Now you can sort discussion topics in the DU forums by START TIME or LAST REPLY.

[Skinner]

Many of the forums on Democratic Underground move so quickly that it's virtually impossible to figure out which threads are new and which are old threads that were "kicked" by a recent reply. By default, the discussion threads inside a particular forum have always been sorted based on the time of their last reply, and there was no way to sort them based on the time the threads were started.

You now have the ability to sort any discussion thread either by Start time or by Last reply. Look closely at the top of every forum, in the black header row. At the top of the time column, there are now two links, which look like this:

Start time | Last reply

If you click the "Start time" link, then the threads will all be sorted by the time the thread was started. If you click "Last reply" then all the threads will return to their default sort, by time of the last reply.

The sort by Start time feature will be especially useful in forums like our popular Latest Breaking News forum or the new Video Forum so you can easily find the newest threads. Go ahead and give it a try.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in this thread.

Skinner
DU Admin

[SmokingJacket]

1. Whoa... so "kicking" is obsolete???

Kinda?

[Skinner]

7. Kinda... Not really.

I think most people will still read DU with threads sorted by last reply, so kicking is here to stay.

[Ron Green]

2. Another useful innovation from DU, the most up-to-date

and lively slug-fest on the 'nets.

[Nicole]

3. Fantastic!

:toast:

[madokie]

4. You guys totally rock

[maddezmom]

5. cool!

Took me a few tries to locate it. :D

[tridim]

6. Awesome.. But why can't we sort on "views" and "recs"?

Too much additional overhead?

[Skinner]

8. Too server intensive.

Sorry.

[RedEarth]

9. Without question the best laid out board on the Internets ...

[mmonk]

10. Thanks a boatload.

[Jawja]

11. Terrific!

Thank you, DU! :toast:

[Tin Man]

12. Yet another great feature - this is exactly why the DU forums put all others to shame

DU developers, :yourock:

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. Bravo!

:applause:

[Annces]

14. This is going to give my brain a short out

Too many choices for me. And statistics make me go into a daze.

[rainbow4321]

15. Is the "start time" using Eastern Time Zone?

I only ask cuz when I have it in "start time" there are posts w/ times that are a hour ahead of my CST but in the "last reply" the post time matches my local time...maybe it's always been EST and I just shouldn't be having my nicotine buzz on an empty stomach....


Very cool toys you guys have been giving us lately :toast:

[Elad]

19. Should be fixed now n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

16. Very cool !

I love that you don't spend our donations on RV's like "some people" do.

[LynzM]

17. Cool.

Give Elad a bonus or something, would you? :yourock:

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

18. Fabulous! I'll give it a try n/t

[Marnieworld]

20. Thank you!

This place gets better and better and you guys continue to impress!

Thanks.

:applause:

[benny05]

21. Sent a PM to you

Did you receive it? Thanks, Benny

[Imalittleteapot]

22. Web Geeks R Us

Err, you. You guys are amazing. Your ongoing improvements make DU site navigatation a snap and an enjoyable experience.
Thanks for all you do to make DU the best of the best.

Anyone who hasn't donated to DU should pony up now.

[chat_noir]

23. Hey, FReepers, can your forum do this?

Ask RimJob what he's done with all your money all these years!

[lonestarnot]

24. Fancy!

We are just getting high class around here! :woohoo: :applause: Yeah Skinner. You just rock! :yourock:

[Mr_Spock]

25. Cool!

Changing the dynamics here - that should be interesting!

[SeattleGirl]

26. You guys are amazing!

I love the new video forum, and I love this new way to sort threads. Thanks!

[GreenTea]

27. You should offer the Video Forum with a button on the home page

First page, so when people know they want to see a new political video they don't have to go through a couple of links and pages to find it...

As YouTube & Crooks & Liars does...as soon as you hit their link you are there at the video's....

I mean it's obvious that's your intention....

So make it as quick and easy as possible not buried somewhere.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

28. I noticed the "# of views" thing right away... this is even better!

most excellent. You're spoiling us, you know. :)

[brg5001]

29. DU admins make it happen -- automagically

:beer:
Yet another piece of technical poetry. Love the new video and sort features! Thanks guys!

[dchill]

30. Great!

I've been wanting that since, like, forever.
Thanks.

[madokie]

31. Why am I still getting this

Threads are not currently listed by time of last reply.
Click here to return to the default view.

[Skinner]

33. I don't understand the question.

You're getting that because your threads are not listed by time of last reply.

It will go away if you "Click here to return to the default view."

[madokie]

34. Ok

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

32. That's all well and good, Skinner.

But what I really want is a way to rank threads by argumentativeness. I think a fairly simple "argumentativeness factor" algorithm could be based on analyzing the tree discussion structure employed by threads on the forums. Threads with many leaf posts (for instance, one with nothing but 100 "right on!" responses to the OP, a photo of somebody dousing a freeper with melted lard) would be at the bottom of the list. Threads with relatively few leaf posts (The ones where the post-reply structure stretches 3/4 of the way across the screen. See: any Lieberman thread, ever) would be at the top. I want to know where to go for an argument!

Edit:

Example of a non-argumentative thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2552821

Example of an argumentative thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2541072

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

35. No it isn't!

[mmonk]

36. Thanks.