Maniac
1
I’ve been using the quicknote feature a lot while patrolling, as it offers a quick and easy way to send messages to users. I noticed two things that I think would be pretty cool additions to the tool, and I’m proposing them here for discussion and (hopefully) future implementation. * Show the current templates posted on a user’s talk page. I think that if the quicknote tool listed the templates currently on the talk page (maybe below where the checkbox for giving thumbs up is?) it would help figure out which template to post or which message to send, especially in RC Patrol. You could quickly see if the user has ever received a warning template before, ever been blocked, ever received a welcome template, etc. * Create two new customizable “quick note template” buttons. In the tool there are currently two buttons, “Basic thanks” and “Coach for bad”. There’s a lot of white space next to them, and I think it would be cool if two customizable buttons were added there. You could put whatever templates (or regular messages) there that you use often; a welcome template, the warning template, and so on. This would save time in posting commonly used templates, so one doesn’t have to copy and paste or type out the template code. Any input? Thanks.
Lojjik
2
I also support such a change to the feature – it’d help a lot during RC Patrol. I constantly find myself blanking the default message in there because I don’t really use it that often (personal messages work well for thank yous).
May I add something? Can it be so that when you click one of the buttons it switches to a different version of that template? There are a lot of coach for bads, and some work better for other scenarios then others.
This is a good idea. I think there should be a better way of contacting users for bad/good edits. Maybe a “Quick Comment” would work for the discussion page…I’ve really wanted to see that implemented.
system
5
This could be handy, particularly the “warned” or “blocked” notice.
I’m apprehensive about doing anything that makes it easier to use canned templates, rather than write a personal note. The quick notes were carefully written to be friendly, unassuming and not “templatey” and the warning template was deliberately avoided when quick note was designed. I’m worried that if we had a customizable button as you specified, the {{warning}} template would be tragically overused.
Lojjik
6
People who currently use {{warning}} responsibly wouldn’t do anything different just because there’s a button to post it so. As I can see, quick note can be used to deliver any message - congratulatory/rewarding or warning/coaching. If not the warning template, what about the test template? These templates are already written to be “as nice as possible” so I don’t think adding a button on the quick note tool for them will be of any harm.
May I suggest {{blank}}
? Vandals tend to blank a lot, so that may be useful.
Maniac
8
My second idea with the new buttons was to allow people to create custom buttons, with whatever they want in them, not buttons that have a predetermined single choice/template when you click them. I believe that this won’t necessarily promote
using templates, but would rather make it easier for regular contributors who send out certain messages repeatedly to do so faster and eliminate typing errors, time taken out to copy and paste, etc. I don’t think this will be abused, but would definitely save users time in the end to get back to what they were doing. If someone does abuse it and sends out warning messages to people who don’t deserve them, chances are they would have done it anyway, and it should be dealt with on a case by case basis. Nothing stops anyone with some limited coding knowledge from creating a script or keybind to do this already - however, it could instead be implemented into the site so everyone can enjoy it rather than a select few.
system
9
It isn’t those people I am worried about
Some people are more likely than others to misuse harshly worded templates. Before we had the quick note feature installed, the {{warning}} (and other) templates were harshly overused. When we created the quick note feature with the “coach for bad” template notes, the people who overused warning templates started using the “coach for bad” notes instead, which are very gentle and unassuming.
The “coach for bad” templates are actually variations of the {{test}} template. If you are concerned that the current “coach for bad” templates are insufficient, we can create more of them, or edit the existing ones. I can definitely help with this.
Thanks for clarifying that
Sorry if I was unclear. I was specifying that my concern was that people would use it for templates, but I did understand that it wasn’t only for templates.
I don’t know, I think anytime you make it easier to post templates, more people will post more templates irresponsibly. This is what I have observed over the years through the different tools and adjustments we’ve made. Like I mentioned earlier, it is not people like you or Sudoking that I am concerned about. Out of all the people who patrol I estimate that about 50% of them are extremely responsible and conscientous patrollers. But that other 50%, given the power to leave another kind of template at the push of a button, are likely to misuse this feature, from the way I have seen people treat the opportunity to use templates easily in the past. One thing I want to clarify because I realize I may sound discouraging and I really don’t want to: My reluctance is not against the idea itself, this is actually a very good idea. My concern is against the reality of how people interact with other people when you make it even the tiniest bit easier for people to use templates. If I were to write a book on wikis one of my corollaries from my years spent here would be this: If you make it easier for people to use templates, most of them will use templates too often.
This is very true! But fortunately, historically the people with enough know-how to make scripts like these have not abused that ability and have used such knowledge wisely. If you and Sudoking wanted to do this I completely trust that you would be very responsible with it
“used such knowledge wisely”. You rang? I think any change that makes templates easier to bring up is good…I’d love to use a template complimenting someone on their work without having to find out what it is.
