Railfan Technology > Should TO drop the "quote" function?

(Also fascinating that there's no General Interest board to which this question can be posted.)

Misuse of the quote function causes many discussion threads to extend longer than necessary. Some users may simply choose "quote" instead of "reply" while others may not know how to copy and paste. It's rare that the function is used effectively or necessarily. But instances of wasted digital real estate are common.
What favorable purpose does the function serve for those who'd vote to retain the option? Or is it time to make a minor nip and tuck to the site's mechanicals?

Make sure to quote the whole text when replying. (Kidding.)

~ BZ

I’d like to keep it, but a like button would be good.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

The Latin phrase "Abusus non tollit usum" comes to mind -- the abuse of something does not (or should not) take away its use. I concur that the quote function is not used properly, but it is useful to provide context and clarity in a discussion.

I think the abuse of quoting has increased in recent years here on TO and on many other forums I read. My theory is that it is likely due to the increased use of mobile devices to view and post in forums. Many forums and social media platforms provide their own viewing/posting apps (some are proprietary and some "universal", such as TapaTalk), and they often have inconsistent interfaces from one to the other, which means you have to learn how to edit posts different ways for each app, which most people won't take the time to do. If you use a mobile browser like we do on TO it's, frankly, a PITA to snip long quotes, especially if you are fat-fingered and have sketchy near-vision like me.

I've tried to do it a few times and found it to be extremely inefficient compared to performing the same function on a computer. I can see how people don't have the patience to edit quotes if they are mobile. Personally, I just wait until I'm in front of my computer now if I have to snip a long quote. But some people may not even have that option if their only device is a phone or tablet.

I have never seen an elegant solution to this so I don't know what to suggest but I do believe our mobile lifestyle is contributing to the problem.

Despite it sometime being abused/mis-used/over-used sometimes I think it has a strong benefit overall.

I too find it strange that the forum has no 'general' or 'off-topic' thread...

We have a quote function on my work forum that is simple in appearance but I'm sure is a technical problem for the Webmaster. We highlight the word or words that we wish to "Quote".
Her is an Example: Assume you highlighted (like a fireball)

Milepost 180
The train was on fire and exploded like a fireball. The train then flew away with pink pigs!

Here is what happens:

(Milepost 180 said "like a fireballl")



It does not include the wording that was not highlighted.

It's not so much the waste of digital real estate but finding where the new material starts. The old material has the arrow-like symbol, maybe it needs greying or something like that.

There's that balance between the user/customer being able to use a smaller device and the other user/customer being able to comprehend the message. Often that first impression is that the limited editing capability of the smaller devices suggests some other limitation in the message. It's the reader's interest in the message that prevail's or looses interest and finds a more comprehensible topic to read. Sort of like in the pre-spell check days.

Other frustrations, using a single page-long paragraph; inserting multiple short comments into a quoted diatribe; obscure titles only a link, no description or quote from the linked article;



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/18 09:19 by TCnR.

Please keep the "Quote" function. But, then, all I ever use is this desktop. Don't even own a mobile device. (I know -- I'm a dinosaur! < G > )

Would TO be able to add software that would allow us users to choose where their replies are put when Quoting -- above or below the message quoted? There should be just a simple box we could check, with the instruction being "Put my reply below what is quoted". The default should be all replies to Quoted text are put above the quoted text. Comments, anyone?

I find the quote function to be very useful but people need to learn to weed out (edit) lines that are unnecessary. It is best used to emphasize that one is replying only to a portion of a paragraph or narrative.

Whenever I have used the quote function, I always edit out most of the quote. Sometimes, especially on a long thread, there are several ideas or subjects talked about. I use the quote to bring attention to the sentence or two that I am responding to. I agree that it is often misused and abused but it does have a legitimate function when used right.

A "General Railroading" section would also be handy. A lot of subjects are not region related. There are quite a few threads that get cross posted to East, West, and Passenger and/or Canadian groups. A question about how air brakes work,for example, isn't specific to any part of the country, or continent.

John

For a while, there was a function which allowed you to italicize, change font, make letters more or less bold, and change the size of the text. Then it disappeared. (Except for TO user “SantaFe199”.) Any idea why it went away?

Desmond Praetzel, “4451 Puff”

P.S., The quote function is handy, despite how it can be “abused” , especially when a UP Steam related subject comes up. That said I hope it doesn’t go away.

No Quote button. Takes too much space and time to wade through.

But a way to add words to Spell check.

Been really enjoying reading through the replies -- cheers to all who've weighed in.

Hard to judge, but my guess is that serial quote abuse is more an issue with desktop users who may not be digital virtuosi. It's just a guess, based on a random sample. But I can't imagine anybody using the quote feature on mobile.

I tend to do what folks have suggested: edit. If I use the quote button, I then go back and weed. But if I really just want to include a pull-quote or a bit of text, I just highlight and copy, paste into the new message, and then decide if attribution to the OP is germane. (Sometimes if I'm really taking issue but don't want it to get personal, I will leave out the OP's ID to keep my discussion to the topic raised, not start a mano-a-mano dialogue. That's a style thing with me. Others don't shrink from a duel, and I guess that's entertaining for some, or inspirational? Inflammatory in a provocative and useful way?)

The sidebar question was the lack of a General Topics or Off-Topic board. I know Todd deliberated long and hard before adding European Railroads, and polled us before he did. Same with Railroader's Nostalgia. It's a big move to add a board, I suppose. But I think General Railroading would allow more people to see more topics, and eliminate the last fence separating topics of general interest.

Although I imagine that a General board could bring its own bit of disarray. :-)

Time to pin some General Guidelines to the top of the page? As in "Use quotes sparingly, take advantage of Spell Check (including subject lines), and be respectful." Whoops. I just flashed my self-appointed TO police badge. (It's genuine styrene with a vacuum-plated coating!)

~ BZ



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/18 22:35 by Notch16.

4451Puff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
For a while, there was a function which allowed you to italicize, change font, make letters more or less bold, and change the size of the text. Then it disappeared. (Except for TO user “SantaFe199”.) Any idea why it went away?


One thing that I have been doing as a work-around in my post is using forum bb code.

Bold = [ b ]Bold[ /b ] (Remove the extra space within the brackets and place the words that you want bold where it says "Bold" between the set of brackets. Example: Example = [ b ]Example [ /b ] without the extra spaces before and after the "b" and "/b".
Italics = [ i ]Italics[ /i ] Same as bold, just with the bb code with an "i".
Underline = [ u ]Underline[ /u ] Same as bold, just with the bb code with an "u".

This is due to the change to SSL, Main TO uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer), however the formats of when posting has code that is not SSL and ALL Browsers that have been updated block non-SSL content unless the end user allows non-SSL content.

Hope this helps.
 

SouthWest RailCams
CA, NM, CO, TX, AZ
https://SouthWestRailCams.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/18 22:39 by RailFanAZ.

Thanks for posting this!

~ BZ

I like the quote option, and use it to reply to a specific post, but it would be nice if people would edit out the unnecessary part(s) of what they're quoting to minimize the quotation.

4451Puff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For a while, there was a function which allowed
> you to italicize, change font, make letters more
> or less bold, and change the size of the text.
> Then it disappeared. (Except for TO user
> “SantaFe199”.) Any idea why it went away?

It did not go away. See attached screen shot.

---

It never went "away" as I posted in a post above this one.  It is still there, just most browsers will block it by default cause it is not part of the SSL that was installed on TO.  If you have your browser to allow "Mixed Content" for Non-Secure Content and Secure Content then it will show up.  However it depends how your browser is configured.  This topic has been brought up numerous times on this site.  :) 

SouthWest RailCams
CA, NM, CO, TX, AZ
https://SouthWestRailCams.com

Rathole Wrote: > ... but people need to learn to weed out (edit) lines that are unnecessary ...
wa4umr Wrote: > ...  I use the quote to bring attention to the sentence or two that I am responding to ...

BINGO! In my opinion both of you guys are right on the money!!! From my standpoint, whenever I use the quote function to cite someone I always try to make it as easy as possible for readers to follow my (er) "train" of thought. I regularly weed out everything except the bare essentials of what I'm responding to. I feel like it's a show of respect for my fellow TO members. When a lively conversation is ongoing nothing is more frustrating than having to sift through a bazillion lines of multiple quotes/citations such as (for example): 

>>>>>> he Wrote: blah blah blah
>>>>> he Wrote: blah blah blah
>>>> he Wrote: blah blah blah
>>> he Wrote: blah blah blah
>> he Wrote: blah blah blah
> he Wrote: blah blah blah
(and on & on & on & on & on & on, ad nauseam)

...just to find a 6 word reply. That kind of laziness is borderline rude. I simply do not accept that these people don't know how to highlight & delete the bulk majority of the text they are not responding to. And I have no doubt that many of the members who do this have their replies routinely passed over or just plain ignored.

And worse: There are a few individuals on TO who will quote/cite text that is often quite long, THEN they add a reply that has absolutely NOTHING to do with what was quoted. Either way these people I have learned to completely ignore. If they want to make it as difficult as possible for us to decipher what they have to say, then what they have to say just isn't worth reading...

Lance

added: I also routinely edit my quote/citations when responding from my cell phone. If THIS digital dinosaur can do it, then ANYONE can do it...
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/18 21:45 by santafe199.

santafe199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> added: I also routinely edit my quote/citations
> when responding from my cell phone. If THIS
> digital dinosaur can do it, then ANYONE can do
> it...

Your entertaining posts from the Midwest (especially Kansas) proves that you care about how you talk to others. So whatever tools are given to you (including your cell phone), you'll squeeze out whatever features available to make sure you are communicating with your audience.

That's instead of people merely hearing themselves talk.

Technology is bringing out the worst in people and the misuse of the quote feature is another evidence of that problem. Kinda sad, especially when not too long ago, we were writing on paper to communicate. One would think that when the tools improve, people'd become better at communicating, but the opposite has happened.