It's quite easy, as long as you have threading, quoting and read/unread flags equivalent to 1990 Usenet.
Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
21–30 of 85 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#22It's quite easy, as long as you have threading, quoting and read/unread flags equivalent to 1990 Usenet.
HN doesn't have read/unread flags for comments AFAIK.
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#23I begin by reading the top comment, if it's interesting I'll read its replies, if it's not I'll collapse it's replies and move down until bored.
Most big threads have many replies and far fewer top comments so 133 can become much smaller this way.
I also have no problem quitting as I scroll down. On big threads that have been up for a while, the insight tends to fall off with the number of votes as you keep scrolling.
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#24It took me a while to realize that there is a "prev" and a "next" button next to every comment. It makes navigation much easier when there are long threads. Using [-]/[+] is another option. If the problem is just the sheer amount of data and not navigation, you can simply bookmark the thread and come back later. The algorithm usually does a good job getting the best comments on top after things have settled down, jus…
(It’s not entirely an algorithm, it’s also human curation.)
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#25It's quite easy, as long as you have threading, quoting and read/unread flags equivalent to 1990 Usenet.
HN doesn't have read/unread flags for comments AFAIK.
I use the collapse thingy as a read flag - if I'm fully sated on a to and fro for a topic I might come back to I'll collapse the thread.
Future me will often un-collapse the thread through curiosity of course, but will quickly realise I was right
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#26
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
HN doesn't have read/unread flags for comments AFAIK.
I use the collapse thingy as a read flag - if I'm fully sated on a to and fro for a topic I might come back to I'll collapse the thread. Future me will often un-collapse the thread through curiosity of course, but will quickly realise I was right
There is a Hacker News Comment Highlighter add-on both for FF and Chrome based browsers. Highlights what is new after a refresh.
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#28[flagged]
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#29[flagged]
This is strange to me. Flagging should be reserved for comments that flagrantly break the rules. There's plenty of stuff I disagree with that is formulated in a perfectly polite and serious way. I come here to have my own views challenged as much as anything.
I wonder if people who abuse the [flag] function as a “mega-downvote” should eventually lose the ability to flag. I quite often see comments flagged here that are not rule breaking, they’re just unpopular takes.
Re: Ask HN: How do you read and follow the discussions on big threads?
#30If you want to read every comment in a thread, https://hnrss.org/item?id= Otherwise, though, HN itself has a terrible format that's nearly impossible to follow.
I'm not a web developer. Would you mind explaining how I'd use that snippet?