People who read my blog: Please provide feedback on this new idea!

Posted by Greg Laden on August 28, 2009
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Your feedback is requested on the following item. The Keepers of the Blogs at Scienceblogs are discussing a new thing that we would like your feedback on. Please read this over and comment below. Thank you very much.

In the next three to four weeks, we’ll be creating and unveiling a user registration program … This will allow users to sign in, create a profile, track discussions they’re interested in, customize their content, and interact with one another directly. We will also be introducing other benefits for registered users such as entry into prize drawings and possible rewards for commenting. … registration will be optional at least to start, so no need to worry about readers who don’t want to register being unable to comment.

… Some of the features we’re looking into include:

* Registration Profiles
* User Pics

* Comment tracking
* Voting/Starring system
* Recommendation widgets
* User to user connections
* Following – users can follow actions of other users
* User-created Groups

* Sharing content
* “Talk” blogs or forums
* Newsletter management
* Photo galleries
* Polls & Quizzes

Here is a poll thingie you can use to express your opinions on these questions.

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Comments

  1. #1 James
    August 28, 2009

    Hi Greg,
    I don’t mind registering for scienceblogs as I follow several. I don’t much care about a profile, but only because I don’t keep much of an online presence. I am very interested in keeping track of specific threads and replies to any of my own comments. I’m narcissistic that way.

  2. #2 NewEnglandBob
    August 28, 2009

    I am for all of it. I may not use it all (user to user) but it will be nice to know it is there.

    Of course, privacy is important so users should get to choose which information is made public to other users.

  3. #3 Paulino
    August 28, 2009

    As long it’s optional and not required to post comments, sure why not. Great for community building.

  4. #4 D. C. Sessions
    August 28, 2009

    I have a five-digit UID at /.
    Barring spectacular idiocy on the part of the SB overlords, this should beat /. easily. Nothing but goodness.

    Then there’s the “anonymous coward” option.

  5. #5 Gerry L
    August 28, 2009

    Registration is not a problem for me as long as real names are not required. I have a unique name that I prefer not to use on the web. (I always use the same online name, just not my last name.)

  6. #6 MadScientist
    August 28, 2009

    I don’t see how we can say much when we haven’t seen it. If there’s a uniform sign-in for all blogs that would be a good start; at the moment everyone seems to point the users to a different scheme (typepad, whatever).

  7. #7 Alex
    August 28, 2009

    Really? You’re going to highlight the registration is not required and then immediately afterwards say “at least to start”? That in itself makes me vote no.

  8. #8 mediajackal
    August 28, 2009

    Other than Alex’s concern, I don’t see a downside. It would make it easier to track my favorite blogs.

    It might even help us learn from each other. What a concept …

  9. #9 Steve Ulven
    August 28, 2009

    I like it sort of. As long as registration was always optional, I think I would be for it. It would be a nice double as a potentially good social networking thing.

    I say give it a shot ScienceBlogs! That is, as long as registration is always optional. I would register, myself, but that would weed out too many potentially fun comments by people that really do not need another username and password to remember (all of us, I think).

  10. #10 Greg Laden
    August 28, 2009

    Alex: Good point, and I have the same concern. NOte that I was quoting the document we bloggers were sent, and in fact, to make it easier I just lifted Bora’s HTML, and HE highlighted the phrase.

    My reaction to this missive was to say to the overlords “Registration not required until now must be never, as many of my commenters will not participate if they have to register, nor would I” or words to that effect.

    You won’t have to register for Greg Laden’s Blog. I’m sure a lot of other bloggers feel the same way (though I don’t actually know) and I don’t think the overlords would do something so stupid, as they are actually quite smart.

  11. #11 Jake Lsewhere
    August 29, 2009

    While I don’t have a problem with the above proposed changes, if they’re making renovations can I toss out a request for threaded or at least reply comments, to make some of those long interesting comment threads, so many of the blogs generate, easier to read?

  12. #12 The Science Pundit
    August 29, 2009

    I’m all for it. And please relay to the overlords that I’m still waiting for a mobile friendly version of scienceblogs.

  13. #13 Colin
    August 29, 2009

    OPEN ID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!

  14. #14 Stephanie Z
    August 29, 2009

    Jake, there are already enough acrimonious arguments on Sb without threaded comments. Threaded comments mean people ignore what is said anywhere but in direct response to them. Thus, LJ flame wars.

  15. #15 Mike Haubrich
    August 29, 2009

    Let’s see. I have an Open-ID for some blogs, an Intense Debate account for others. I have TypePad for still more. I am getting ID’D out. If anything, if they want to do this, perhaps they can give users options for using some of these other registration services. I am not sure that I want to add another.

    Their idea sounds kind of keen, like they are proposing the revolutionary concept of “web 2.0.” (It’s catching on!)

  16. #16 PoxyHowzes
    August 29, 2009

    Registration? As ERV might say: NONONONONONONO!

  17. #17 PoxyHowzes
    August 29, 2009

    If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
    It ain’t broke.

  18. #18 Wowbagger
    August 29, 2009

    When they say ‘User Pics’ would that mean having avatar icons within the commenting fields? I’d vote no to that; one of the reasons I come to SB is because I like the minimalist, text-focused style.

  19. #19 pusserboots
    August 29, 2009

    I really don’t want yet another user ID.

  20. #20 Michael
    August 29, 2009

    I think a way of keeping track of comments would be great (personally I prefer the “email me followup comments” tickbox but others may hate it so several options might work best).

    As for the other stuff, [as long as registering won't be mandatory] there’ll be no downside but I’m not sure how much benefit some of these will bring. Voting/starring is probably ok, but it seems that user connections and following actions is overkillish.

  21. #21 Robert B
    August 29, 2009

    I’d be OK with it, since I’m already used to it at PZed’s. I would like to have a gravatar – like system, regardless.

  22. #22 Silver Fox
    August 29, 2009

    One thing nice about the current system is that I can easily comment on any Sb blog from my phone, whereas commenting on other types of blogs (including my own at Blogger) can be difficult to impossible, depending on various variables I haven’t figured out (WordPress blogs usually work well). I comment occasionally on several Sb blogs, would register if required, but can’t imagine Sb becoming a social network the way “user pics” seems to imply. Does everything have to try to become the next Facebook or twitter or whatever? (Top of my head thoughts.)

  23. #23 Dan J
    August 29, 2009

    As long as it’s done well, I don’t see any problem with the proposed additions. Mandatory registration for commenting would (IMO) be a bad idea. I don’t think the Sb Overlords would go that route though. I’m guessing (hoping) there won’t be a really big difference in experience for users unless they want their experience to be different.

  24. #24 Isabel
    August 29, 2009

    “registration will be optional at least to start, so no need to worry about readers who don’t want to register being unable to comment. ”

    HaHaHa – no need to worry? Well I guess everyone said enough about this.

    A little tip folks – this ALWAYS means you WILL have to register eventually. Probably sooner rather than later. And by then it will be too late, many will like the new system, passivity will set in and you’ll be screwed. Also, I like being free and easy, commenting a lot somewhere for a while, then dropping out, etc. It’s easy to keep up with threads you are interested in. Can’t people get an RSS feed if they’re that obsessed with not missing anything?

    Will our actions be tracked by scienceblogs/Seed or 3rd parties? Are they being tracked now? What is the motivation behind wanting users to register? I certainly won’t bother.

    “customize their content”

    I have no idea what this means. What content? You mean what we see? People are such fucking control freaks, I tell ya.

    “interact with one another directly”

    Please it’s enough of a social network here already. This all sounds pretty goofy.

    “possible rewards for commenting”

    How would this work? Will we get credit for livening things up and drawing traffic to the blog:)

    “Following – users can follow actions of other users”

    Sounds creepy. More spying.

    Keep it simple, please.

  25. #25 tideliar
    August 29, 2009

    Why?

    And then the opinion: I follow the scienceblogs I want via blogrolls and twitter (in your case). I only read a couple, so it would add nothing to my day. I guess it makes sense in a Track the User and build a community way. But with my own blog + followers + facebook + twitter + nature network I have enogh trouble keeping up as it is. This would not be a functionality id use, and if I had to register I would choose not to subscribe be to any feeds.

  26. #26 Christ D.
    August 29, 2009

    It sounds suspiciously like a social networking thing, of which there are many to choose from already. I mostly lurk sb and really don’t want to have to register to participate if I want to. The community is vibrant and I am always guaranteed an intelligent conversation to eavesdrop on. If I see sparkly things and spinning animations I may take up drinking again.*

    *Will emotional blackmail work on the Overlords?

  27. #27 kjhaxton
    August 29, 2009

    So Scienceblogs.com is trying to become more like NatureNetwork?

    Like the others above, I am ID’d out, and will not sign up for yet another bloody username and password. I’m also totally sick of social networking sites. If registration is mandatory then I will no longer comment on scienceblogs.com.

    As scienceblogs has frequent downtime whilst just running the blogs, I suspect anything more ehm ‘technically challenging’ will simply reduce the quality of the user experience further. And they’ll be able to produce more pages for their dumb and totally inappropriate ads.

  28. #28 Oldcola
    August 29, 2009

    1 Registration Profiles [nice, very nice, I wondered why all of Scienceblogs didn't offered the Typepad key identification option, but as Colin put it "OPEN ID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!" and registration should remain optional]
    2 User Pics [why not]
    3 Comment tracking [that's great; will it come with e-mail notifications?]
    4 Voting/Starring system [why not]
    5 Recommendation widgets [why not]
    6 User to user connections [that's great, there is some people I would like to contact, some others to spam…]
    7 Following – users can follow actions of other users [that's great]
    8 User-created Groups [aha! community organizers will be happy]
    9 Sharing content [why not, comments could be improved]
    10 “Talk” blogs or forums [that's great, hope links with relevant blogpost are included and will be visible enough]
    11 Newsletter management [why not]
    12 Photo galleries [allowing posting of science pr0n? yeah!]
    13 Polls & Quizzes [why not]

    Points 2, 3 (if with e-mail notifications), 5, 6 and 7 probably need registration.

  29. #29 debeuk
    August 29, 2009

    After seeing what voting and starring can do to a website (youtube) I have to say no to that one.

  30. #30 travc
    August 29, 2009

    Pretty much in agreement with the “sounds good”.

    Registration should never be required for commenting, but it is reasonable to require for rating.

    An option (default off!) to follow comments via email can be nice.

    Threading can be good or bad. If the the blogger can choose per post, and I’d say go for it. If not, no.

    Keeping the site light is important, too much javascript funkiness and clutter (images) are generally annoying and possibly a killer.

    Profiles and user to user links are fine and potentially useful. Everything should be opt-in though.

    One thing I’d love to see is a mechanism (forums?) where users and the bloggers can discuss recent publications. Hopefully this would get more bloggers posting links to current papers. Maybe even evolving into some automagically generated lists of the top rated papers in particular fields.
    (Yeah, thinking big on this… but got to start someplace.)

  31. #31 travc
    August 29, 2009

    Two last things.

    Who is planning on implementing all this? If they are not committed (and paid for) long term and quite skilled, then be very skeptical. Many of these ideas aren’t all that easy to actually do well.

    Also, the overlords need to make money. That is fine and if they have non-vile ways which registration helps, that is a plus which shouldn’t be ignored either.

  32. #32 MikeMa
    August 29, 2009

    I like most of the potential changes but does anyone else see the potential disaster of “Following – users can follow actions of other users” where you get stalked from blog to blog by a user you may have taken to task (read insulted) at some time or other?

    I like the content enough to put up with just about anything though. Carry on.

  33. #33 DuWayne
    August 29, 2009

    Pictures!?!?!??!?! Give me a break – that is one of the few things I really hate about fucking blogger.

    This isn’t fucking facebook…

  34. #34 NewEnglandBob
    August 29, 2009

    Pictures!?!?!??!?! Give me a break – that is one of the few things I really hate about fucking blogger.

    This then seems to be a desirable feature to keep out people like this.

    Or, if this person thought rationally, he/she could request the ability to turn off pictures.

  35. #35 Jared
    August 29, 2009

    * Registration Profiles-fine by me
    * User Pics-so long as it’s profile-only
    * Comment tracking-optional
    * Voting/Starring system-yea, that’s ok
    * Recommendation widgets-nope, I hate these things
    * User to user connections-creepy, no; links to someone’s own website on a profile would be ok, or the option to send this person an e-mail, sure, outside of that, nah
    * Following – NO!
    * User-created Groups-no, we have sites for this already…
    * Sharing content-no
    * “Talk” blogs or forums-that’s what comment threads are for
    * Newsletter management-I wouldn’t use it, but that doesn’t bother me
    * Photo galleries-that would be OK, I suppose, so long as it’s profile or blog POST only
    * Polls & Quizzes-why?

  36. #36 Benjamin Geiger
    August 29, 2009

    Lemme throw my support behind the OpenID suggestion.

    And please, make it work correctly, not like over at Pharyngula. My URL may contain my name, but that doesn’t mean I want it at the top of my post.

  37. #37 DuWayne
    August 29, 2009

    And if you thought rationally, NEB, you would realize that there are plenty of social networking sites out there – sciblogs has no gap to fill on that account…

  38. #38 JuliaL
    August 29, 2009

    This then seems to be a desirable feature to keep out people like this.

    And here we have beautifully illustrated what I dislike most about registration systems like the one proposed: the potential creation of in-groups – appropriate to social networking, directly opposed to the nature of scientific discussion.

    NewEnglandBob, I’m willing to believe that you make many significant contributions to Scienceblog conversations, though, unfortunately for me, I’m not remembering having read any of your contributions. I do, however, know that DuWayne has made many, many useful, thoughtful, rational contributions to the conversations. We’ve been asked for feedback, DuWayne gave it; he hates the use of pictures, and – by invitation – he shared that.

    It’s been up to each blogger to decide who’s behaving as a troll, and to decide whether to ban that person. Any required registration system that has features that function “to keep out” those stereotyped, labelled, and dismissed by some system member as “people like this,” seems to me to be in direct opposition to the Scienceblogs tradition of open debate, free expression of opinion, and the clash of idea against idea.

  39. #39 Greg Laden
    August 29, 2009

    My analysis so far of this wonderful stream of conmments:

    1) Nobody wants registration under any circumstances. I must say “me too.” I may well move my blog to a different venue if registration is required. But I really doubt that would happen.

    (I suppose you can expect some of my fellow science bloggers to suddenly want registration now….)

    2) There if overwhelming “I like” for most of this stuff;

    3) The objections, which are a strong minority, are very very pertinent. For instance, it has been said that this set of changes or anything like it would require a significant investment in support and the question is asked: “Is that available”? I don’t know. Also, the community building/social networking aspects of this are seen as both positive and negative.

    Let’s keep the comments coming!!! This discussion is probably going on on some other blogs as well. Please check that out and report back.

    OK, I have to go build some shelving now…

  40. #40 llewelly
    August 29, 2009

    Registration Profiles
    User Pics

    As has been shown by the past disasters with typekey and its relatives, scienceblogs has a long history of getting everything wrong when creating a user login system.

    I already have about 10 user profiles floating around on the internet, which is way more than I have time or energy to maintain.

    It’s just more garbage to fill out, which takes away time from reading and commenting.

    Now here’s my list of recommended features:

    (a) There are a few scienceblogs on which preview does not work. Get that fixed.

    (b) If you use html character entity references (those thingies allow you to put funny foreign symbols in your post) , and you preview your post, the preview will display your html character entity references as if they are working, but the text it puts in edit window will *not* be what you typed, and thus, will not be what you previewed. It will be dysfunctional garbage. So you see that the preview looks good, and you click “post”, and then, the preview code posts something you didn’t write, and when you go to look at you post, the html character entity references you spent so much time doing correctly, are all fucked up. This bug has been in scienceblogs forever, and it’s high time somebody fixed it.

    (c) Although most scienceblogs typically have short threads, the most popular blogs have often very long threads, and these long threads take a ridiculously long time to load. Please, Please, Please make the loading of long threads more efficient.

    After writing a comment, and clicking “post”, I find that it’s often much faster to hit Ctrl-L, and find the url for the original article in my history bar, than it is for scienceblogs to load the page in the normal fashion. This too is a long standing bug which needs to be fixed.

    (d) I’ve run out of patience, but there is a host of other bugs in scienceblogs, most of which have been present since day 1, that should be fixed first, before adding new features.

  41. #41 mk
    August 29, 2009

    Sounds fun… go for it!

  42. #42 J-Dog
    August 29, 2009

    It’s all fine with me. It will actually make this place more friendly and interactive, IMO, and more like my home-away-from-home ATBC. And if I am reading this right, we will FINALY be able to prove a point with a LOL Cat???!!

  43. #43 Mike Haubrich, FCD
    August 29, 2009

    (d) I’ve run out of patience, but there is a host of other bugs in scienceblogs, most of which have been present since day 1, that should be fixed first, before adding new features.

    That would counter everything in my experience with software developers. At work we have an app, our mainstay, the one which we use 95% of the time, which keeps getting addons, and more add-onds, and more add-ons. In the meantime, suggestions for basic interface improvement which I and many others have repeatedly requested have been ignored for at least my last 4 years with the company.

    Oh, and it rides on IE6, and they can’t port it to IE7 let alone IE8 or any sane browser.

  44. #44 Rorschach
    August 29, 2009

    Shit,but I agree with Silver Fox on this .
    If I want facebook, I can go there !
    That would be a NO.

    Get them to fix the typekey interface,most of us have registration with pics and profiles there already.

  46. #46 Enoch
    August 29, 2009

    FWIW, I may continue to read, but I won’t likely comment, on a site that REQUIRES registration. I do not at this time comment thusly. Not much chance of me doing it here.

    I would VERY MUCH like to have comment tracking on SB, not for the blogs with many comments but for the blogs with few comments. As an option of course.

    I do not like threaded comments

  47. #47 AnnieB
    August 29, 2009

    I mostly like things the way they are. Honestly I was disconcerted by the “at least for now” phrase and if required registration is some how linked to other ‘improvements’ then please do not implement them. I travel a great deal, and I use different computers, and having registration even if the “remember me” feature works is an inconvenience for me that I would prefer to forgo.

  48. #48 SimonG
    August 29, 2009

    I, too, have plenty of IDs already and would prefer to live without another. OpenID would be the least worst option if it has to happen.

    Apart from the ID Overload, registration also discourages passers by. If someone links to another blog I might like to post a comment there, but I’m very unlikely to bother if I have to register to do so.

    I don’t really see the need for any extra bells and whistles. I particularly don’t want lots of extra scripting as I tend to have scripting turned off.

  49. #49 Barn Owl
    August 29, 2009

    I don’t have Facebook or Twitter accounts, and thus I’m not particularly interested in using features that make ScienceBlogs more like those social not-working sites.

    I agree with the commenters who thought that a user following function is creepy. Who has time for that, anyway? Creepy.

    Would all of the user registration profiles be available to all of the ScienceBloggers, even if the user does not comment on a particular blog? Don’t like that prospect, either.

  50. #50 Jim Thomerson
    August 29, 2009

    There are a couple of blogs I used to post comments on. They now require registration; so I no longer post comments there. No, I don’t like the idea of having to register.

  51. #51 george.w
    August 29, 2009

    Registration, as long as it’s optional, is fine.
    Pictures – sure. It might help with bald-guy acceptance.
    Thread following… would be fine on small threads but opt-out is a must. Even a minor thread on that one blog would bury my email account.
    Would like to see threaded comments, so entertaining flamewars can be collapsed behind a little arrow to move on with the main topic.

    Just a couple things though; if SciBorg knows my email address, will I get stupid/offensive ads in my inbox and wind up having to blacklist SciBorg? And will the system be developed by the same administrators who can’t seem to keep a comment system working in the first place? Before doing everything, get at least the current features working smoothly at all load levels.

  52. #52 John Moeller
    August 29, 2009

    Comments RSS. I don’t need a comment management system. Those are annoying. I just want to subscribe to the comments on a post with the technology that I already use.

    *Please* no voting/starring. That’s just forum BS. All that those systems accomplish is to create a commenter pecking order. While I don’t see that being a problem on GLB, it’s still annoying.

    OpenID would be nice for many people, but having the ability to post without an ID is nice too. I like just showing up with my name and email. Another ID? Blech. I have too many already; let me use the ones I already have (like email or OpenID or as others mentioned, TypeKey).

  53. #53 gruebait
    August 29, 2009

    As long as they don’t need my mother’s name, and it doesn’t break my inner tubes, I suppose they can go ahead. It’ll still be as Lynx-friendly as always, right?

  54. #54 Isabel
    August 29, 2009

    “The objections, which are a strong minority, are very very pertinent… the community building/social networking aspects of this are seen as both positive and negative.”

    If the changes go through, and those who don’t like it fade out of the scienceblogs picture, has a form of selection taken place? Is this good for science blogs in the long run?

    Where can we learn more about why these changes are desired?

  55. #55 Greg Laden
    August 29, 2009

    I can tell you exactly why the changes are being consdiered. From a quality point of view (quality of experience of bloggers and readers) there are benefits to a more interactive and involved community. From a quantity point of view, and there is a valid objective of increasing overall scienceblog traffic, there is an advantage to having readers have a Sb-wide sense of community. Both objectives are met (in theory) by having dohickies like these.

  56. #56 Barn Owl
    August 29, 2009

    there is an advantage to having readers have a Sb-wide sense of community

    Can you explain the specific advantages? There are some commenters and several blogs with which I have no desire to have a sense of community.

  57. #57 Monado
    August 29, 2009

    Fix Typepad registration so it reflects our chosen blog. It should also show recent comments (at least that’s what the page promises).

    If not, searches by user name that include comments solve the “everything so-and-so said” problem.

    Either give a five-minute window for editing newly posted comments or let us make two posts in a row: my corrections are often refused.

    Have a list somewhere of what and what doesn’t work in the way of HTML coding.

    I’d rather not have all my comments collectible since my nom-de-post is a bit of an electronic fig leaf.

  58. #58 Whomever1
    August 29, 2009

    As an old fart and teacher with no particular qualifications to make comments on anything (other than an interest in science), I don’t see any advantage to me to most of these changes. What is your motivation for the changes? If there are some potential contributors who don’t want to blog here because they don’t think it’s a serious site, well–excellent–do what you need to do. If your only motivations are the of the general “feel-good” category–No, thank you.

  59. #59 Lou FCD
    August 30, 2009

    Barn Owl said,

    There are some commenters and several blogs with which I have no desire to have a sense of community.

    I’ll second that.

  60. #60 Heraclides
    August 30, 2009

    I’m inclined to agree with llewelly (@40) that it might be wiser to fix what is already broken, rather than try (re)introduce something to break, one which apparently has broken before!

    (I’ve into all of the preview bugs llewelly refers to independently, by the way.)

    Will registering interfere with those users who have user more than on username, for “legitimate” reasons?

    There is a place for threaded comments on overly-long comments. I think the key is that how a list of posts is viewed needs to be under the users’ control, as they are in the WWW implementations of the traditional newsgroups, where the users can view posts either in time or in threads.

    Registration will have to robust to user-name spoofing.

    No voting, starring and no tracking. Profiles, perhaps, but the user must be able to present a blank profile should they wish to. I don’t use RSS feeds; I restrict feeds for work-related email; I get more than enough of that already…

  61. #61 Heraclides
    August 30, 2009

    @59: There are some people I’d rather avoid, too… If “personal messaging” is to be made available, it’d have to have blocking of other user’s posts by name, but I would think that will result in “public” slagging of people who won’t accept unpopular people’s mail…

  62. #62 Rorschach
    August 30, 2009

    “personal messaging”

    Yeah, I can picture that as a Pharyngula commenter ! Every religious loon you ever take down will feel the need to evangelize to you in personal messages, wouldnt that be great.

  63. #63 Isabel
    August 30, 2009

    “Posted by: blog commenting | August 30, 2009 11:18 AM”

    HaHaHa this guy sell his services as a blog commenter. Maybe I should try that.

    $200.00 for one hours work, not bad.

  64. #64 george.w
    August 30, 2009

    Yeah, gotta say comments’ RSS would be better than email notifications. Lots better.

  65. #65 JefFlyingV
    August 30, 2009

    I dunno Greg. Sounds a bit like the yahoo groups for answers. At times I’d like to post pictures, but in general I prefer the partial anonymity I have when I post.

  66. #66 Ellie
    August 30, 2009

    I can take or leave almost all of the items on that list, with the exception of the voting system. Over at TED, there is a system of user respect which I find very useful indeed and I think it would add to SB no end. It let’s me judge very quickly how much weight a particular posters voice has in the community and gives me an instant link to the comments that have earned them that score so I can decide for myself.

    It also provides some small motivation to only post well thought-out comments as there is a consequence for posting like a loon.

  67. #67 MattR
    August 30, 2009

    Short answer: No.

    Slightly longer answer: Still no.

    If there were anything I would like to see improved, it would be:

    1. Better search functionality integrated into the site. (No more Google custom search please!)
    2. List of allowed HTML tags and restrictions thereon.
    3. OpenID (although now that TypeKey accepts OpenID account login this isn’t such an issue).

    SB is good because it doesn’t have all that extra shit. Do less and do it better.

  68. #68 Ellie
    August 30, 2009

    RTT my previous comment @66

    It has also just occurred to me that it gives a way for people reading the comments to vote on whether they agree or not without reposting something someone has already said.

    It gives a much more accurate view of what readers believe than just what’s written. The comments alone tend to give more weight to the views of those who shout loudest and care less about repetition.

  69. #69 Jonam
    August 31, 2009

    Hi, Greg

    looking for your post

  70. #70 Rorschach
    August 31, 2009

    It let’s me judge very quickly how much weight a particular posters voice has in the community

    And how is that relevant in the judgment of an individual commenter’s post? Do you also only ever buy the books that are in the top 10 at your local bookstore?

    Such a system does just tell you about previous posts someone has made, doesnt mean the next one couldn’t be total bollocks.And such a system is much too vulnerable to abuse, what prevents people from just downvoting someone they dont like personally?

    No thank you to that idea.

  71. #71 blog commenting
    August 31, 2009

    Does it mean that guest like us have to undertake the registration from so as to comment on the blogs?