Topic on Talk:Talk pages project/Replying/Flow

phab:T254366: Add @ mention affordance to visual mode's toolbar

phab:T255738: Make it clear in the visual mode comments will be automatically signed

phab:T250523: Determine which Reply text input should be shown by default

Version 2.0 testing feedback

TASK #4: What are your initial impressions of the tool? What stands out to you? Do you find something particularly eye-catching? Confusing? I like that it defaults to Wikisource for me but is that something that is user preference and/or something a community could decide which would be the default on its own?

TASK #5: Could you figure out how to write and style a comment in the tool's visual mode do so? What did you think of this experience? I really like writing content in VE and this reminds me of that.

TASK #6: Could you figure out how to ping someone who has commented in the section you are replying in? What did you think of this experience? I mean I guessed it was an @ sign but I don't understand why you don't make a button for that along with b, i, a, link.

TASK #7: Could you figure out how to ping someone who has not commented in the section you are replying in? What did you think of this experience? Yes but that's because you've told me it worked.

TASK #8: Could you figure out how to delete the ping you created in Task #7? What did you think of this experience?

Yes because of VE experience.

TASK #9: Could you figure out how to see the comment you were writing in the visual mode, in the source mode before posting the comment to the talk page? What – if any – part the wikitext looked different from how you expected?

Easy enough

TASK #10: Could you figure out how to post the comment you had written in Tasks #1 - #9 to the talk page?

Very straight forward

TASK #11: Does the diff you created by posting a comment look as you expected? What – if anything – were you surprised to see?

Looks about right except that if I were only in visual mode I wouldn't know that it added the sig automatically and so I could easily type the four tildes and nothing happens until I post reply when I suddenly have my signature and just four plain tildes.

OVERALL: If there are other comments or questions you would like to make the team aware of, please write them here.

@Barkeep49 – great to see you again. Thank you for giving the tool a try and sharing the feedback you had. Some follow up questions and comments below...

Follow up questions for you

Regarding the text input mode that is shown by default, how – if at all – do you think the preference a community has set for what full page editing interface is shown in the article name space relates to the text input mode that is shown by default in the Reply tool?

except that if I were only in visual mode I wouldn't know that it added the sig automatically and so I could easily type the four tildes and nothing happens until I post reply when I suddenly have my signature and just four plain tildes.

Typing ~~~~ in the tool's visual mode to sign the comment you were posting: is this something you did instinctively or something you did intentionally to better understand how the tool works?

In the meantime, here is a ticket for this issue: phab:T255738

Comments

I like that it defaults to Wikisource for me but is that something that is user preference and/or something a community could decide which would be the default on its own?

Good question. The tool currently works in the following way:

- When someone who has a preference set in Preference > Editing > Editing Mode uses the Reply tool for the first time, they will see the text input mode that matches the preference they have already set.

- When someone who does not have a preference set in Preference > Editing > Editing Mode uses the Reply tool for the first time, they will see the text input mode that the community has defined.

...the logic above is explained in detail here: phab:T250523

I really like writing content in VE and this reminds me of that.

Awesome. If there are particular things you like about the Visual mode, we would be keen to hear, but no expectation.

I mean I guessed it was an @ sign but I don't understand why you don't make a button for that along with b, i, a, link.

Good call. A button for the pinging feature has been added. You can see how it looks and works here: https://en.wikipedia.beta.wmflabs.org/wiki/Talk:Cats.

I type the four tildes out of habit. I'm discussing something so of course I'm going to sign it at the end.

The button to mention a user is a big positive. Also makes clear you can mention other people.

I type the four tildes out of habit. I'm discussing something so of course I'm going to sign it at the end.

Simple enough. Thank you for explaining that.

The button to mention a user is a big positive. Also makes clear you can mention other people.

Excellent.