wu :: forums - Print Page


    
      
        wu :: forums
        (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> Accidental Moderation
        
(Message started by: SMQ on Oct 1^st, 2007, 2:44pm)

Title: Accidental Moderation
Post by SMQ on Oct 1^st, 2007, 2:44pm

Several of us new moderators have found ourselves accidentally modifying posts rather than quoting them, and mention was made at one point of a Greasemonkey script to make that less error-prone. Well, here one is (http://www.dwarfrune.com/~smq/wu/wu_moderation.user.js). :D

The script does four things:
- It initially hides moderation functions until the "Moderator Powers, Activate!" link at the bottom of the page is clicked.
- It changes the color of all moderation function links from orange to light blue.
- It adds confirmation dialogs to all moderation functions which did not already have them.
- For non-moderated topics it hides all the non-functioning "Modify" links on posts.

The first three of those functions can be changed by editing the configuration variables at the top of the script. (Set colors to 'null' (no quotes) if you don't want them.)

(If you're not a moderator, but feel like installing the script anyway, the fourth function will work for you, too, but I'm sorry, the script can't give you moderator powers. ;))

I've tested the script under Firefox, IE and Opera, and it should work under Safari and Netscape as well (although I think all the mods are already using Firefox, no?). If you don't already have my math symbols script installed, instructions can be found in this FAQ thread (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=riddles_suggestions;action=display;num=1171644142), and this script installs the same way.

Hope that's helpful!

--SMQ

Title: Re: Accidental Moderation
Post by ThudanBlunder on Oct 1^st, 2007, 5:18pm

Very nice, SMQ! :)

Title: Re: Accidental Moderation
Post by srn347 on Oct 1^st, 2007, 9:07pm

Couldn't they just read(no offence mods, but it's true)?

Title: Re: Accidental Moderation
Post by SMQ on Oct 2^nd, 2007, 3:42am

With three little orange links with little white icons in the corner of every post it's pretty easy to accidentally click the wrong one (or the right one on the wrong post). Since the software that runs these forums doesn't have any "undo", the results of clicking the wrong link can be pretty harsh. Good user interface design makes it more difficult to make mistakes, and activation, separation (in this case by color rather than by space), and confirmation are all useful tools in that toolbox. I'm not forcing anyone to use the script, and it's configurable so mods can strike their own balance between ease of use and ease of misuse, but now more tools are available, that's all.

--SMQ

Title: Re: Accidental Moderation
Post by Eigenray on Oct 2^nd, 2007, 9:14pm

Sweet. That's so redundant, even I'll have a hard time screwing it up. What, no magic swords held aloft?