New button on OOTS strip?

[ccjmk]

I've had this idea for a long time, but never could find a suitable place to suggest it, as there's nothing like a "suggestions subforum" anywere; also, it's specifically linked to OOTS so.. here goes nothing:

I thought that i'd be nice if it be added a new button on the array both top and bottom from the comic (somewhere between the First, Previous, Cast, Extras, Archive, Next and Last buttons) that will like each specific comic to it's Discussion Thread here in the OOTS subforum.

I can't really tell for the rest, but my main activity in giantitp forums is reading oots' discussion threads, and it's come handy a quick link there; Also, looking for discussion threads for specifically interesting old comics is currently forcedly via the search function, where a quick button doesn't really sound like a complex development. Not really a top priority, but may be well recieved, me thinks. Opinions?

[Thanatosia]

I actually really like this idea.

[Flame of Anor]

Isn't there a thread somewhere with a list of links to all the discussion threads? With, for some reason, the corresponding smilies?

Not that your idea is bad, but looking at the thread I mention could be a good interim measure.

[Gift Jeraff]

Isn't there a thread somewhere with a list of links to all the discussion threads? With, for some reason, the corresponding smilies?Separate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103669) threads (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188330).

[JoseB]

Isn't there a thread somewhere with a list of links to all the discussion threads? With, for some reason, the corresponding smilies?

Not that your idea is bad, but looking at the thread I mention could be a good interim measure.

The "Discussion Thread Index II" is in the forum and is regularly maintained by its creator.

Sometimes it falls to the 2nd or 3rd page, but never farther than that.

Here is the link to it.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103669

That thread provides the functionality of the proposed button, with the advantage of having all surviving discussion threads immediately available (without having to go to the comic in question first).

I say "surviving" discussion threads because a number of them were lost forever during the forum clean-up that took place some time ago.

[factotum]

That thread provides the functionality of the proposed button, with the advantage of having all surviving discussion threads immediately available (without having to go to the comic in question first).


Surely you'd WANT to go to the comic in question first before reading discussions about it? Maybe you're doing an archive binge and you see something odd and want to see the discussion about it...

However, I don't see this happening for three reasons:

a) Encourages thread necromancy, which is not allowed here.
b) A lot of the discussion threads have gone missing due to the forum clean-up, and I don't think there was a separate one for the first couple of hundred strips anyway.
c) Nowadays the forum and comic servers are separate, so linking them up to allow the comic server to check if there's a discussion thread available would be a royal PITA.

[ccjmk]

c) Nowadays the forum and comic servers are separate, so linking them up to allow the comic server to check if there's a discussion thread available would be a royal PITA.

OH, that pretty much screws my idea; thanks anyway for letting me know

[Ancalagon]

OH, that pretty much screws my idea; thanks anyway for letting me know

I think a) is an even harder limit.

Thread necromancy around here is very frowned upon and the mods usually want you to open new discussions if you want to re-discuss something. So no one is probably even looking at c).

[Flame of Anor]

I think a) is an even harder limit.

Thread necromancy around here is very frowned upon and the mods usually want you to open new discussions if you want to re-discuss something. So no one is probably even looking at c).

It wouldn't be that hard to just lock the threads...

[The Giant]

This is not something we're going to do. Those buttons exist statically; they all lead to the same places for every comic. In order to do the plan being suggested, we would have to break that and figure out a way to code the button over each comic individually (and since there's no pattern to what the URL of the discussion thread will be, it would have to be added manually each time the comic was updated). All of that amounts to a lot of unnecessary development work for what amounts to a shortcut to save you three clicks.

Also, for the future: Site suggestions belong in the Board Issues forum, where this will be moved now.