Blocking - a way to block entire threads?

[Kyrie Deka]

What I would miss if we could block entire threads though!

Or maybe we can?

 

As it is, block one individual to see how block works, and guess what:  You read a thread because you like reading other named folks stuff, but because of the quotes from the block-ee included you get all the non-essential anyway. 

 

No way to block an entire thread?  If there isn't, there should be.

 

[Rowan Amore]

5 minutes ago, Kyrie Deka said:

What I would miss if we could block entire threads though!

Or maybe we can?

 

As it is, block one individual to see how block works, and guess what:  You read a thread because you like reading other named folks stuff, but because of the quotes from the block-ee included you get all the non-essential anyway. 

 

No way to block an entire thread?  If there isn't, there should be.

 

I wish!

[Rowan Amore]

But seriously, it will be locked or gone tomorrow as they usually are.

[Kyrie Deka]

A new benefit for Premium Plus?  *Pondering if I would be willing to pay extra for just that* *Pondering again what year that might be*

Edited December 14, 2020 by Kyrie Deka

[Bree Giffen]

Why would you want to block an entire thread?

It would be better if you don't block nobody.

[Seicher Rae]

Um. Wut? Isn't blocking a thread achieved by simply not clicking on it in the list of threads? I block way more threads than I participate in that way.

[MoiraKathleen]

Sometimes I look at the list of threads in a section... and then just mark that whole section as being read, without reading anything.  Though that doesn't work well when perusing through the forums with the next "unread content".  

[Cindy Evanier]

I made myself a feed and just have forums I want to read in it.  EG when I had a linden home, I had those forum topics in it.  Now I don't have a linden home I have removed that from my feed and only read that if I actively want to read it.  So I just click "Unread Content - Cindy"   Cindy being what I named my feed as I was feeling imaginative that day.  

[Kyrie Deka]

10 hours ago, Seicher Rae said:

Um. Wut? Isn't blocking a thread achieved by simply not clicking on it in the list of threads?

Wow, why didn't I think of that /s  

Helping make my point, and I thank you for that. 

No defense here of your differing opinion is needed with me, as I have built-in room for your different preferences.  Comfort with diversity and inclusion rather than dismissal are positives.

[LittleMe Jewell]

10 hours ago, Bree Giffen said:

It would be better if you don't block nobody

I have no clue who nobody is, but I'll be sure that I don't block them.

[Kyrie Deka]

10 hours ago, Bree Giffen said:

Why would you want to block an entire thread?

It would be better if you don't block nobody.

Hiya Bree.  There are some discussions which have been taken so far off their original "title" that I just honestly don't want to see that "side" of rude, unkind, dismissing, etc. behavior.  Many times it is a momentary excited utterance, and that's ok, I have room for that of course.  But in a thread where someone is asking for help with [ X ] where I then read by the fifth of 5 pages of posts we're already going off topic into a rant about something or someone(s) that has no relativity to the OP, I would just prefer to not read all that off topic sniping. 

[Kyrie Deka]

6 hours ago, Cindy Evanier said:

I made myself a feed and just have forums I want to read in it. 

I do this too in the browser.  Saves me some time on certain days.  It only shows the title, which generally always speaks well to the topic, but when a discussion goes off topic one cannot tell... 

[Kyrie Deka]

10 hours ago, MoiraKathleen said:

look at the list of threads in a section... and then just mark that whole section as being read, without reading anything. 

Admittedly I do this a lot.  But you know I miss more good info this way, than if blocking a single entire thread were possible.  

If it isn't possible to block individual threads, then it just isn't oh well.  No one will perish, just asking if it was.  If available it would sure come in handy at times. 

[Syo Emerald]

The entire block function in this forum is pretty lacking tbh.

Edit: To explain further (since I got a confused reaction): I feel like the ignore function overall could be a lot better. Currently it just prevents you from seeing what someone wrote, but thats it. For me thats equal to having someone blocked in SL, but seeing that they type in chat, only that you aren't able to read their messages. Or if derendering something would just lead to replace the derendered obejct with a sign saying "here is X, but you chose to derender it". The perfect block function would make you ignore someones very existance on this forum.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Syo Emerald

[Eggy UwU]

i get what you're saying, but for saving time--just ignore the thread.

[Solar Legion]

31 minutes ago, Syo Emerald said:

The entire block function in this forum is pretty lacking tbh.

Edit: To explain further (since I got a confused reaction): I feel like the ignore function overall could be a lot better. Currently it just prevents you from seeing what someone wrote, but thats it. For me thats equal to having someone blocked in SL, but seeing that they type in chat, only that you aren't able to read their messages. Or if derendering something would just lead to replace the derendered obejct with a sign saying "here is X, but you chose to derender it". The perfect block function would make you ignore someones very existance on this forum.

Another Forum I frequent does something rather similar to that ... and frankly, I personally hate it as it goes so far as to hide entire threads if started by someone you've put on Ignore. Such a function, built in that way, does not take into consideration that a thread started by an Ignored individual might well still contain worthwhile information or something worth commenting on/adding to.

now a middle ground between such behaviors - hiding posts and auto-collapsing quotes - would be nice.

[Kyrie Deka]

22 minutes ago, Ignis Dismantled said:

but for saving time--just ignore the thread.

Truly the obvious, and the first reaction of course yes.  In a world where every thread title is what the discussion is, sure.  One comes to mind, obviously not about someone needing help with a broken SL something or other.  But again, titles generally do match the *start* of the conversation, but once a thread diverts into an off topic wrestling match there is no way to tell until *bam* you've already read it...

[Kyrie Deka]

17 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

Another Forum I frequent does something rather similar to that ... and frankly, I personally hate it as it goes so far as to hide entire threads if started by someone you've put on Ignore.

I so agree, I wouldn't like that at all!  Thread manually per thread, yes.  Auto-block noooo.

Blocking, if individual user is all we have, should be both the *text* of their direct posts (not the title though), and any quoted *text* by replies to their text posts.  Otherwise to me it isn't really blocking at all if I can still see their quoted text.  

[Solar Legion]

4 minutes ago, Kyrie Deka said:

I so agree, I wouldn't like that at all!  Thread manually per thread, yes.  Auto-block noooo.

Blocking, if individual user is all we have, should be both the *text* of their direct posts (not the title though), and any quoted *text* by replies to their text posts.  Otherwise to me it isn't really blocking at all if I can still see their quoted text.  

In agreement with one caveat: As stated in my earlier response, auto-collapsing the Quote block as opposed to wholly hiding it.

Said forum does the latter in addition to the mentioned bits and boy oh boy does is mess with the thread flow! makes some responses seem .... disjointed.

[LittleMe Jewell]

33 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

hiding posts and auto-collapsing quotes

^^ This.   Then I can choose to show the quoted part, just like choosing to see the original posts, only when I want.

[Chaser Zaks]

I wanted this because of the hostile activity in some threads, I even made a Jira issue for it, but it was rejected.

So I made my own script. Since others seem to want this functionality, I shall share my script: https://gist.github.com/FelixWolf/c5a0f95e7c1e84ac73240fba9fe21001

Steps to install:

1. Get a user scripts add-on. I recommend Tampermonkey: https://www.tampermonkey.net/
2. On the dashboard, click "Utilities"
3. Paste this link in the "Install from URL" field:  https://gist.githubusercontent.com/FelixWolf/c5a0f95e7c1e84ac73240fba9fe21001/raw/slforums_thread_blocker.js

Usage:

You should now have this at the top of the page near search:

If you wish to unblock a thread, you have to toggle this and unblock it that way.

To block a thread, there is a icon under the Thread title, click it and it will go poof:

Uninstall:

If you decide you don't want it anymore, click the "Delete" button in the Tampermonkey dashboard. This may vary if you are using a different user scripts add-on.

Safety:

This script does not transmit anything to any servers. Everything is stored on the client in two localStorage variables. The two variables are called "showBlocked" (remembers if you have show blocked threads enabled), and "blockedThreads" (An array containing thread IDs). These are like cookies but for javascript.

You can review the code in it's highlighted and commented form at https://gist.github.com/FelixWolf/c5a0f95e7c1e84ac73240fba9fe21001. This is synchronized with the raw URL, so I cannot sneak anything into it. You can even view changes here: https://gist.github.com/FelixWolf/c5a0f95e7c1e84ac73240fba9fe21001/revisions

Bugs:

This is a user modification, similar to my marketplace modifications, as such, Linden Lab assist you with this! Treat it like a Third Party Viewer. If you need assistance or would like to report a bug, please contact me on the forums or in-world.

Remember to uninstall or disable the user script before contacting LL regarding any bugs with the forums. Don't send them on a wild goose chase because my script somehow broke something.

Stuff I haven't gotten around to but might since people other than me wanted this(AKA: To do):

• Make "Block thread" button less tacky and stand out more. Probably place it somewhere that they don't just look scattered all over the place and more uniform and in-line.
• Probably can make it more efficient, specifically by making the blockedThreads variable a global, instead of a local in multiple functions, but tampermonkey gets upset if it isn't done in a specific way. Maybe this is a good thing, if localStorage is works how I think it does, it means it works cross-tab without overwriting the other tab's blocks!
• Code can be cleaned up a little, specifically with how threads are detected if they are blocked or not.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Chaser Zaks
Added uninstall and safety information; Add bugs disclaimer; Added Jira link

[Kyrie Deka]

54 minutes ago, Chaser Zaks said:

I even made a Jira issue for it, but it was rejected.

First, you took the time to file a Jira - I thank you for that.  That it was rejected, well, no value to my opinion there I guess but to say, thanks again for filing it anyway.  

As to the rest. thanks for sharing!

[Kyrie Deka]

1 hour ago, Solar Legion said:

auto-collapsing the Quote block as opposed to wholly hiding it.

Said forum does the latter in addition to the mentioned bits and boy oh boy does is mess with the thread flow! makes some responses seem .... disjointed.

Picturing the latter there and yes I see what you mean, if there were a succession of several blocked folks replying quickly together, then it would be hard to follow the next not-blocked short reply.  Though some of those kitty pictures speak for themselves