# See who all are writing replies to a topic
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/see-who-all-are-writing-replies-to-a-topic/38884
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [2 februari 2016 om 11:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/see-who-all-are-writing-replies-to-a-topic/38884 "2016-02-02T11:00:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 33
### Author:  [@purldator](https://meta.discourse.org/u/purldator)
#### Post date: [4 februari 2016 om 20:49 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/see-who-all-are-writing-replies-to-a-topic/38884/33 "2016-02-04T20:49:00Z")
I went all out on my thoughts in that Presence Feature topic. What I said in there, I stick to today and forever.
To where the very feature suggested in this thread is to be part of a plugin I am determined to make as a “first project” in learning the languages in Discourse’s stack.
I do a _lot_ of “chatting”. Rather, I use “chat rooms” for intense writing sessions with others (aye, Roleplay).
Also, for _actual_ discourse. I may not look like it in some ways, but I am heavily into philosophy, esoteric topics, spirituality, religion, mental illness issues in society, stigma; the heavy stuff.
Knowing when someone is typing allows me to _shut up_ and _wait_. But, aye, I _look_ like the type to turn something “dry” and “pedantic” into a textual high-contact _sport_.
Someone like me needs “the flag” so I slow my intense drive. I do not want to overwhelm those brave enough to take me on in _discoursin’_. `*grunt*`
I **Hate** chat rooms. Hate them. Reduced to some basic text field, no buttons for markdown akin to a well-loved word processor, no safety saves on my current writing 'cause I already congested that dinky text field with 500+ words in ~10 minutes. To lose that? Happened before; made me go into a panic attack and require Ativan. Then, no preview of my markdown and no ability to go back and edit my writing once I do enter it. No wiki features; that would elevate my writing so others can contribute. I am getting the heart-racing now just _thinking_ about it; the possibilities.
But I feel _cramped_ with “chat”. **Monster Guy** ; tiny writing space.
**Discourse** (with nominal capital D even though it start th’ sentence here) is a dream for someone like me, a discourser (a _philodator_). Truly, the _name_ of this web app was a snare; reeled me in and I consented to the seducing gravitational pull.
And why I am here today, help out as I am able, despite a lot of problems in my life preventing me from truly digging into this gift and helping out even more with that hands-on, intimate experience under my cranium.
Biggest problem is this lack of presence feature; especially the one detailed here. And why my mind stops me from installing Discourse locally and get to _work_.
Without something like that, I truly feel I am going in blind. I used that same word from [the previous topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/presence-features-for-forums/12/70).
Chat is too quick in nature. I get the sensation of needing to hitting enter with every few bits of writing I make. **Hate** _that_. Makes it look messy too. Not like the neat presentation Discourse provides so well. And from this behavior, when someone sees a discrepancy in my cognitive process and the logic chains from it, they want to type. They see “Tarak’ha is typing.” and they suddenly stop.
The mere _celestial epoch_ I see the flicker of letters near the place my mind expects “`` is typing.” --I stop. They _see_ that. They _know_ what I did. But, I further it with my own “flag”.
(Two separate teams. Second one scrolls down to five more of the Xerox-copy same.)
(That is [Mattermost](http://www.mattermost.org/); great open source Slack alternative. But not great for what I do.)
Not spamming you all with `*listens*` here. Maybe with my verbosity but not chat lines.
But, here on Meta, I do have the frustration of typing ~100 words and then suddenly a reply pops up, with a form of the answer, or another question I now feel the need to address, and change some of what I have down already, go on a new path.
> [@Mittineague](#):
>
> I admit it might be a bit annoying to get “ninja’d” or “sniped” especially if a lot of time was spent researching and typing out a well thought out comprehensive reply.
_Aye._`*exhale*`
I say all this as I do not want anyone to think my original intent was to turn Discourse into a chat room. Makes me think of the noise I personally associate with social networks. Oh, [you know my ire for them](https://meta.discourse.org/t/give-discourse-social-media-look/23711/7).
Said my bit, again, as in the Presence Feature topic. I know I am only one person, with a unique reason. I see all these reasons to _not_ have this feature be like high school drama, or at least it sounds that way. Not to devalue the _concern_ those whom be against this feature. Hell no; you love Discourse as much as me to be here and stand with your words. I respect that. Thank you for caring and being overwhelmingly passionate like I am: a _serious_ psycho-psychologin’ community manager, and someone writing to be heard, to find peers and make a difference.
Thank you for your `*listens*`
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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/see-who-all-are-writing-replies-to-a-topic/38884)._