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User:GhostInTheMachine/TalkHelper

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GhostInTheMachineTalkAllHelpMiscModulesOtherLayoutPhotosProjectsScriptsTidyingTidyingSDTODOUBXWIP2024-08-11 12:50:59

Purpose

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This family of scripts aims to help when reading a long talk page.

The scripts do not alter any article but they highlight talk posts so that they are easier to identify.

Prerequisites

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All versions of the script require the CommentsInLocalTime gadget to be enabled.

  1. Go to the gadgets tab of your preferences
  2. Enable "Change UTC-based times and dates, such as those used in signatures, to be relative to local time"
  3. Save

Notes

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This script also loads CSS to fix the sidebar menu at the top of the display — see User:BrandonXLF/FloatSide.

Version 1

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The script hunts for timestamps previously found by the CommentsInLocalTime gadget and selects any that are for yesterday and today.

It then adds a background colour and a border around each of the posts.

If any posts were found, the script will:

  • add a menu button showing the count - clicking the menu item will scroll to the first post

See TalkHelper1

Version 2

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This version behaves as version 1 but will also:

  • build a table of contents for the posts, sorted into time order, and add this table to the left-hand sidebar.
  • to provide space in the sidebar, the script also alters the existing sidebar menus so that they can be collapsed.

See TalkHelper2

Version 3

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The next version is currently in progress and is evolving.

Installing

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Add the following line to your common.js file if you want the latest version of the script

{{subst:Lusc|User:GhostInTheMachine/TalkHelper.js}}

Add the following line to your common.js file if you specifically want version 1

{{subst:Lusc|User:GhostInTheMachine/TalkHelper1.js}}

or version 2

{{subst:Lusc|User:GhostInTheMachine/TalkHelper2.js}}

Alternatives

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Since they were created in 2004, talk pages have been edited in the same way as any other page.

There is currently a WMF project to improve talk page editing, but that project does not seem to address the readability of talk pages.

See also

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