excessive quoting

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

Not the most pressing issue in the world, but since this forum is moderated in such an above-average manner I feel it's not out of the question for this sort of post to be made against the rules or guidelines:

http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 795#542795

Posting in this style seems inconsiderate. You're making everyone scroll through three screens of quoted material just to read one new line. It really has a negative impact on thread readability, I find. Quoting three or four previous responses in a post is fine I think, especially when there have been posts by other people in between responses, but there's no reason for posts where 98% of the content is quote trees.

[Nickman]

In this case, the main problem is the uncivil exchange, rather than the post quotes being so extensive.

But, I'd be open to adding some other button in addition to the quote button that would produce a shorter post. Instead of repeating the entire post, it can just be a short text like "Replying to Post 1 by Fuzzy Dunlop".

The reply button is a great addition and a problem solver if all will use it. Nice job Sir. Much appreciated.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

Hopefully we continue to have the option of both quote and reply? Because quoting definitely has its advantages. Like when you're responding to someone from a couple pages ago in a busy thread, it's easier for people to follow the conversation if you quote what you're responding to (otherwise you're making them click back to another page to follow the conversation which is just as bad as making them scroll through pages of quoted material). Also in situations where a poster makes several different points that you want to address separately.

That said I doubt that the excessive quote offenders are going to start using the reply button (I'm assuming that these people are the types that barely understand the forum software enough to post as it is).

Is there a way to limit the quote function? Like so it only keeps the last three and automatically deletes the rest? I've seen other forums do stuff like that. It leaves quoting fully functional while solving the problem of massive lazy quote trees.

[SailingCyclops]

Hopefully we continue to have the option of both quote and reply?

Yes you have a choice.

[SailingCyclops]

[Replying to post 12 by Fuzzy Dunlop]

Quote and Reply buttons are right next to each other.

[McCulloch]

[Replying to post 12 by Fuzzy Dunlop]

Quote and Reply buttons are right next to each other.

As they should be. Buttons with similar functions should be in close proximity.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

[Replying to post 12 by Fuzzy Dunlop]

Quote and Reply buttons are right next to each other.

I know we have a choice right now, I'm just saying I hope it stays that way. Since obviously just adding the reply button alongside the quote in and of itself doesn't solve the excessive quoting problem.

[otseng]

Hopefully we continue to have the option of both quote and reply?

When you are logged in, yes, both will show up. When not logged in, only the reply will show.

Because quoting definitely has its advantages.

Quoting will never be taken away.

Is there a way to limit the quote function? Like so it only keeps the last three and automatically deletes the rest?

I might look into this if it still remains a recurring problem.

[McCulloch]

Is there a way to limit the quote function? Like so it only keeps the last three and automatically deletes the rest?

I might look into this if it still remains a recurring problem.

That might be quite a difficult thing to program. You see quoting is comparatively quite simple. Take the entire bbcode in the original and wrap it with a [quote="[...]"] at the beginning and a [/quote] at the end. To do the other, an algorithm would have to parse the original bbcode, which may contain errors since it has been edited, and remove all but the outermost three levels of quotes. Not something I would like to whip off in a weekend.