Is anybody experiencing user issues with the select-to-quote interface on discourse?
Is there more of a learning curve compared to the quote-reply buttons on more traditional forums?
AI-generated summary
The discussion revolves around usability issues with the select-to-quote interface on Discourse. looksintolasers started the conversation, wondering if others experience user issues with the feature, suggesting a possible learning curve. nathank replied, stating the feature works fine for them and is an improvement over traditional forums.
Others chimed in, sharing tips and solutions. Moin mentioned the âquote whole postâ button, while JammyDodger provided a setting to check for the floating âQuoteâ option. looksintolasers appreciated the feedback, but expressed concern that users might not discover the feature unless they try highlighting text.
Canapin suggested publishing a topic to remind users about the feature, using a clear title and screenshot. Jagster echoed this idea, sharing their experience with conservative users who need to be reminded about the featureâs existence.
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It is working just fine for me - just highlight the text you want to quote and watch the magic. To my thought this is much better than any other forum software Iâve used!
Although I do note that here on meta.discourse.org they are trialling a fancy new âsend quotes by Twitter or emailâ thing:
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If the floating âQuoteâ option isnât appearing, thereâs a setting you could check on your Preferences/Interface page:
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Thanks for the replies. I like this feature a lot, itâs logical and discourages quote bloat.
My only real concern is that users might not actually discover it unless they try to highlight text.
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People donât read manuals and walls of texts, and even sometimes even a single paragraph of explanations.
What I do on one of my forums is sometimes publish a topic that consists of a simple reminder that a feature exists and invite people to use it. I tend to make it the shortest and clearest as possible.
Examples:
I think the most important is the topicâs title because most people wonât even read the topic.
So you could try something like that, with a topicâs title kind of like
Reminder: you can quote someone simply by selecting a part of their message and click on the âquoteâ pop-up.
And paste a screenshot of the feature in the postâs content.
(Iâm not a native English speaker, so the title could certainly be improved).
Also, I sometimes add an emoji in the title (at the beginning or the end) to draw attention. In your case, maybe a 
or a 
?
Anyway, it might be worth a tryâŚ
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Precisly (did I spell it right, it looks funnyâŚ). My users are really conservative â read: used to use only FB and Instagram â and I have to give that tip once a month. When they realize that option they almost love it because it is so easy (and logical).
But it is something that an average new user canât find easily, because â as said â they donât read docs.
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