NewsTalker's Comment Structure
A few new members (especially ex-viners accustomed to NV's structure) have questions regarding the structure of comments in NewsTalkers. The questions are fair, so here is a description of what is going on under the covers (and, importantly, why).
Threaded Comments
NewsTalkers is built on a sophisticated (and powerful) web platform. Beyond the mechanics required to be a website, the platform provides quite a bit of user-facing functionality. One piece of functionality is what is known as a 'threaded comment' structure. Threaded structures are critical for sites that engage in serious discussion and debate. The diagram below depicts, by example, the threaded comment structure currently implemented in NT.
Basically this is a simple hierarchy of comments. The hierarchy is formed by the REPLY. That is, if you REPLY to a comment, your new comment becomes a 'child' comment. Per the above graphic, if you are the first to REPLY to comment number 3, your comment will be 3.1. The next REPLY to 3 is 3.2, and so on.
The reason why a discussion forum such as NT seeks threaded comments is because threading places the REPLY comments physically near the comment they are replying to (the source comment). This makes it much easier for readers (and those engaged in the discussion) to follow the discussion thread. Your 3.1 comment could have been created days after other comments, but the system will insert your 3.1 comment immediately after comment 3. This is desirable ... to a point. This nesting of comments -if taken too far- will become confusing.
Phase 1 of 2
NT's threaded comment design consists of two phases. Phase 1 (already implemented) limits the hierarchy to 4 levels and exposes the hierarchy to the user by giving comments hierarchic numbers. Thus when NT labels a comment 3.2.3 the user knows that this is a REPLY to comment 3.2 and that comment 3.2 is a REPLY to comment 3. This (and other features) arrived in phase 1.
Phase 2 is much more complicated. In this phase NT will provide a hybrid structure. The hierarchic numbers will, at a certain level, switch to consecutive numbers. So what appears as a hierarchic ID followed by ellipses (the ... ) today will have this structure under phase 2:
The level 4 (and beyond) comments (green) will be sequentially numbered. So the next REPLY to comment 3.2.3 (in the above example) or to any comment whose ID starts with 3.2.3 will be 3.2.3.7. ( Note that Phase 1 provided a convenient back reference from a REPLY to its source comment and that will remain no matter how deep things get. ) From a user perspective the ellipses (the ... ) will be replaced with consecutive numbers. That will be the only difference visually and functionally. Unfortunately the technical measures required to effect that simple change in appearance are substantial (odd as that seems) so this was deferred to phase 2.
Summary
The current comment structure of NT is phase 1 of a 2 phase implementation. The remaining piece (a big one) is to move from a simple hierarchy to a hybrid hierarchy. This will deliver the full design - a threaded comment structure that places REPLYs close to their source comment. But when the nesting moves from being an advantage to a hindrance, the system will address that by numbering all subsequent comments consecutively.
This blog is open for discussion.
If you want to know how this works under the covers, this is your opportunity.
I'm learning the structure, but I would like the ellipses to be replaced by numbers. Sometimes I can't tell who is replying to who, but I do use my private notes to see if I have replies to my comments
That information is recorded at the top of each comment. For comments with a single number (e.g. 1, 2, 3, ...) those are not replies but the beginning of major threads. But for comments like yours (and mine) which are actual replies, you will always see the source comment and will have a hyperlink to go to it.
Me too!
Wish it were that easy. That is what phase 2 is all about so we will get there.
Nice work TiG. Thanks for the information.
I've been banging around here since Dec of 2012, and since Perrie started to implement this numbering system I've found it to be amazing. It does help us keep track of who we're responding to, and if we want to go back to the comment we're replying to an re-read it, the link to do that is right there above the reply comment box.
Glad this is working for you Jerry. Perrie's strategy is to evolve NT by layering in practical features found in similar sites (and maybe a few NT innovations here and there). Although reality prevents snapping a finger and having all ideas instantly available, NT has a very promising future.
tHANKS FOR BOTH THE INFORMATIVE POST AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE SITE.
Now I need to just get my fingers to cooperate and stop hitting the caps button instead of shift.
LOL, Pete. Suffering from fat finger syndrome.
Thank you for this article, TiG. It's a very helpful resource. Will you be adding this to NT's "Help" section so current and future users can read it?
Perrie plans to do just that.
I prefer circular comments.