Please tell us what features you’d like in news.ycombinator (2007)(news.ycombinator.com)
news.ycombinator.com
Please tell us what features you’d like in news.ycombinator (2007)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=363
32 comments
+1 for DM. I'd happily take things "offline" with people here without compromising reasonable anonymity or setting up "burner" emails.
Also an unreserved +1 to more formatting options. I'd just suggest a (reasonable subset of) markdown.
Also an unreserved +1 to more formatting options. I'd just suggest a (reasonable subset of) markdown.
- Strong
- Emphasize
- List
- Code
- QuoteMove the flag link to only be on the comments page and add a “flagged” view - I constantly hit “flag” or “hide” by accident on mobile :(
I don't think it's linked anywhere, but the "flagged" view already exists at https://news.ycombinator.com/flagged?id=pantojax45
I am suddenly horrified at how many posts I've somehow accidentally flagged without realizing it, presumably on mobile.
The front page ideally would only have links to upvote, read the story, and read the comments for each story, at least on mobile. Having big targets for sausage fingers on small touch screens would be even better.
It's too easy to tap the wrong link and end up flagging, hiding, or searching for stories from that domain, as you point out.
It's too easy to tap the wrong link and end up flagging, hiding, or searching for stories from that domain, as you point out.
Yeah honestly a mobile experience in general could be more easily navigated.
Trying to click comments into a new tab or something is a struggle without zooming massively.
Trying to click comments into a new tab or something is a struggle without zooming massively.
My first accidental flag (on mobile) tonight. Felt really bad about it!
I'd like to know when there's a new reply to a comment I made in an article, without having to click my username, then comments. So basically a notifications icon/link at the top right.
If anyone here is a telegram user, here's a Hacker News alerts bot I'm developing for such kind of notifications: https://github.com/lawxls/HackerNews-Alerts-Bot (reply alerts is still in To Do stage)
Throwing in my vote as a DO NOT WANT. No notifications. Don't add them please.
There are many 3rd-party email notification services out there. I use https://hnreplies.com
I don't want to rely on a 3rd party service, and I think the change would make HN better.
I'd also like to be able to follow users that I think are interesting, to be able to see their posts/comments. But that would be a much bigger change, and is closer to a Twitter-style design. I wouldn't want this to be the default view, but it would be really interesting as a link on the top left.
I'd also like to be able to follow users that I think are interesting, to be able to see their posts/comments. But that would be a much bigger change, and is closer to a Twitter-style design. I wouldn't want this to be the default view, but it would be really interesting as a link on the top left.
I think this is a bad idea as it would encourage long, more conversational threads. HN just isn't the platform for that.
- Better documentation, on relevant pages (e.g. list formatting help link on this page and not only the editing page; list the meaning of all fields in the user page on that page; etc).
- Chronological display mode (which ignores all voting and karma numbers).
- NNTP.
- Search function without JavaScripts.
- Make votes up/down labeled, similar like Slashdot does indicating "informative", "interesting", "funny", etc. Possibly get rid of unlabeled votes, since they are problematic.
- When doing flag, allow to specify what it is a duplicate of (if any). (I currently don't use "flag" at all, but might occasionally do so if it had this function.)
- Support URI schemes other than "http" and "https" (e.g. "telnet"), but not "file".
- Perhaps increase limit of titles a bit.
- Don't automatically change titles and then complain that they are too long even though the original title was not too long.
- Display comment form on all pages, not only the first one.
- "Dead conversation mode" that does not restrict replying to anything (regardless of age and flagged/dead); such messages are automatically hidden to anyone who is not using such mode. (Perhaps restrict this to NNTP, and disallow such a thing in the web interface. Furthermore, even then such comments should be blocked when they are flooding too much (in order to avoid denial of service, wasting disk space, etc).)
- Chronological display mode (which ignores all voting and karma numbers).
- NNTP.
- Search function without JavaScripts.
- Make votes up/down labeled, similar like Slashdot does indicating "informative", "interesting", "funny", etc. Possibly get rid of unlabeled votes, since they are problematic.
- When doing flag, allow to specify what it is a duplicate of (if any). (I currently don't use "flag" at all, but might occasionally do so if it had this function.)
- Support URI schemes other than "http" and "https" (e.g. "telnet"), but not "file".
- Perhaps increase limit of titles a bit.
- Don't automatically change titles and then complain that they are too long even though the original title was not too long.
- Display comment form on all pages, not only the first one.
- "Dead conversation mode" that does not restrict replying to anything (regardless of age and flagged/dead); such messages are automatically hidden to anyone who is not using such mode. (Perhaps restrict this to NNTP, and disallow such a thing in the web interface. Furthermore, even then such comments should be blocked when they are flooding too much (in order to avoid denial of service, wasting disk space, etc).)
Dark mode.
Full markdown, ``` for code blocks.
Full markdown, ``` for code blocks.
Seconded.
Zulip supports:
Zulip supports:
```quote
quoted text
etc
the end
```
> *Quoted text"
> *etc*
> *the end*
> *Quoted text..
> etc..
> the end*1. Remove Downvote button for everyone, people should be positive, if they like something they should upvote instead downvoting opinions they disagree with.
2. Allow Flag only with provided reason/user name visible to everyone to stop abuse of this feature.
3. Stop changing color of any comment or collapsing them based on some score.
4. Allow sorting comments at least by time and score.
5. Stop removing words like These, How and others from title, they completely change context.
TLDR make it more transparent and more difficult to bots/brigading
I don't really read the website through official page (serializer.io is great), so I don't really care about design, I see it only when reading comments
2. Allow Flag only with provided reason/user name visible to everyone to stop abuse of this feature.
3. Stop changing color of any comment or collapsing them based on some score.
4. Allow sorting comments at least by time and score.
5. Stop removing words like These, How and others from title, they completely change context.
TLDR make it more transparent and more difficult to bots/brigading
I don't really read the website through official page (serializer.io is great), so I don't really care about design, I see it only when reading comments
I'd like to see job postings required to list compensation bands in accordance with the local laws of various states.
Forms, w/ semi-automation for Monthly freelancing/for-hire posts.
Example: a more structured form to fill out pertinent bits for a job, or for a forhire/hiring freelancer post, for workers/freelancers you could maybe even fill out a section in your profile, then it'll randomly auto-submit everybody who has that filled out.
Also a thread search/filter would be nice, say I type in 'laravel' or 'remote', it'll filter all threads w/ those in it including on other pages. Honestly, there's a ton that could be done to make connecting people/jobs/contracts better.
Example: a more structured form to fill out pertinent bits for a job, or for a forhire/hiring freelancer post, for workers/freelancers you could maybe even fill out a section in your profile, then it'll randomly auto-submit everybody who has that filled out.
Also a thread search/filter would be nice, say I type in 'laravel' or 'remote', it'll filter all threads w/ those in it including on other pages. Honestly, there's a ton that could be done to make connecting people/jobs/contracts better.
Note: this is a link to a question from pg in 2007, not solicitation from current mods.
But I'd like a link to the archive.is version of a page, if available. To bypass paywalls and for sites that have been hugged to death.
But I'd like a link to the archive.is version of a page, if available. To bypass paywalls and for sites that have been hugged to death.
(2007)
Remove "written in Foo language" ending from the titles.
They are upvoted by the hyped fans of the language regardless of the value of the link content.
They are upvoted by the hyped fans of the language regardless of the value of the link content.
The ability to know if someone responded to a comment not on the first page of my comments. Maybe sort comments by last response date.
I have felt something like that would be advantageous for the member's thread page - but I would be simply happy with the number of comments in brackets after the thread tittle ... it would be at least of all be useful for those when their reply was amongst the first handful of replies to the subject or those who have a good memory of how many comments was there the last time they visited.
I know this is from ‘07, but I wish that in the browser on mobile the karma point location and logout button location were swapped. I always accidentally hit the logout button when I mean to hit my username, super annoying.
Also wish for notifications of comment replies but I understand that maybe this isn’t done for minimalism purposes.
Also wish for notifications of comment replies but I understand that maybe this isn’t done for minimalism purposes.
> Also wish for notifications of comment replies but I understand that maybe this isn’t done for minimalism purposes.
You might be aware of it, but in case others are not there's the unofficial https://www.hnreplies.com which does exactly that for many years already. Works great!
You might be aware of it, but in case others are not there's the unofficial https://www.hnreplies.com which does exactly that for many years already. Works great!
Another reason I've seen given is that notifications for replies can lead to long back and forth flamewars between users.
Recent (non-2007) version of this thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34989529
None. All the niggles and lousiness here serve well to keep a critical mass of people away who will be the eventual ruin of this place. It's an unignorable trade-off.
More time to delete my own dumb knee-jerk reaction comments.
At least a tag for programming-related topics. I am very rarely interested in non-CS topics here, as the quality of discussion is much lower, in my opinion.
+ Counters right justified from "More" at the bottom to flex the hardware.
+ B-side perspective to navigate by kind of like Apple's Time Machine backup U.I.
+ B-side perspective to navigate by kind of like Apple's Time Machine backup U.I.
Actual blockquote syntax for replying to other comments
What's wrong with >?
Because it's a folkloric tradition instead of a proper feature documented under comment syntax, not everyone knows about it. So half the people use code blocks instead which break on mobile, or double quotes, or use italics, or don't do it at all.
Blockquote exists in HTML, why not have syntax for it on HN? Its a 2 line change to the comment processing code + 16 bytes of CSS for arguably one of the most important tools in civilized written discussion forums.
Edit: quick example off a frontpage article I randomly clicked (open in mobile to see what I mean) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35015639
Another: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35012745
It would actually seem the code block line wrapping was "fixed" on mobile which means now code blocks line wrap (I don't think they should) so quotes don't look bad anymore if you use code blocks, but code does :shrug:
Edit 2: Yep https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29835072
Blockquote exists in HTML, why not have syntax for it on HN? Its a 2 line change to the comment processing code + 16 bytes of CSS for arguably one of the most important tools in civilized written discussion forums.
Edit: quick example off a frontpage article I randomly clicked (open in mobile to see what I mean) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35015639
Another: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35012745
It would actually seem the code block line wrapping was "fixed" on mobile which means now code blocks line wrap (I don't think they should) so quotes don't look bad anymore if you use code blocks, but code does :shrug:
Edit 2: Yep https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29835072
It exists, prefix two spaces like so:
This is a quoteBut it doesn't! Your comment kinda proves my point :) See my other reply to another commenter which proposed the (more widespread in practice) use of > signs.
> Text after a blank line that is indented by two or more spaces is reproduced verbatim. (This is intended for code.) https://news.ycombinator.com/formatdoc
> Text after a blank line that is indented by two or more spaces is reproduced verbatim. (This is intended for code.) https://news.ycombinator.com/formatdoc
It appears to blockquote to me?
Summaries from articles using AI
[deleted]
Larger fonts and flowing lines.
Back before I had eye surgery HN was a massive pain - it totally breaks under an increased magnification level.
Magnification works fine for me. Just hit ctrl and +.
It's fine on desktop (up until 500%, but that's excessive), on mobile the "magnify" is just a "zoom" (past 125%).
The difference being in "magnify" the text will be larger but the "page" stays the same width, so text wraps at the screen boundaries and you don't need to pan back and forth with your finger. Whereas when "zooming", the page's virtual width increases with the zoom level, so you need to constantly be panning while reading, which is an awful experience.
The difference being in "magnify" the text will be larger but the "page" stays the same width, so text wraps at the screen boundaries and you don't need to pan back and forth with your finger. Whereas when "zooming", the page's virtual width increases with the zoom level, so you need to constantly be panning while reading, which is an awful experience.
How do I do this on Android?
Zoom in with 2 fingers?
see sibling for difference between what I call "magnify" vs "zoom".
- option to provide and limit search to one's own favorites / comments
More space between the up and down arrows for us phone users.
Markdown (just the bits that makes this better).
Bigger font size for easier phone reading
Various mobile browsers offer a font size button that remembers your preference per-site.
Personal article click history
Include title in URL.
(2007)
block bots
* Fenced code blocks, rather than two-extra-spaces-before-each-line code blocks.
* Allow a to be entered with a link submission, but have it separated to form a summary comment. A summary comment would be like a regular comment (and submitters often submit them separately now), but now such a comment would be labelled explicitly as a submitter summary, and treated differently for placement: unless a summary comment (entered as such with the link) was net-downvoted (probably by more than a few points, or for an extended period of time), it would remained pinned to the top of the thread. If it did reach a sufficient net downvote status by points and/or time, it would either float normally or be demoted to the very bottom. This would preserve the advantage that no text with submissions has of preventing editorialized summaries getting a durably privileged placement, but would also recognize that having more of a summary than a headline does have a value.
ACTIVE DO NOT WANT:
Things that make HN more like "mainstream" social media: Followers, especially visible and promoted to others, Notifications, any kind of algorithmically personalized feed. (On platform DM's might be okay, though)