Roz

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #14, on June 23rd, 2011, 01:57 AM »
I see where you come from, but say for example I have these two posts, the second one right after the first:

Post 1:
"Hello friends, this is my first post!"

Post 2:
"And I forgot to say, this forum rocks!"

So I come to the thread, read the double post and warn the user double posting is to be avoided. I then merge the posts using the super bulletin software Wedge and it becomes one like this:

Post 1+2
"Hello friends, this is my first post!
And I forgot to say, this forum rocks!"

There is no new real content if you will. I have no new information. I have already read what he had to say in Post 1 and Post 2. The fact that both informations are merged into a "new" post doesn't change the fact that I already have read it. For me, as a user, the fact the topic gets flagged for new information and there is none in reality, is a minor quirk.

Of course I'm assuming the flag in question is for "unread" content. If the flag means unchecked activity then I concede.

Re: Merge Double Posts
« Reply #15, on June 23rd, 2011, 02:02 AM »
And how is the software suppose to determine what is so called 'real' content. Fact is there is new content no matter how you slice it. The 2nd post would have been automatically merged with the first, so you would not have seen the content added by the 2nd post.