Telescopictext • Hacker News Board

Re: Telescopictext

#31

Post by tuhin » Mon, May 16, 2011, 5:01 AM UTC

Smerity wrote: post #13

pufuwozu wrote: post #8

Wow, the http://www.telescopictext.org/ website is a very slick tool to create your own. I created an example one here (made a few typos that I couldn't figure out how to fix): http://www.telescopictext.org/text/AYeELHzYgVV8b

It has the feel of interactive embedded footnotes with positive reinforcement for opening them -- each time I clicked it revealed a few more features about you. Positive reinforcement is an important factor as you feel like you're discovering information hidden at a deeper level. Even if dozens, or even hundreds, have discovered that "secret" before it still feels like you've achieved something. The alt-text on XKCD…

Here Simon Collison has tried a decent approach for footnotes: http://colly.com/comments/redesigning_the_undesigned/

Search for "A few Easter eggs"

Re: Telescopictext

#32

Post by ramdac » Mon, May 16, 2011, 5:36 AM UTC

This is how cliff's notes should work.

Re: Telescopictext

#33

Post by solipsist » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:02 AM UTC

akent wrote: post #19

arctangent wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for the TLDR. I wondered whether the text would just keep expanding forever... In some ways I am sad that it did not.

Isn't the TL;DR "I made tea" ?

I think he meant, TL;DE (To Long; Didn't Expand)

;)

Re: Telescopictext

#34

Post by ryanga » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:03 AM UTC

A reverse tl;dr. I've got an urge to try formatting my resume like this.

Re: Telescopictext

#35

Post by jeffool » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:08 AM UTC

edsrzf wrote: post #12

It might be nice to read news articles this way. Start with the headline and expand the parts that interest you the most. I can imagine it being difficult to write that way, though.

I agree, and did a little example of such:

http://www.telescopictext.org/text/3r3OhSm1fuXVT

I did a better go at it, but then realized I'd yet to sign up... I didn't quite have the mettle to do as good a job on the second attempt. But I certainly think it'd be interesting to have this on a site.

Re: Telescopictext

#36

Post by 6ren » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:34 AM UTC

Smerity wrote: post #13

pufuwozu wrote: post #8

Wow, the http://www.telescopictext.org/ website is a very slick tool to create your own. I created an example one here (made a few typos that I couldn't figure out how to fix): http://www.telescopictext.org/text/AYeELHzYgVV8b

It has the feel of interactive embedded footnotes with positive reinforcement for opening them -- each time I clicked it revealed a few more features about you. Positive reinforcement is an important factor as you feel like you're discovering information hidden at a deeper level. Even if dozens, or even hundreds, have discovered that "secret" before it still feels like you've achieved something. The alt-text on XKCD…

Arguably, hyperlinks are footnotes.

Re: Telescopictext

#37

Post by InfinityX0 » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:44 AM UTC

I see some deeper meaning in this - in that it is an explicit way to show how communication can be parsed down so simply. Many writers/communicators want to extrapolate every thought into word tombs - when they can very often be summated in something as small as "I made tea." Beautiful execution, here, on getting me (and hopefully others) to think about writing/communicating more simplistically - and then actually doing it.

Otherwise stated, "This makes me want to communicate more simply."

Re: Telescopictext

#38

Post by nolanw » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:54 AM UTC

dennisgorelik wrote: post #20

The text does not collapse back...

Is your refresh button broken?

Re: Telescopictext

#39

Post by dennisgorelik » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:55 AM UTC

nolanw wrote: post #38

dennisgorelik wrote: post #20

The text does not collapse back...

Is your refresh button broken?

That collapses all the way back. Where's partial collapse?

Re: Telescopictext

#40

Post by BasDirks » Mon, May 16, 2011, 6:58 AM UTC

Based on one of the comments below I couldn't help but wonder: Would trying to program an "ever-expanding" text like this yield any new ideas in NLP?