User:Whatamidoing (WMF)/Sandbox2
It's not always obvious where a comment "should" go. Here's a description of where the Reply tool places comments. Usually it's simple, but sometimes the list structure isn't obvious, especially if there is a long sub-thread in a discussion.
Simple discussions
editSimple threaded discussion
editIn this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. So long as each user clicks on the [reply] button in the last, most-indented comment, the comments will continue this pattern regardless of indentation depth or screen width.
Simple vote
editIn this style, User:Example posts a comment. Twelve people reply to the original comment, forming a single list.
As of 2022, creating a numbered list is not supported by the Reply tool. Creating a bullet list is only supported if your wiki has been configured to prefer bullet lists. At most wikis, you need to use the [edit source] button instead.
Original post. Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)
- January Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)
- February Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)
- March Carol (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)
- April Dave (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)
- May Eve (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)
- June Frank (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)
- July Grace (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)
- August Heidi (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)
- September Ivan (talk) 9 January 2022 (UTC)
- October Jada (talk) 10 January 2022 (UTC)
- November Kai (talk) 11 January 2022 (UTC)
- December Lee (talk) 12 January 2022 (UTC)
Complex discussions
editThreaded discussion: Comment appears at the end
editIn this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. The next day, Bob replies directly to the original post.
Bob's comment is placed at the end, because this preserves chronological order as well as the meaning. If Bob's late reply to the original post were placed at the top, then it would look like Bob's "February" comment was in response to Bob's "July" comment, instead of being a response to Alice's "January" comment.
Threaded discussion: Comment appears in the middle
editIn this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. The next day, Bob replies a second time to Alice's first comment. The day after that, Alice replies to Bob's "June" comment of 6 January (not to Bob's "July" comment of 7 January). This causes the discussion to be out of chronological order, but it preserves the meaning.
This can sometimes feel awkward, but the alternative is that the later comment from Bob appears out of chronological order, before any of the original comments. This is rarely wanted, so it's not the style used in the Reply tool:
Vote with threaded comments
editIn this style, User:Example posts a comment. Twelve people reply to the original comment, forming a single list. The next day, Bob replies to two other voters (Carol and Lee). Carol replies to Bob's comment. This causes the discussion to be out of chronological order, but it preserves the meaning.
Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)
- January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)
- February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)
- March —Carol (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)
- April —Dave (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)
- May —Eve (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)
- June —Frank (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)
- July —Grace (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)
- August —Heidi (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)
- September —Ivan (talk) 9 January 2022 (UTC)
- October —Jada (talk) 10 January 2022 (UTC)
- November —Kai (talk) 11 January 2022 (UTC)
- December —Lee (talk) 12 January 2022 (UTC)
Testing area
editOriginal post. —Example (talk) 12:31, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
- January —Alice (talk) 13:01, 1 January 2022 (UTC)
- February —Bob (talk) 13:02, 2 January 2022 (UTC)
- March —Alice (talk) 13:03, 3 January 2022 (UTC)
- April —Bob (talk) 14:04, 4 January 2022 (UTC)
- May —Alice (talk) 15:05, 5 January 2022 (UTC)
- June —Bob (talk) 16:06, 6 January 2022 (UTC)
- August is better than June. —Alice (talk) 18:08, 8 January 2022 (UTC)
- June —Bob (talk) 16:06, 6 January 2022 (UTC)
- May —Alice (talk) 15:05, 5 January 2022 (UTC)
- April —Bob (talk) 14:04, 4 January 2022 (UTC)
- @Wickey, I've added this area for live testing. I clicked the [reply] button for the "Feburary" comment. Therefore, my reply should be posted in line with "March", and after the sub-discussion/tangent about April–May-June–August between Alice and Bob. Whatamidoing (WMF) (talk) 18:53, 17 February 2022 (UTC)
- March —Alice (talk) 13:03, 3 January 2022 (UTC)
- Not January. July —Bob (talk) 17:07, 7 January 2022 (UTC)
- February —Bob (talk) 13:02, 2 January 2022 (UTC)