Give Feedback
New file commenting system
There is now a new option for file uploaders when they add or edit file pages to the site. This entry sets whether you would like other members to be able to create new topics for commenting. The entire commenting system has been changed to incorporate topics. There is no longer only one thread in which all comments go in to. Instead the author and (if enabled) other members can create topics, much like you would on the forums, in which to discuss particular areas of a file.
If you're a particularly tight file uploader then you might like to disable the "Allow users to start new comment topics" and instead opt to create your own comment topics for users to comment in. This might be particularly attractive to authors who'd like to have a clutter free commenting system where they can setup specific threads for "Feedback" , "Troubleshooting", "Improvements" etc.. Alerternatively authors might like to allow other members to create their own topics to raise their problems or feedback in. Whatever you choose as an author the default is set to allow all members to create new topics in the file comments, so if you don't want this then go in to your file attributes and change the setting immediately.
Clicking on a topic title will allow you to view all the comments made in that particular topic and comment in that topic much like you would have commented on a file before this recent change.
All endorsements go in a seperate topic created when the file page is added so long as endorsements are enabled for the file. This topic is pinned to the top of the board. As an author you can also pin your own or other's topics to the top of your comments section so they're more prominent by others and not affected by the "bumping" of other, non-pinned topics through new posts.
As there is now no easy way to count the total number of comments for a file the number of comments has been removed from the "Manage files" section. Perhaps the most overlooked feature by uploaders is the ability to order your uploaded files by the date of the last comment using the "Organise" tool. Organise your files by "Last Comment" "Desc" and the files with the latest new comments will be shown first. The last comment date is the first attribute of your file, the one above the number of endorsements.
As always reporting feedback and troubleshooting/error messages is appreciated as I almost always overlook something. This feature is being rolled out on TESNexus first for beta and then published later to FO3Nexus.
Millionth member competition winners announcement to follow soon!
36 comments
That would be awesome!
I've read the whole thread, and I've tried the methods listed for tracking comments. Losing the ability to track comments at a glance is a massive loss to all modders.
Previously, I could just open the page from bookmarks and instantly see new comments. All the comments were in one place on a mod's page - so I didn't have to load new pages to see them all. Now I have to fiddle with drop-downs to see which mod was last commented on, and that still doesn't guarantee that I have nothing new - if two visits in a row the same mod is the one with new comments, I won't see it.
For tracking, now we're relying on email to see new comments. Not as big of a deal, but again, you've changed a 1-step process into a complicated multi-step process - I have to manually go set it up for each mod (which isn't simple in itself), and then go from my email to the mod's page.
As for actually going to the mod's page, it's now three clicks to see any comments instead of one. Perhaps this would be a great option for mods that have hundreds of comments of varying types, but that's not the lion's share of the mods.
I appreciate greatly the intent of what you are trying to accomplish, but I find this side-effect unacceptable in terms of user-friendliness. Checking for and receiving feedback is now something of a chore, where previously it was quick and painless.
I would love to see multi-threaded comments be an option. Not enforced, as it is gratuitous and inconvenient for many - but a huge help for some. I would also like the total number of comments back on the "manage" page for each mod. I absolutely respect how much work you put into this and your reasons for doing it, but I'm afraid you've taken away one of the best reasons for a modder to want to upload here - how easy it is to see and handle feedback.
I fully agree
Take a look at: http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=157811
It's a poll, but only because I went back to the forum thread's real location to edit it into one. Is there any possibility we could get poll management directly from the comments system in the file entry itself? Along with the ability to respond to/vote in the polls there?
Is there any way to have the new system mark a topic as being from the file DB and have it *NOT* show up in the regular forum area?
Tried it out, and only see e-mail options, no Tracking page. However, I can go to Topics under the forum profile and that looks like it will work.
Anyway, just wanted to say I think this setup is great and wish it had been implemented years ago. Bethesda's boards have become the standard, even though they're fairly annoying. The upload ability is nice, the polling, especially multiple polls per mod (and no vote reset when editing OP), is great, no 200 limit so no need to change, no need to link to another site, yeah - this is nice.
Now if I can convince people to switch
Question, though - if a user creates a topic, can the uploader change the name of the topic? I'm mainly thinking of bug topics - when it's fixed I'd like to add Fixed vXXX to the title.
Again, many thanks, and I expect this to really change the way things are done (again).
You're right, it updates with the last time/date of the last comment. I'm going to explore a system similar to the forums whereby topics/files with new comments since your last visit will be flagged by a special icon or something. I've never dabbled much in to the world of sessions and such so it may very well be fruitless, but I'll try
As for checking on new comments via your file management page, am I seriously the only person who does that by checking the dates rather than the number of comments? Assuming the timestamp under the mod's name is going to update itself by the date of the last comment, there shouldn't be an issue, right?
I also note that this is now showing up on the management screen for mods you didn't upload but have edit access to, and that's definitely a welcome update.