tweak/typing_indicators

I hate this feature and hope it dies.

People long requested that discord have an option to turn this off as they felt it induced stress. PbP shouldn't be inducing stress.

...but... I offer it anyway.

Again, we should be able to turn this off.

This is not really like Discord. If we are sitting watching the page it is because we are waiting for a response or trying not to clash post.

Most likely time to see this is when we are typing and that lets us know that we are likely to end up with a problem. What to do in that case is more tricky, I foresee both backing off and nothing getting posted. :)

Since this isn't really real-time chat as Discord mostly is, I don't see a great use for it here and can see that it might cause stress for some.

The only benefit I see is: "Should I post or are they going to", so it could remove some wasted waiting.

I agree. I preferred @Chalrytharendir's suggestion that it should put something on the page to show something had been posted whilst you were typing. Probably with an ajax in-place load so you can read the new post without losing stuff.

Some of that is mitigated where games have Discord threads and people make their posting intentions known. Crossposts can be edited but that is annoying, so I can see a typing indicator being a benefit in that case if everyone had it turned on.

100% against this ?

Excellent idea!

As a wise man once said, arrr.

Not sure if you already have a plan about how to implement this, but I had a few ideas:

1) Just an indication that lights up if someone else posts while you're working on a post and that then gives you the option to refresh but saves what you're working on (what Adam described).

2) The preview button adds any new messages that have been posted, highlighted so you don't miss them, before clicking post. That way you have time to adjust your post as needed.

3) An ability to post a temporary message/notification to indicate your intention to post:

Maybe two possible options that display something like:

"Chal is working on a post, please wait to post."

or

"Chal is working on a post, but feel free to post in the meantime."

Then once "Post" is clicked, it deletes the notification.

4) Same idea as 3 but with space for an OOC message to explain further but gets deleted once you post.

So I might write. "Working on a response to the tavern scene, I'm planning on reacting to the barkeeper's inquiry."

That way if someone else wants to post about interacting with the bard on stage at the same time we're safe to work on a post in parallel.

---
Options 3 and 4 are already possible using OOC messages and then deleting them after or editing them, but then you need to explain this protocol at the beginning of every game to make sure everyone knows to do that and you need to really encourage it to cultivate that type of culture. But if an option exist right on the platform, people might just use it because it's right there to use or remember to use it when encouraged.

Just a thought.

Many of those ideas are really good. 3 and 4 are a big change to the way people do things, but could be worth it. Maybe we have a small box at the top of the textarea encouraging people to leave a note, that way it is opt-in. Would be nice if they could add the note partway through typing, when they realise they are doing more than an line or two.

1 could also include a note that someone is currently typing, rather then just a 'woops someone else posted, so all your work is forfeit' at the end.

We don't need to say who is typing, if that is what people find 'creepy', just knowing that someone is is enough.

2) The preview button adds any new messages that have been posted, highlighted so you don't miss them, before clicking post. That way you have time to adjust your post as needed.

I like this idea but not everyone always previews so that might be a shortcoming of that. I think I like the indication light the best.

In my case, I have had a post open for hours as I get distracted multiple times. My intention to post would be very misleading. Lol

I prefer option 1 or 2 where you get some sort of notice that a new post has been posted.
I don't like the typing indicators because they go against the asynchronous play style. What I like about GP is you can post when you have time and not at specific moments. And typing indicators make it more like a live chat. It also making it harder to put your phone down if there is a post being typed

Another thing is they may stop people from posting if you see someone is typing and wait for the post. It can take a while. I'm slow at writing posts, so the typing indicator would be on constantly.

The best way to avoid cross post is in my opinion just to see a new post as they are posted.

I definitely do not want typing indicators. Sometimes, I type up a post, leave it for half an hour and then proofread. If there were typing indicators, I would not feel comfortable typing in a thread and I would instead type on libreoffice or in a private thread and then copypaste.
Getting a notification if someone else posted would be good, though.

Typing indicators are one of the things that make me dislike discord rp

I am inclined to agree. I am not a fan either, and bowl makes a good case against live indicators.

A notification that things have changed along with the ability to load the new posts is a good idea. Save me hitting copy/refresh/paste before posting (though that strategy does mean I have the text in the clipboard for when the sites break:).

That's would be good to include.
What I meant was that clicking the "intention to post" indicator would be optional, so you only need to show your intention if you want. You can work on a post without showing your intention, but then someone might post ahead of you while you're halfway through your post.

I'm thinking of those times when you have an exciting idea and want to write an epic post, or even just need to do some extra research (look up a rule, re-read some previous posts in order to get all the details right, find a cool image, create a gif/video, format the post in a special way, check the BBcode guide, etc.), it sucks if someone then posts ahead of you and it conflicts in a way that you can't use what you were planning.

But sort of sounds like it might not be that frequent of a problem. Given it can be avoided with good OOC dialogue, Option 3 and 4 are probably not a necessary feature.

It could also lead to the "Ultimate Ghosting" where someone clicks, "Working on a post, please wait to post" and then are never heard from again ... ?


I do still like the idea for an easy mechanism to check for new posts before posting (Option 1 or 2). I mean you can do the ol': ctrl-a, ctrl-x, F5 ... check for new posts ... ctrl-v, POST! But it would be easier if there was a single button or "new post" indicator :)

Same here.
Don't waist time and effort on this feature.

I hear that and it stinks when it happens.
Perish the thought!!