Numbering Posts

[Markus Hanke]

Does the forum software here support the ability to number posts within a thread? If so, wouldn’t it make sense to turn that function on?

More than once now have I had to refer back to what someone said earlier on a thread, in a way that just can’t be done easily using the quote function. There are just situations where it is easier to simply refer to a post number (“You made this claim in post #…”).

Thoughts?

[exchemist]

11 minutes ago, Markus Hanke said:

Does the forum software here support the ability to number posts within a thread? If so, wouldn’t it make sense to turn that function on?

More than once now have I had to refer back to what someone said earlier on a thread, in a way that just can’t be done easily using the quote function. There are just situations where it is easier to simply refer to a post number (“You made this claim in post #…”).

Thoughts?

Agreed. I think this would be very helpful. It seems to be available on other forums.

[Genady]

Yes, it would be helpful. 

OTOH, I can just say, "You claimed earlier, that ...". If this is true, but they object, they perhaps do not argue in good faith. Otherwise, they can rephrase what they said, clarify, modify, etc., and go ahead.

[exchemist]

13 minutes ago, Genady said:

Yes, it would be helpful. 

OTOH, I can just say, "You claimed earlier, that ...". If this is true, but they object, they perhaps do not argue in good faith. Otherwise, they can rephrase what they said, clarify, modify, etc., and go ahead.

Yeah but it is handy, in a long thread that is being sensibly discussed, to be able to refer readers back to specific earlier posts. This is the only forum I've been on where the posts are not numbered.  

[studiot]

5 hours ago, Markus Hanke said:

Does the forum software here support the ability to number posts within a thread? If so, wouldn’t it make sense to turn that function on?

More than once now have I had to refer back to what someone said earlier on a thread, in a way that just can’t be done easily using the quote function. There are just situations where it is easier to simply refer to a post number (“You made this claim in post #…”).

Thoughts?

For a few years after I joined this forum had post numbering, and I for one was very pleased with the facility.

When the system was transferred to new replacement software we lost that facility and when I enquired the administrators said that post numbering was not availbale in the new software.

So if it can be done I would welcome it back with open arms.

+1

Edited February 16, 2023 by studiot
spelling

[Genady]

2 minutes ago, studiot said:

For a few years after I joined this forum has post numbering, and I for one was very pleased with the facility.

When the system was transferred to new replacement software we lost that facility and when I enquired the administrators said that post numbering was not availbale in the new software.

So if it can be done I would welcome it back with open arms.

+1

If the numbering is not technically possible, then maybe there are alternatives available? E.g., an easy way to link to a post.

[iNow]

31 minutes ago, Genady said:

If the numbering is not technically possible, then maybe there are alternatives available? E.g., an easy way to link to a post.

Find the URL under the text “posted 28 minutes ago” at the top of all posts and copy/paste it (whatever time interval has passed since submission).

Here’s a link to your post I just quoted.

 

https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/128812-numbering-posts/?do=findComment&comment=1230067

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by iNow

[Genady]

2 minutes ago, iNow said:

 Lock the URL under “posted 28 minutes ago” at the top and copy paste it (whatever time interval has passed since submission).

Here’s a link to your post I just quoted.

 

 

Thank you! This is much shorter than how I was doing it. Didn't notice that "posted ... ago" is a link.

[Ghideon]

36 minutes ago, Genady said:

If the numbering is not technically possible, then maybe there are alternatives available? E.g., an easy way to link to a post.

There is a function available by clicking "more options" for a post (may be different between devices and browsers) :

This windows appear and the direct link is presented:

Here is the result when using your post above:

edit: x-post with @iNow

Edited February 16, 2023 by Ghideon
post

[Genady]

6 minutes ago, Ghideon said:

There is a function available by clicking "more options" for a post

Thank you!

Why would we need the post numbers then?

 

[iNow]

Just now, Genady said:

Why would we need the post numbers then?

As Markus stated in his OP, so we can easily reference them without links, quotes, etc. 

For comparison, imagine for a moment giving driving directions. Saying “take exit 137 on the highway” is vastly cleaner and faster than saying, “take the exit for Main Street in the town of Scienceville on the highway, but not the Main Street exit in Fictiontown.”

[Genady]

1 minute ago, iNow said:

As Markus stated in his OP, so we can easily reference them without links, quotes, etc. 

For comparison, imagine for a moment giving driving directions. Saying “take exit 137 on the highway” is vastly cleaner and faster than saying, “take the exit for Main Street in the town of Scienceville on the highway, but not the Main Street exit in Fictiontown.”

Right, but why would I use a reference other than for others to read the referenced post? If this is the purpose, the link makes doing so much easier than a number.

[studiot]

16 minutes ago, iNow said:

Find the URL under the text “posted 28 minutes ago” at the top of all posts and copy/paste it (whatever time interval has passed since submission).

Here’s a link to your post I just quoted.

 

https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/128812-numbering-posts/?do=findComment&comment=1230067

 

Thank you +1

This explains what someone else was trying to tell me, but I couldn't understand.

 

But I hope you will agree that teh result is very cumbersome.

I can't see many adopting it.

So if I right click on the aforesaid text and paste the result into notepad I get for the enxt post in this thread

ttps://www.scienceforums.net/topic/128812-numbering-posts/?do=findComment&comment=1230073

compared with your post

ttps://www.scienceforums.net/topic/128812-numbering-posts/?do=findComment&comment=1230071

 

Which means that the numbering may be consecutive for the whole forum and fun for those that want to play around with programming, but is not consecutive for the thread.

I like the speedo on my car to simply display speed not a calculation and routine I must perform.

5 minutes ago, Genady said:

Right, but why would I use a reference other than for others to read the referenced post? If this is the purpose, the link makes doing so much easier than a number.

Not for my it isn't easier to make a list of references and lots of pretty boxes will clutter up the reply.

[iNow]

3 minutes ago, studiot said:

I like the speedo on my car to simply display speed not a calculation and routine I must perform.

And if the current software version being run here even allows for such a configuration then I trust the staff will be more than happy to enable it. 

[Genady]

6 minutes ago, studiot said:

lots of pretty boxes will clutter up the reply

I agree, the boxes make it a mess. But one more click eliminates them: when they appear there is an option underneath, "Display as a link instead", underlined. Then, instead of this: 

 

it appears like this:

 

Maybe the staff could change the function, so the latter is a default rather than the former?

[studiot]

24 minutes ago, Genady said:

I agree, the boxes make it a mess. But one more click eliminates them: when they appear there is an option underneath, "Display as a link instead", underlined. Then, instead of this: 

 

it appears like this:

 

Maybe the staff could change the function, so the latter is a default rather than the former?

 

There are two  big problems with this approach.

1) Will other folks bother to click on the link to follow the discussion ?

2) Some posters seem to delight in exceedingly long posts perhaps also editing them whilst you are referring to them. Either way it the job is still not done with this method since if you want to ask a specific question about a specific line or comment you still have to quote that particular line. I also find that someone who wants to dissemble will answer the wrong line if you quote say two lines of a post or a two line post.

[Genady]

8 minutes ago, studiot said:

 

There are two  big problems with this approach.

1) Will other folks bother to click on the link to follow the discussion ?

2) Some posters seem to delight in exceedingly long posts perhaps also editing them whilst you are referring to them. Either way it the job is still not done with this method since if you want to ask a specific question about a specific line or comment you still have to quote that particular line. I also find that someone who wants to dissemble will answer the wrong line if you quote say two lines of a post or a two line post.

I don't see how having number of a referenced post instead of a link to the referenced post, would solve these two problems.

[studiot]

In other places I like writing. and used to like here, something like " In post 53 you said   xxxxxx     either as a direct quote or in inverted commas."

All you need, short and sweet, with no unnecessary encumberances.

So problem 1 would not arise as the necessary material is included, and I have found that the above is also the easiest way to deal with problem 2.

 

Another problem is quoting non textual material, either pictures or fomulae etc.
Sometimes this doesn't work well.

 

[Genady]

24 minutes ago, studiot said:

In other places I like writing. and used to like here, something like " In post 53 you said   xxxxxx     either as a direct quote or in inverted commas."

All you need, short and sweet, with no unnecessary encumberances.

So problem 1 would not arise as the necessary material is included, and I have found that the above is also the easiest way to deal with problem 2.

 

Another problem is quoting non textual material, either pictures or fomulae etc.
Sometimes this doesn't work well.

 

You can do the same here.  

[studiot]

4 minutes ago, Genady said:

You can do the same here.  

Never mind.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

It appears the official answer is no: Invision does not support numbering posts within threads. Any numbering wouldn't be stable, because if a post is deleted or a thread is split, the posts change number. (Also, moderators can see deleted posts and normal members can't; would you show them a different numbering?)

The official recommendation is to use the "share" button (under the three dots at the top right of a post), or to copy the post permalink at the top of each post (the link for the text "Posted Thursday at ...")

[StringJunky]

Hi Cap'n. I know you can't do anything about it so that's that done, but I don't see why numbering needs to be dynamic. Posts can just be assigned the number after posting and left at that. If there are gaps due to moderation activity, it wouldn't take long for board users to understand the reasons for gaps,  and they still have an intuitive marker they can refer to or give someone else.

Edited February 20, 2023 by StringJunky

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

On 2/20/2023 at 9:59 AM, StringJunky said:

Posts can just be assigned the number after posting and left at that.

I guess the perverse case would be if two threads are merged, and then you get numbers appearing repeatedly.

But posts are assigned a unique number that could be shown; your post is #1230665, for instance. It'd be possible to list those, but since they're sequential across the entire forum, they're a little less convenient in a thread. At least they're in increasing order and don't change. I think someone in the thread I linked suggested showing those numbers, which I think is possible.

[StringJunky]

On 2/27/2023 at 7:51 PM, Cap'n Refsmmat said:

I guess the perverse case would be if two threads are merged, and then you get numbers appearing repeatedly.

But posts are assigned a unique number that could be shown; your post is #1230665, for instance. It'd be possible to list those, but since they're sequential across the entire forum, they're a little less convenient in a thread. At least they're in increasing order and don't change. I think someone in the thread I linked suggested showing those numbers, which I think is possible.

As long as it's unique, it might be worth a punt?