wowbagger's Journal: Your feedback wanted on the Slashdot Discussion System

Well, perhaps there is hope for Slashdot. Or perhaps it is just my blood sugar being low, as dinner is still cooking.

I received the following email:

From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Your feedback wanted on the Slashdot Discussion System
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 17:13:46 -0400 (11/01/2010 04:13:46 PM)

Greetings Slashdot Discussion User,

We'd like your feedback on the Slashdot Discussion system.

Recently we performed a test moving many users who had chosen the
Classic Discussion System over to our newer Discussion2 system.
During the process we took note of which users switched their pref
back to the Classic Discussion System, and noticed you were among
those users.

You've shown your preference for the Classic Discussion System, but we
want to know *why* you prefer it, and *what* you prefer about it.

We'd like you to let us know:
    * What you don't like, doesn't work, is confusing, or missing from
Discussion2.
    * What can we improve on Discussion2 to make it more usable for you?
    * What are your main reasons for preferring the Classic Discussion System?
    * What features of Classic Discussion make it easier for you to
read, moderate, and participate in discussions?

You can give us your feedback by replying to this email, or sending a
message to [e-mail]

Thanks for all your contributions on Slashdot. We look forward to
your feedback, and using it to make Slashdot better for you, and all
your fellow commenters, readers, and moderators.

-- The Slashdot Team

To which I replied:

On Mon, 2010-11-01 at 17:13 -0400, [e-mail] wrote:
    * What you don't like
> Being REQUIRED to use Javascript
, doesn't work
> Pretty much the whole thing, if you turn off Javascript.
, is confusing, or missing from
> Discussion2.
> A graceful fallback to operating without Javascript.
    * What are your main reasons for preferring the Classic Discussion System?
> That I don't have to run arbitrary code from the Internet to use it. Javascript is a Turing complete language, so this idea that it can be made "safe" is just another way of saying "Hey, I've solved the Halting Problem!".

    * What features of Classic Discussion make it easier for you to
> read,
> Again, that Javascript isn't sucking down all my machine
  moderate,
> Ha! As if I CAN ever moderate! I had not seen mod points in two years when I finally decided to not waste my time on metamoderation or moderation.
> and participate in discussions
Of course, writing comments, especially in a Journal Entry, is almost impossible with classic, as you have still made everything almost completely dependent upon Javascript. I am sure you will be able to track down the last little bit of usability without Javascript and eliminate it, however.

Solving the halting problem....

[Kymermosst]

That I don't have to run arbitrary code from the Internet to use it. Javascript is a Turing complete language, so this idea that it can be made "safe" is just another way of saying "Hey, I've solved the Halting Problem!".

Hahaha I love it. Excellent.

Re:

[Short Circuit]

That's an epic line...

Re:

[Qzukk]

Personally, I liked

I am sure you will be able to track down the last little bit of usability without Javascript and eliminate it, however.

+1 sad but true.

GMail thinks this might be a scam...

[damn_registrars]

...and I tend to agree. When did slashdot ever want user feedback? I got the same email but I don't think it means anything. If anyone reads that email at all (at least anyone who works for slashdot) I would be astonished.

Remember a while back when slashdot was having an auction to benefit the FSF? IIRC one of the things that was auctioned was an "@slashdot.org" email address; they in general care so little about user feedback I wouldn't be surprised if they would have sold "[e-mail]", an

Re:

[mcgrew]

I hate the new discussion system but they stacked the deck in its favor -- there's no "slow down cowboy" in the new system. I hadn't seen a "slow down cowboy" until they shoved the new system at me and I went back to the old system, for half an hour.

I hate that I can't edit and preview a comment at the same time.

I hate the way I hit the PdGn key, it scrolls down then scrolls back up. WTF?

I hate the way that it keeps refresshing itself with new comments; it's hard to get past the replies to the first post.

An