This is the topic where a weekly summary of meta’s activity is put together by our resident AI, trusty 'ol Bert, and posted here so everyone can get an overview of some of the top discussions over the past 7 days.
It’s set to fire every week at Sunday 21:00
If you’d like to get a ping whenever a new one is posted just set this topic to Watching (and if you change your mind, change it back ).
Much like the daily summary, feedback is certainly most welcome. We’ll be tweaking and refining the idea as we go, so all input is encouraged. We do have a separate topic for that to keep this one just for summaries, but you can find that here - Weekly Summary Feedback
Enjoy!
Small caveat… AI (even GPT-4) does hallucinate, it is unavoidable. Don’t treat everything it says as truth, as there will likely be some lies mixed in. We’ll try to manually correct any if we spot them, but still… keep an eye out.
Share your feedback about updated notification menu!:lindsey introduced a redesigned notifications menu, inviting feedback on its new avatar display feature. The community shared mixed reactions, with some appreciating the visual context and others finding it distracting.
New sidebar experiment (Sidebar Feng Shui):chapoi announced a sidebar design experiment aimed at creating a more spacious layout. Feedback varied, with some users appreciating the cleaner look and others concerned about screen space on smaller devices.
Click To Edit:pipkin introduced a plugin that allows users to click in the composer to select corresponding lines in the preview pane, enhancing the editing experience.
Allow private categories to onebox:nathank proposed enabling Onebox for private categories to facilitate internal content showcases, prompting a discussion on privacy and functionality.
Can Discourse collapse comments?:HAWK and Lilly discussed the possibility of implementing a commenting system for posts, suggesting the Journal plugin as a potential solution.
Problem tracking nested structure:david provided a solution for tracking issues in Ember’s reactivity system, offering guidance on using .get() for non-@tracked properties.
pipkin discussed the Click To Edit plugin, exploring the potential to convert it into a theme component. sam and david provided insights on the feasibility of this transition.
A discussion on why Discourse isn’t more frequently recommended as a community platform highlighted the subtlety of certain features, with suggestions for improving user experience.
Upcoming Event! Level up your community manager mindset:Danielle announced a new webinar scheduled for August 29, focusing on strategies to enhance community management skills.
New homes for official and community documentation:hugh shared updates on the documentation setup, emphasizing clarity and collaboration.
Support
Why do I see this in upper left of the screen instead of the nice login splash screen?:Lilly and HAWK helped troubleshoot a login screen issue that appeared to be caused by custom CSS.
Is it possible to increase the size of a group flair?:Lilly provided a solution for resizing avatar flairs using CSS.
What is discourse-livestream used for?:HAWK and Falco clarified the purpose of the Discourse livestream plugin, noting its experimental status.
Replace “+ New Topic” with “+ Create Event” option:putty and nathank discussed using a theme component to customize the “New Topic” button for event creation.
Bugs
Captioning goes nuts:RGJ and Lilly reported a bug with the captioning engine, which was later fixed by Roman_Rizzi.
Android context menu covers up the composer AI helper:keegan and Falco worked on resolving a mobile issue affecting the AI helper.
Uploading of video file fails due to JS error:supermathie and blake addressed a JavaScript error that was preventing video uploads.
Community
Feng Shui (Simplifying the UI for new users):awesomerobot and Jagster discussed the complexity of Discourse’s UI for new users and potential simplifications.
Best Practices for Effective Onboarding in Discourse Forums:HAWK shared insights and resources on onboarding strategies for new forum members.
Development
Discourse Central Theme — Meta Pre-Release Out Now!:awesomerobot announced the availability of the Central theme for testing on Meta.
Is “i” or “L” used for the template keyboard shortcut:Moin and lindsey clarified the keyboard shortcut for inserting templates, ensuring consistency across languages.
How to show topic-map on non-commented posts?:sam and awesomerobot debated the visibility of topic maps on posts without replies.
Celebrating a Decade of Discourse: Saif kicked off a celebration of Discourse’s 10th anniversary, reflecting on the journey since the release of Discourse v1.0. The community shared their experiences and gratitude for the platform’s evolution. Read more.
3.4.0.beta1 Release: The latest beta release introduces the “Hot” topic sorting option, unseen feature indicators, and improvements to polls. Saif provided a detailed overview of these new features. Read more.
New Documentation Plugin: hugh announced a new documentation plugin aimed at enhancing navigation and accessibility. This plugin is part of ongoing efforts to improve documentation on Discourse. Read more.
Support
Login Troubles from Android: Users reported issues with logging in from Android devices. supermathie and others investigated potential causes, including SSL connection failures and ISP interference. Read more.
Changing Email Addresses Not Working as an Admin: Lilly and Moin discussed challenges faced by admins when changing user email addresses, highlighting potential issues with settings and SSO configurations. Read more.
Auto-Delete Topics in a Category: exlabs inquired about automating the deletion of topics in a private category after 30 days. JammyDodger noted that while this feature isn’t currently automated, there is an open feature request for it. Read more.
Bugs
PostgreSQL Stuck During Rebuilding: pfaffman and tgxworld discussed a bug causing PostgreSQL to get stuck during rebuilding. A workaround involving a specific base image was suggested. Read more.
[object Object] in Pageviews Tooltip: corneliusroemer reported a bug where the pageviews tooltip displayed [object Object]. nat provided a fix for this issue. Read more.
Avatar on Usercard Cut Off: Moin reported and fixed an issue where avatars were cut off on usercards. Read more.
Features
Review with Reason Theme Component: Lhc_fl introduced a theme component that requires moderators to provide a reason for actions during reviews, logging it in a topic. Read more.
Compose Center Theme Component: Don shared a new theme component that centralizes composing options, making it easier to handle content creation. Read more.
Simple Design Tool for Discourse: pearsonified introduced a design tool based on Golden Ratio Typography, aimed at helping users customize their Discourse installs. Read more.
Development
Discourse AI Post Classifier: Saif discussed updates to the AI post classifier, emphasizing the need to update existing prompts to reflect recent changes. Read more.
Discourse Chatbot Enhancements: merefield added new functionalities to the Discourse Chatbot, allowing for additional functions in separate plugins. Read more.
Discourse AI Persona Upload Support: Saif highlighted new features in the AI Persona plugin, including support for uploading text files to enhance persona capabilities. Read more.
Saif celebrated Discourse’s 10th anniversary, reflecting on the platform’s growth and community contributions. Read more.
Lilly participated in discussions about the new /about page redesign, providing feedback and suggestions for improvements. Read more.
JammyDodger engaged in various support topics, offering solutions and guidance on issues like auto-deleting topics and email address changes. Read more.
supermathie investigated login issues from Android devices, providing insights into potential causes and solutions. Read more.
hugh announced the development of a new documentation plugin, inviting feedback from the community to refine its features. Read more.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you again next week!
We’re upgrading our icons to Font Awesome 6! awesomerobot announced the upgrade to Font Awesome 6, which includes new icons and style updates. This change will enhance the visual experience across the Discourse interface.
Better pageview metrics with the new site traffic report hugh introduced a new site traffic report that provides a more comprehensive view of community engagement, offering insights into pageviews from various sources.
Introducing the new Starter Plan!
Discourse announced a new Starter plan for launching communities, offering unlimited members for $20 a month.
Support
What CSS was used for Comments here? Lilly provided a solution for users looking to style embedded comments, enhancing the customization options for Discourse sites.
Invalid Certificate in Free Trial Site kathy.church resolved an issue with certificate errors by identifying a block from the IT department, ensuring smooth access across devices.
Very confused, watching vs tracking a post? awesomerobot clarified the differences between watching and tracking posts, helping users manage their notifications effectively.
Bugs
Layout of Admin > Badges page broken after updating david and ella worked on fixing a layout issue caused by locale settings, ensuring consistent display across different languages.
Missing Icons awesomerobot addressed a bug with missing icons in the Font Awesome Pro plugin, restoring full functionality after updates.
Chrome slow to upload in topic with many images sam and david identified a performance regression in Chrome, working on a fix to improve upload speeds in image-heavy topics.
Features
Rich Text Editor Plugin sam advised delaying a project for a rich text editor plugin, as Discourse is actively working in this area.
Prefilled composer link generator Moin introduced a theme component that generates links to prefilled composers, streamlining content creation.
Tick badge for username? awesomerobot suggested using flairs to achieve a Twitter-like verified badge experience, enhancing user identity features.
Praise
OMG The Discourse AI Helper is pretty great pfaffman shared a success story using the Discourse AI Helper to add watermarks, showcasing the tool’s versatility.
Migrating SFDC community to Discourse HAWK confirmed the possibility of migrating communities from Salesforce to Discourse, offering guidance for a smooth transition.
Development
Fabricators generating duplicate names because of aging local test database david provided a solution for resolving issues with duplicate names in test databases, ensuring reliable test environments.
Write end-to-end system specs for the Discourse user interface
A comprehensive guide was shared on writing system specs for Discourse, aiding developers in creating robust tests.
Current Projects - September 2024:mcwumbly introduced the first edition of the Current Projects newsletter, detailing ongoing projects like the composer redesign and a new theme chooser in the setup wizard. Read more.
We’re upgrading our icons to Font Awesome 6!: mattdm shared updates on the icon upgrade, highlighting the use of the correct Fedora logo. Read more.
Site Feedback
Documentation contribution opportunities:hugh encouraged community involvement in enhancing Discourse documentation, offering badges for contributors. Read more.
Daily Summary Feedback:Lilly humorously noted a bot’s mistake in attributing tasks, sparking a light-hearted discussion. Read more.
Support
Approve unless allowed groups setting:Lilly and others discussed the nuances of trust level settings and their implications on post approvals. Read more.
How do I increase the size of my Reply TextArea?: Lilly and merefield helped troubleshoot issues related to editor size, identifying theme components as potential culprits. Read more.
Error when updating Discourse to the new version:Don provided insights into theme settings affecting the update process. Read more.
Community
Looking for the perfect theme:ondrej and merefield offered suggestions for theme components and plugins to enhance forum aesthetics. Read more.
Information about permission settings:HAWK clarified the use of PMs for private discussions, linking to relevant documentation. Read more.
Theme Component
Banner Featured Links:Arkshine introduced a new theme component for creating customizable link banners. Read more.
Change share icon by OS:Don shared a theme component that adapts share icons based on the operating system. Read more.
UX
Educating about trust level group memberships:Moin initiated a discussion on improving admin understanding of trust level group memberships. Read more.
Whispers indicator, suggestion for improvement:HAWK highlighted a theme component to make whisper posts more distinguishable. Read more.
Bug
When you click on the AI button on the top menu while in the chat section, it does not show the editor:kuaza reported an issue with the AI button in chat, with sam and chapoi discussing potential fixes. Read more.
Certain message cannot be sent in chat:sam and joffreyjaffeux identified a character limit issue affecting chat messages. Read more.
Feature
Give us non TL-3 members back the AI helper:sam adjusted trust level requirements for AI helper access, responding to community feedback. Read more.
Discourse forum for feature requests with upvotes + comments:awesomerobot confirmed the possibility of setting up a feature request forum using the voting plugin. Read more.
My topics not in latest?:Lilly and RGJ discussed a potential bug where muted tags are treated differently than muted categories, leading to topics appearing in the latest feed despite being muted. Moin provided insights into the complex rules governing tracking status read more.
Having more Trust Levels?:merefield clarified the existing trust levels and discussed the possibility of custom levels with Elena, who is considering a user growth model for her community read more.
Discoursehub - won’t connect to accounts: Users reported issues with the DiscourseHub app not connecting to accounts on iOS 18. pmusaraj confirmed a fix was submitted to Apple, and users have since reported successful connections read more.
Cut/paste from Word stopped working: A bug was identified where users could not paste text from Word into Discourse, receiving an error about image types. sam suggested a workaround, and joffreyjaffeux provided further insights read more.
Theme stuck in dark mode: Users experienced issues with themes being stuck in dark mode. Moin provided a solution involving site settings adjustments read more.
Dismissing notifications about theme updates fails: A new dismiss button for theme updates was not functioning as expected. ondrej noted it worked better in previous versions read more.
Feature Discussions
Discourse as a personal-wiki note-taking markdown-editor local app:Ivan_Rapekas shared insights on using Discourse for collaborative note-taking in an office setting, sparking a discussion on draft sharing and content indexing read more.
Http3 support:Falco discussed the challenges of implementing HTTP/3 support in Discourse, citing issues with Nginx and potential alternatives like Caddy read more.
Vary max consecutive replies based on trust level:a_lilian proposed varying the max consecutive replies setting based on user trust levels, which led to a discussion on the flexibility of trust level settings read more.
Possible to create a Sign in with Ghost plugin for Discourse?:stromfeldt explored the feasibility of a plugin for Ghost integration, with pmusaraj suggesting existing tools might suffice read more.
Support and Solutions
Text editor alternative for non-programmers: A solution was provided for users seeking a rich text editor, with discussions on potential future integrations like Lexical read more.
Nested Sidebar Categories or Subcategories:Lilly introduced a theme component for nesting categories in the sidebar, enhancing navigation read more.
Subcategory access for Users, not Groups?:Falco clarified that groups are essential for category security, suggesting alternatives for individual access read more.
Image rotation after upload: A theme component was recommended for image annotation and rotation, addressing user needs for image manipulation read more.
Announcements and Updates
Current Projects - September 2024:lindsey provided updates on ongoing projects, including potential integrations with Lexical for the composer read more.
New documentation plugin in development:mcwumbly discussed the experimental status of a new documentation plugin, inviting feedback from users read more.
Discourse AI - NSFW:Falco shared updates on NSFW detection improvements using Vision LLMs, with plans to roll out guides for Enterprise customers read more.
3.4.0.beta2 Release: The latest beta release includes better pageview metrics, multiple category moderator groups, and the ability to watch chat threads. Read more.
3.3.2 Security and Maintenance Release: This release addresses several security issues and is recommended for all sites. Read more.
UX
Composer Redesign: Discussions are ongoing about redesigning the composer to better integrate AI features like proofreading. Read more.
New Sidebar Design on Tablets: Feedback is being gathered on the new sidebar design, which aims to improve usability on tablets. Read more.
Support
Troubleshooting Slow Site Performance: A user resolved a site slowdown by removing a problematic theme component and working with their hosting provider. Read more.
Double Buttons in Posting Section: Users discussed the purpose of duplicate buttons in the posting section and how they can be streamlined. Read more.
How to Add Line Numbers to Code Blocks: A new theme component was created to add line numbers to code blocks, enhancing readability. Read more.
Features
Trigger Moderator Attention Instead of Auto-hiding Flag: A feature request was made to allow flags to trigger moderator attention without auto-hiding content. Read more.
Limit AI Token Usage: Discussions are underway about implementing a quota system to limit AI token usage per user. Read more.
Plugins
ActivityPub Plugin Enhancements: Improvements were made to the ActivityPub plugin, including bug fixes and performance enhancements. Read more.
Discourse AI Enhancements: New features for the Discourse AI plugin include forced LLM tool use and automatic post hiding. Read more.
Community
Why Discourse is the Ultimate Community-Building Platform: A user shared their admiration for Discourse as a powerful and flexible community platform. Read more.
Trust Level 4 Promotion by Community Election: A discussion on promoting users to Trust Level 4 through community elections highlighted potential benefits and challenges. Read more.
Bugs
Users Can No Longer Edit Posts: A bug was identified where users were unable to edit posts due to a plugin conflict, which was quickly resolved. Read more.
AI Chat Activities Counted as Anonymous Pageviews: It was clarified that AI chat activities do not count as anonymous pageviews, resolving user concerns. Read more.
Allow multiple ‘new topic’ drafts: darkpixlz and Moin discussed the ongoing limitation of having only one draft at a time, with sam and chapoi confirming that designs are ready and on the development backlog read more.
Turn Chat Thread to a Topic: ludwikc suggested a feature to convert chat threads into full-fledged topics, which rishabh confirmed is supported by the current chat design read more.
A TC of fun: Discourse Confetti Clicks: NateDhaliwal introduced a theme component that adds confetti effects on clicks, with suggestions from putty and Lilly to enhance its functionality read more.
Post Badges: david announced improvements to the post badges theme component, resolving previous performance concerns read more.
Better support for big screens?: NullVoxPopuli and awesomerobot discussed potential improvements for composing messages on large screens, with a redesign in the early stages read more.
Sidebar show upcoming events setting description needs an update: Moin pointed out that the description for the “Upcoming events” link setting needs updating due to recent changes read more.
I’m trying to run discourse app locally in production env without docker: merefield and rishabh provided guidance on running Discourse in production, emphasizing the use of Docker read more.
No drafts in Discourse? Abomination!: Moin and Jagster discussed workarounds for managing multiple drafts, with sam noting that the feature is being tracked read more.
Current Projects - October 2024: mcwumbly shared updates on ongoing projects, including a composer redesign and a new look and feel config page read more.
PG13 compatibility issue: RGJ and tgxworld discussed a migration issue with PostgreSQL 13, with a workaround being considered read more.
“In reply to” links no longer work: Moin and Lilly explored issues with reply links not functioning, suggesting contacting forum admins for resolution read more.
Reverse Proxy Into Discourse: pfaffman and Falco provided advice on setting up a reverse proxy for Discourse, resolving mixed content errors read more.
Having Issue In enabling the Discourse Helper AI Assistant: Lilly and Falco clarified the availability of the AI Helper for Enterprise customers, with plans for broader rollout read more.
AI personas aren’t changing as expected when PM: Jagster and sam discussed issues with AI personas in private messages, with potential solutions being explored read more.
How can I migrate from Discourse Hosted to self-hosting?
A detailed discussion on the process of migrating from Discourse’s hosted service to self-hosting, including backup and restore procedures. Read more.
Community
What makes you visit a topic?
A community-driven exploration into what attracts users to click on certain topics, with insights into the importance of titles and AI-generated summaries. Read more.
Learner Mode? Figuring out how the Meta community works
A suggestion for a “learner’s mode” to help new users understand Discourse features through tooltips and direct links to documentation. Read more.
Support
Help! Our forum has gotten attacked!
A user shares their experience with a spam attack on their forum and seeks advice on prevention and recovery. Read more.
I want to send a group message to all members of my forum, but I can’t
A discussion on the challenges of sending group messages and potential solutions involving trust levels and settings. Read more.
How to change the background color from the default white to black
Users discuss how to customize the theme color scheme in Discourse, with tips for trial users. Read more.
Theme Component
Discourse Category Headers theme component
A user shares their success in modifying a theme component with AI assistance, leading to a new pull request. Read more.
NateDhaliwal’s Theme
Introduction of a new theme featuring a dark color scheme and unique font choices, with links to preview and installation guides. Read more.
UX
How to simplify the forum? (couple of needs listed)
A user seeks advice on simplifying the Discourse interface to make it more user-friendly, with suggestions for CSS modifications. Read more.
Account deleted modal barely noticeable
A UX issue is raised about the visibility of the account deletion confirmation modal. Read more.
Bug
PG13 compatibility issue
A technical discussion on compatibility issues between PostgreSQL versions and the solutions implemented. Read more.
AI Forum Helper cannot access some categories
A bug report about AI Forum Helper’s inability to access certain categories, with a solution involving persona settings. Read more.
Feature
Wishlist: visual cue for “user got a badge for this post”
A feature request for displaying badges earned for posts, with ongoing development and community feedback. Read more.
Installation
Web_only installation
A guide on setting up a two-container Discourse installation, with community tips for advanced users. Read more.
Dev
Possible to use Perplexity.ai?
A developer inquiry about integrating Perplexity Pro API with Discourse, with guidance on using existing AI features. Read more.
Webinar: Ask Discourse Anything - Designer Edition: Hosted by Danielle, this webinar offered insights into the design processes at Discourse, including tips and customizations for community design. The session was recorded for those who couldn’t attend live.
Watching for Chat Threads:lindsey introduced a new feature allowing users to watch chat threads, ensuring they receive notifications for all replies in important conversations.
Make “Smart List” Feature Optional:martin announced a new user preference to enable or disable smart lists in the composer, providing more flexibility for users.
Preview our new fullscreen signup and login pages:lindsey announced updates to the signup and login pages, enhancing the user experience, especially on mobile devices. Feedback from users like Moin suggested adding a “back” button for easier navigation.
Reading Confirmations:Lilly suggested using the Data Explorer for tracking user engagement with topics, providing a potential solution for user activity monitoring.
Unable to backup or navigate to backups:merefield reported an issue with S3 backups failing after a recent rebuild. martin provided a fix that resolved the problem for users experiencing similar issues.
Styleguide = :(:king_laurel noted that the styleguide was down with numerous terminal errors. pmusaraj and david investigated, and a fix was implemented by saquetim.
Rebuild issue: [Cannot set dual-stack in combination with a custom endpoint]:merefield highlighted a problem with backups breaking due to a recent change. The issue was addressed in a related discussion.
How can I tell if a particular distribution of the Discourse client is free software?:Jagster and merefield discussed the open-source nature of Discourse and the implications of proprietary modifications in a thread.
Backup fails after updating to latest 3.4.0.beta3-dev:Moin directed users to a bug topic for solutions to backup issues after an update.
What is the cost of running a pilot on Digital Ocean?:pfaffman provided insights on the costs and setup for running Discourse on Digital Ocean in a discussion.
Why doesn’t Discourse support IndexNow?:pfaffman suggested commissioning a plugin in the Marketplace for those interested in adding IndexNow support, as discussed in a topic.
Will RAG Support PDF Files in the Future?:MachineScholar and Saif discussed the potential for adding PDF support to RAG, with sam providing technical insights in a conversation.
Developing Discourse on GitHub Codespaces: A new guide was shared on using GitHub Codespaces for Discourse development, highlighting its benefits for developers.
Recent changes to the signup form:chapoi explained the rationale behind recent changes to the signup form, including the removal of certain field instructions, in a discussion.
Hide presence toggle works in reverse:Don reported an issue with the presence toggle, which was addressed by lindsey in a topic.
Include week day in chart labels:noahl suggested adding weekday labels to charts for better data comprehension, as discussed in a thread.
Photography Mentor Bot:merefield and pfaffman discussed the development of a photography mentor bot, with merefield offering to assist in a topic.
Looking for developer to help with monetization:Tyler_Kober sought assistance for implementing monetization features, with merefield offering guidance in a discussion.
New Experiment: Enable AI search with one click!:Saif announced the availability of AI search for various tiers without needing a third-party LLM provider, as detailed in a post.
Passwordless login using passkeys:pmusaraj shared insights on tracking passkey creation and managing the passkey option in a discussion.
).Small caveat… AI (even GPT-4) does hallucinate, it is unavoidable. Don’t treat everything it says as truth, as there will likely be some lies mixed in. We’ll try to manually correct any if we spot them, but still… keep an eye out.
when posting?