Optional filtered replies view

feature
#1

We have been testing a new flow for filtering replies here on meta.

This has been in core for a few weeks now, and it can be enabled on any up-to-date Discourse site using the enable filtered replies view site setting. When enabled, clicking the “n Replies” button will collapse all posts that are outside that conversation:

The in-reply-to button also does a similar filtering out of posts to help the reader focus on a specific reply flow.

In the videos above, you can also see a sticky bar at the bottom of the page when a filtered conversation is being shown. (There are four kinds of filters, the two mentioned above, replies and in-reply-tos, plus posts by a specific user and topic summaries.)

Feel free to use the replies below to share feedback on this feature.

6 Likes
#2

Personally, I prefer the old approach. Generally, when I click the n Replies button, it’s to get a quick glance at the replies and then I keep scrolling through the topic. The new workflow makes that take much longer.

2 Likes
#3

Right, this is an alternative for people that want a more “threaded” view of the world on their Discourse. It also leverages existing functionality when you filter a topic by user, that is:

  1. enter a long topic
  2. click or tap avatar of a user who posted a few times
  3. press the filter button
1 Like
#4

It reminds me a bit of how Reddit works, where drilling into a top-level reply opens that reply and all its sub-replies in a new view. Just more streamlined I guess. In that sense I think the features achieves what it sets out to achieve. I just personally wouldn’t want it enabled on Discourse instances I use regularly.

1 Like