User:Whatamidoing (WMF)/Sandbox2

It's not always obvious where a comment "should" go. Here's a description of where the Reply tool places comments. Usually it's simple, but sometimes the list structure isn't obvious, especially if there is a long sub-thread in a discussion.

Simple discussions

Simple threaded discussion

In this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. So long as each user clicks on the [reply] button in the last, most-indented comment, the comments will continue this pattern regardless of indentation depth or screen width.

Original post. Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)

February Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March Alice (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April Bob (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May Alice (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June Bob (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)

Simple vote

In this style, User:Example posts a comment. Twelve people reply to the original comment, forming a single list.

As of 2022, creating a numbered list is not supported by the Reply tool. Creating a bullet list is only supported if your wiki has been configured to prefer bullet lists. At most wikis, you need to use the [edit source] button instead.

Original post. Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

• January Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)
• February Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)
• March Carol (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)
• April Dave (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)
• May Eve (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)
• June Frank (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)
• July Grace (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)
• August Heidi (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)
• September Ivan (talk) 9 January 2022 (UTC)
• October Jada (talk) 10 January 2022 (UTC)
• November Kai (talk) 11 January 2022 (UTC)
• December Lee (talk) 12 January 2022 (UTC)

Complex discussions

Threaded discussion: Comment appears at the end

In this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. The next day, Bob replies directly to the original post.

Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)

February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March —Alice (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April —Bob (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May —Alice (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June —Bob (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)

July —Bob (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)

Bob's comment is placed at the end, because this preserves chronological order as well as the meaning. If Bob's late reply to the original post were placed at the top, then it would look like Bob's "February" comment was in response to Bob's "July" comment, instead of being a response to Alice's "January" comment.

Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)

July —Bob (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)

February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March —Alice (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April —Bob (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May —Alice (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June —Bob (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)

Threaded discussion: Comment appears in the middle

In this style, User:Example posts a comment. Alice and Bob reply to each other's comments. The next day, Bob replies a second time to Alice's first comment. The day after that, Alice replies to Bob's "June" comment of 6 January (not to Bob's "July" comment of 7 January). This causes the discussion to be out of chronological order, but it preserves the meaning.

Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)

February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March —Alice (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April —Bob (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May —Alice (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June —Bob (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)

August is better than June. —Alice (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)

Not January. July! —Bob (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)

This can sometimes feel awkward, but the alternative is that the later comment from Bob appears out of chronological order, before any of the original comments. This is rarely wanted, so it's not the style used in the Reply tool:

Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)

Not January. July! —Bob (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)

February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March —Alice (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April —Bob (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May —Alice (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June —Bob (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)

August is better than June. —Alice (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)

Vote with threaded comments

In this style, User:Example posts a comment. Twelve people reply to the original comment, forming a single list. The next day, Bob replies to two other voters (Carol and Lee). Carol replies to Bob's comment. This causes the discussion to be out of chronological order, but it preserves the meaning.

Original post. —Example (talk) 31 December 2021 (UTC)

• January —Alice (talk) 1 January 2022 (UTC)
• February —Bob (talk) 2 January 2022 (UTC)
• March —Carol (talk) 3 January 2022 (UTC)
  • February is better for me. —Bob (talk) 13 January 2022 (UTC)
    • March is better for me. —Carol (talk) 14 January 2022 (UTC)
• April —Dave (talk) 4 January 2022 (UTC)
• May —Eve (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)
• June —Frank (talk) 6 January 2022 (UTC)
• July —Grace (talk) 7 January 2022 (UTC)
• August —Heidi (talk) 8 January 2022 (UTC)
• September —Ivan (talk) 9 January 2022 (UTC)
• October —Jada (talk) 10 January 2022 (UTC)
• November —Kai (talk) 11 January 2022 (UTC)
• December —Lee (talk) 12 January 2022 (UTC)
  • February is better for me. —Bob (talk) 13 January 2022 (UTC)

Testing area

Original post. —Example (talk) 12:31, 31 December 2021 (UTC)

January —Alice (talk) 13:01, 1 January 2022 (UTC)

February —Bob (talk) 13:02, 2 January 2022 (UTC)

March —Alice (talk) 13:03, 3 January 2022 (UTC)

April —Bob (talk) 14:04, 4 January 2022 (UTC)

May —Alice (talk) 15:05, 5 January 2022 (UTC)

June —Bob (talk) 16:06, 6 January 2022 (UTC)

August is better than June. —Alice (talk) 18:08, 8 January 2022 (UTC)

@Wickey, I've added this area for live testing. I clicked the [reply] button for the "Feburary" comment. Therefore, my reply should be posted in line with "March", and after the sub-discussion/tangent about April–May-June–August between Alice and Bob. Whatamidoing (WMF) (talk) 18:53, 17 February 2022 (UTC)

Not January. July —Bob (talk) 17:07, 7 January 2022 (UTC)