Do you think Fluther should put a timestamp next to each answer?

Yes!

That’s a terrific idea! Time AND date!

Most definitely, it would be a whole lot easier.

No, I like the zen-like elegance it has now. Less clutter.

And the time stamp should be a link to the quip. Something like: Fri 12:08 AM

Ok, how about just notating where a day passes within the thread, like the questions page does now. That way there wouldn’t be a date attached to each answer. Does this make sense?

I like that breedmitch, that way there is not so much clutter as you mentioned earlier.

Yeah, on the home page the dates are really light and unobtrusive. I mean we wouldn’t know if someone had answered six minutes or six hours ago, but does that really matter?

edit:: waiting for the “edit this response” button to go away. too much clutter!

I appriciate the irony in your latter comment!

ohm…

It’d be complicated to put where the day changes because it will differ depending on where you are on the globe due to timezones, that would complicate matters because you would have to dynamically find the time in which all the answers were made (in the timezone the code is written for), get the users timezone, compare each and every answer, then insert into the posts that cross over days the fact that they have changed day. It’s possible. But if there are many users on the site at one time I doubt the system will like it too mcuh. Plus it’d be a number of database calls (or a very large array of the answer timestamps taken from the database).

I would like to see something like August 22, 2008, 5:31 AM EDT at the end of a post.

August 22, 2008, 5:33 AM EDT

Yes, I’d like a time-stamp.

We could also voluntarily place one on each post, I guess.

August 22, 2008, 5:39 AM EDT

@Jack: I’m pretty sure they keep that in the database.

I agree, sometimes a question has been asked several months ago but people are still replying today, so it would be nice to see how active a certain post is.

Yes; I think I had requested it at some point in time.

I’d like to see some type of time reference, but instead of a time and date stamp (which would vary due to time zones), just have a reference to how long ago a post was made. For example, in 5 minutes, this post would have ‘posted 5 minutes ago’ and in ten minutes it would be showing ‘posted 10 minutes ago’. However, I am not a computer savvy person, therefore I don’t know how complicated that would be to program.

The time stamp wouldn’t need to be obtrusive. It could be small and placed after “Flag as” on the bottom line.

If not a time stamp, then a prompt for date and time when you enter an answer.

In addition, answers should be numbered so that one can reference a previous answer in THEIR answer.

Numbering answers is an excellent suggestion! Wish I had thought of thought of that myself, but I am not as smart as you.

August 22, 2008, 8:56 AM EDT

yes to the time stamp.

good idea I really thought it was a new feature after seeing a few posts from JackAdams. It doesn’t look too bad being a 1 liner. And I’m on an iPhone interface all the time.

I just thought I would try it out, and see what others thought.

August 22, 2008, 11:08 AM EDT

Yes to numbernig the posts in some way and I really like Marissa’s idea for noting the time.

i’d like a button near each post that would, when clicked, dispense a steaming hot waffle covered with butter and maple syrup out of my CD-ROM drive.

Andrew / Eric / Third guy, you folks paying attention?

In your profile, Fluther could be setup to request your home timezone… and then when any page is rendered, it could then give you a timestamp that makes sense where you are.

I think there are all sorts that people would want added, moving it closer and closer to a forum style site as opposed to a basic Q&A. However, the features requested so far are quite reasonable and good in my opinion including the ‘posted 5 minutes ago’ style like that provided with the question as well as being able to reference an answer. I just like Fluther as it is clean and minimal, adding more features, does, as I said before, bring it closer to the forum style site that it’s not.

What if the “posted 5 minutes ago” were next to “Flag as” in that same discreet manner?

I don’t think we need timestamps. If you want to answer the question, then answer the question. Timestamps might discourage people from answering if the last response was left too long ago.

I really agree with Marissa’s suggestion.

And I too think there should be a way to link to quips.

What about something at the top of the question saying “Last response, 2 days ago.” That would provide the information on how active the thread is without the obtrusive timestamps.

No. It would be blood annoying. It doesn’t tell you any thing you need to know, either you have an answer or you don’t. If you do, you just have to hope the right person looks at it.

I like shilolo’s idea. I think his and breedmitch’s are the best so far. I see no need for knowing what time something was posted, but the date of the las reply would be nice on the top of the page. That way, it’s there who want to see it, and out of the way for those who don’t.

People, can we whisper the time stamps? My head hurts every time I bump into one of those.

[dash][dash][timestamp][dash][dash]

By the way, I vote no time stamp. Too much clutter. Maybe make it a mouse over feature or something.

Thank you kevbo :)

Looking at Jack Adam’s posts around it’s starting to get annoying.
But I really think that it can be done discreetly.

Put it next to “flag as…” If that line is getting too long I would just reduce the “flag as” to a symbol – I mean, how often do we use this anyway?

Mouseover, as someone mentioned, is also a possibility.

It’s because his fonts are the same. The date/time stamp can be small, and in a lighter, less obtrusive color.

Wow I was gonna ask this same exact question.

How about putting a LINE next to an answer. So you know if it is RED and/or SHORT that the question was answered in less than a minute. or if it’s X pixels and blue that it took x minutes/hours etc.

this way it can still keep the “Zen” /simple awesome look (no numbers or extra text) and yet tell us about the time.

or a line with circles on it in every x th pixel (distance/inch) and each circle is 1/4 hour or 1 day etc. or the first circle is 15 min. and the second is an hour , day, week etc.

so if it is a Filled circle, you’d know that you made/missed the mark (even a point system for fast answers? )

I hope this wasn’t confusing, think about a timeline (a straight line with Empty circles every x inches) anyways….gahhhh

So…what would be the actual point of flagging an answer with a time-stamp?

August 28, 2008, 1:37 PM MDT

I’d say to know HOW FAST someone got a response. And you’d get extra Lurve if you get a GA withing x minutes etc. i dunno, it’s just COOL

@knotmyday: with the date and time stamp, I’d be able to tell when you posted, like now; I can see you posted that today and if I can figure out what MDT is in relation to GMT, I’d know exactly when. That way if you said “I’ll be on the operating table for the next 3 hours”, I’d know when to keep my fingers crossed for you. Or for simpler matters, I’d have some idea if you might be on fluther now and will see this response.

Okey-doke! Here’s the link I use to calculate zones.

I think it would be useful because answers might change over time. For example, someone asked how much the gas price was where you are… that number has fluctuated extensively over the past several months since the question was asked. So if someone were to read through those responses, it would be helpful to have a time frame if the different responses.

I use another site frequently (iRovr.com) that time stamps the responses to their time (USA Mountain); but when members log in, they specify their location, so the time stamps change relative to where you say you are.

We are currently looking into different methods of timestamping (on answers), but we are very hesitant to add new UI on elements that are repeated many times on a page.

Once we enter into the next non-join-process design phase, we’ll look into this.

Permalinks will definitely be added.

Thanks for the update Andrew :) It’ll be interesting to see what you come up with, and hopefully you’ll make choices that will please, not aggravate, the community!

Oh, I think you can be assured that we won’t aggravate.

I do like the idea of maybe implementing it in the bar on the ottom, maybe just make it a clock symbol that will show time/date if clicked on or mouse rollovered? So those of us wondering when did you say that could know and those who don’t carecan ignore it

I can get behind that.

yes

Yes.