A "save As Draft" Button saving your topics or posts for later editing

[master_bacarra 0]

i realized while typing earlier i had the urge to find a "save as draft" button. i guess i was so fixated with my blog. but anyway, my point is what if the forum was to include this feature so whatever you write, you could save them for posting later on. i was thinking maybe some people would have some stuff to do and they have to shut down the computer (not everyone can leave their computer on, and that would be a waste of energy), but they have already written their topics/posts. moreover, some people would have second thoughts in posting their topics so they could save them and look at them later on if they want to post it.i know there are some tricks in allowing your post to be saved while you shut down your computer, like saving it on a text editor, or closing the firefox window through the task manager and reopening the session later when you restart your computer, but i think that's somewhat out of context with regards to the forum.i know that some of you might say, well there's always the "edit post" button so they could edit their posts later on, but that doesn't give them the opportunity to cancel something that they have said already (you know, some people might regret what they've said), and people might have reacted to it already. although i know this one would be a contradictory to the idea of the credit system for hosted members, but i think it's worth the shot.the preview button might help, but i don't think a lot of posters use the button to "actually" look at their posts and review it before they post it. i think this feature would be more convenient than let's say, a poster requesting a mod to delete his topic. that would be less clutter in the forum.what do you guys think? comments and violent reactions are welcome.

[Misanthrope 0]

violent reactions are welcome

I see the Master is quickly acquiring "evil" terminology! I'm surprised no one's chimed on this idea whose time has come. Yes - I think this is an excellent idea given the fast paced society we live in today. I mean, I can't even count the times I've wanted to begin responding to a post, but decided not to as I was just getting ready to run an errand or some such drudgery. And like the topic starter eluded to, it's not always practical or possible to have a text editor up on the screen all the times. With the number of typos I see on this board it's apparent members, myself included, don't use the preview option as much as they should, due in part to time constraints.
How many of us have written something we later regreted, but didn't want to bother a mod to erase it and/or move it for us? A draft option would give folks a little more time to mull things over before jumping in head first. And while spontaneous response certainly has it's place, some threads would be better served with bit more reflection. So yes, bring on a "save draft" option. It may be a headache to install, but in the end, I think the Trap would end up with not only more posts, but more quality posts. And isn't that entire goal?

[master_bacarra 0]

I see the Master is quickly acquiring "evil" terminology!

lol, i'm trying my best

but didn't want to bother a mod to erase it and/or move it for us?

i realized some members seemed to be in need of a moderator's or admin's attention most of the time. they're like babies wanting to be carried by their mothers. it's nothing offensive though . it feels like it's always the moderators and admins who do most of the stuff (tending to everyone's needs, although i know it IS their job, we could at least lessen it).

my thought of posting this was for practicality and convenience, not only to the topic starter, but also to the forum staff as well.

[sylenzednuke 0]

I think this is one good idea. I usually save my posts and other things such as scraps (orkut) on Notepad when I have to do something in very urgent and leave the computer.I'm guessing installing it will be not that easy, but I guess it'll be worth it. But then, it should get deleted and we shouldn't have two things taking space on the database, the final post and the draft. I have never used the "Preview" button ever while posting on Xisto I guess. It'll create less problems for someone who said something they later realized they shouldn't had, or to lessen the load on Admins and MODs. They already edit the topics, I guess the "Save as Draft" thing would help in some other ways too.But what if it might be clashing with the credit system? No one knows how exactly OpaQue coded it. Maybe Buff does, but still. I am waiting for his reply on this topic then.

[master_bacarra 0]

But what if it might be clashing with the credit system? No one knows how exactly OpaQue coded it. Maybe Buff does, but still. I am waiting for his reply on this topic then.

hmm... indeed. but i can't seem to think of any situation that it would clash with the credit system. do you mean code-wise? i might agree if it's code-wise. i think the credit system works separately with the database (with the former as part of the front-end and the latter as the back-end), and the credit system would only take effect as soon as it is published (just my theory though ).

[serverph 0]

don't know how feasible this can be with our hosting credits system set-up. but why complicate things, right?

 

if your notepad on your PC doesn't fit the bill, and you really want to save a draft copy of your post on Xisto forums -- there is a way.

 

you can always use "Your Personal Note Pad" readily available in your forum control panel (labeled as My Controls, linked on menu on top of this page). need small, medium, large notes to save, no problem! you can choose the notepad size as you wish. just don't forget to press the [uPDATE] button if you're working something on it. i don't have to tell you why, right?

 

i use it, as i need it, for making Xisto notes which i want to keep for myself. this is a work-around, a substitute if you may for the issue at hand. if you want to make use of it to make draft notes, you can just transfer it to a new topic thread afterwards. i don't think a "save as draft" option will be available any time soon without tinkering with the code for the hosting credits system.

[master_bacarra 0]

you can always use "Your Personal Note Pad" readily available in your forum control panel (labeled as My Controls, linked on menu on top of this page). need small, medium, large notes to save, no problem! you can choose the notepad size as you wish. just don't forget to press the [uPDATE] button if you're working something on it. i don't have to tell you why, right?

oh yeah right right. i forgot that one. i actually didn't realize the purpose of that until you mentioned it but then again, what happens if you have multiple posts? cutting the text from the personal note pad, then looking up the forum where your topic should be posted, and publishing it takes a lot of steps, don't you think? compared to posting it up and clicking the "save as draft" button. surely that would be a lot convenient.

[serverph 0]

oh yeah right right. i forgot that one. i actually didn't realize the purpose of that until you mentioned it but then again, what happens if you have multiple posts? cutting the text from the personal note pad, then looking up the forum where your topic should be posted, and publishing it takes a lot of steps, don't you think? compared to posting it up and clicking the "save as draft" button. surely that would be a lot convenient.

a prolific multi-tasker now, are we? i disagree on your points. you can copy and paste the URIs of the topics to your personal notepad, even if you have a multitude of topics you want to save a draft on. and it is more convenient in many ways, since you'll have to re-open the threads anyway if you want to make your drafts published. your method is in practice more inconvenient, since you have no way of knowing where your drafts would be! it will definitely not show in your directory of posts via your profile, since drafts are meant to be NOT visible (unless you admin/mod the forum). one thing more, a draft post will occupy a post number on the topic thread, and it will just be consuming precious mysql space. and what if you regret having the draft in the first place, or forget about it after all? who takes care of it? more work for admins and mods? hehe?

 

your personal notepad would be your best option. it stays private on your profile page, waiting for your action until you deem it proper to publish them, and it will not mess up the forum threads in any way.

[sylenzednuke 0]

hmm... indeed. but i can't seem to think of any situation that it would clash with the credit system. do you mean code-wise? i might agree if it's code-wise. i think the credit system works separately with the database (with the former as part of the front-end and the latter as the back-end), and the credit system would only take effect as soon as it is published (just my theory though ).

Well, yeah. I did mean code-wise because I don't think any of us members here actually know just how exactly the credit system has been coded, we can't really expect anything until we know how it works and/or some Admin or MODs who know about it post on this thread voicing their opinion about this button.

 

a prolific multi-tasker now, are we? i disagree on your points. you can copy and paste the URIs of the topics to your personal notepad, even if you have a multitude of topics you want to save a draft on. and it is more convenient in many ways, since you'll have to re-open the threads anyway if you want to make your drafts published. your method is in practice more inconvenient, since you have no way of knowing where your drafts would be! it will definitely not show in your directory of posts via your profile, since drafts are meant to be NOT visible (unless you admin/mod the forum). one thing more, a draft post will occupy a post number on the topic thread, and it will just be consuming precious mysql space. and what if you regret having the draft in the first place, or forget about it after all? who takes care of it? more work for admins and mods? hehe?

 

your personal notepad would be your best option. it stays private on your profile page, waiting for your action until you deem it proper to publish them, and it will not mess up the forum threads in any way.

Now this is one feature that was ignored second most, after the Preview feature by me! I'll start using it from now, seems to be pretty handy. And I agree with you on all points here, personal notepad does seem like one handy tool and could definitely be put to use pretty properly! But I am still with having a draft button as an idea for now, for a future MOD for IPB. And as you said you have no place to see drafts, like we have posts and topics section on our profile, we could as well have one for draft. And once it is finally posted as a post, the draft gets deleted from the database. Which would save up space too. But it'll take a while for this to work according to me, IPB, Xisto Credit system! And then in the drafts section you could have options to delete the draft entirely without actually posting it there, I know these are too many features but we need all of these to actually make the actual button/feature work efficiently.

 

I'll use Notepad and my personal notepad on my CP for now but I am still in for the idea.

[master_bacarra 0]

you can copy and paste the URIs of the topics to your personal notepad, even if you have a multitude of topics you want to save a draft on. and it is more convenient in many ways, since you'll have to re-open the threads anyway if you want to make your drafts published.

that's a good point. but then again, i guess it comes down to personal preference.

your method is in practice more inconvenient, since you have no way of knowing where your drafts would be! it will definitely not show in your directory of posts via your profile, since drafts are meant to be NOT visible (unless you admin/mod the forum).

why wouldn't it be visible? it's my draft and i think i have EVERY right to see it. and don't you think as a change in the forum, it would be added to your profile, similar to the personal messenger? once you write a reply on a topic, you have the option to save it for later, then at the my controls page, the list of drafts could be placed there, including a link to the original thread. so when you click the link, the draft is loaded to the editor, and it would appear as if you're just writing it the first time.

one thing more, a draft post will occupy a post number on the topic thread, and it will just be consuming precious mysql space.

not really. since if you try to write a topic, it will only reflect to the database once you've clicked the publish button, so the post number actually just increments once you've posted it already. a new table could be added to the database, with the forum number, thread number, title, and the body of the posts (and other relevant attributes). so instead of inserting a new row in the post table, it would insert to a new table, let's say, named "drafts". in this way, the post number wouldn't be affected by the sudden "change of heart".

and what if you regret having the draft in the first place, or forget about it after all? who takes care of it? more work for admins and mods? heheü

you're still looking at it in the view of a regular post/thread, that is always moderated by mods and admins. the drafts that you make are yours to tweak and the mods and admins have no way in interfering with it, nor they have the chance to modify it. like i said, it's a draft, it's placed in your personal area, and not somewhere in the forum any mod can access it UNTIL it is published.

Now this is one feature that was ignored second most, after the Preview feature by me!

i wonder how many members "actually" use that notepad.

And as you said you have no place to see drafts, like we have posts and topics section on our profile, we could as well have one for draft. And once it is finally posted as a post, the draft gets deleted from the database. Which would save up space too.

exactly what i was saying. you read my mind, sylenzed.

[sylenzednuke 0]

I guess m_b pretty much cleared out, and that were the exact reasons why I was still in for this button feature. Most people don't use the notepad and I don't even think they will as it's placed at an "unproper" place according to me, if they had another page for it ... maybe it would've come under people's eyes but as long as it is in the CP, no one will use it much. The reason can't be explained, it's just that it is.New ideas and suggestions are always a good place to post, I don't have to think much while typing, the posts are generally longer than usual and loads of credits, don't know why I never cared to get into this area.

[serverph 0]

i don't understand the resistance you seem to have with Your Personal Notepad.

 

why wouldn't it be visible? it's my draft and i think i have EVERY right to see it. and don't you think as a change in the forum, it would be added to your profile, similar to the personal messenger?

presumably. have you ever posted in the TUTORIALS section before? you post something and it's invisible initially... until an admin/mod PUBLISHES it (or approves the tutorial for viewing). while it is in an UNAPPROVED/UNPUBLISHED state, the post remains invisible, hidden even to the author of the post. same case in theoretical drafts if it gets used in the forums, i would say.

 

not really. since if you try to write a topic, it will only reflect to the database once you've clicked the publish button, so the post number actually just increments once you've posted it already.

a draft post gets a spot in the mysql. even in its draft stage, it is as good as published... but only held in abeyance. it is not something which stays in limbo, not acquiring any increment in mysql count even as draft.

 

you're still looking at it in the view of a regular post/thread, that is always moderated by mods and admins. the drafts that you make are yours to tweak and the mods and admins have no way in interfering with it, nor they have the chance to modify it.

of course i am viewing it as a regular post/thread, since i see a draft as tied in to a topic thread. in actuality however, anything in the forums is subject to admin/mod interference, if it is warranted.

 

i wonder how many members "actually" use that notepad.

count me as one, since it's the closest thing (for now) i find that is akin to a draft page, which i can leave behind and get back on to, as i need, while aboard the forums. but hey, to each his own.

 

i know this "save as draft" can be useful... to a certain extent. as sylenzednuke says, "most people don't use the notepad...", who can claim that the "save as draft" feature will not suffer the same predicament even it is present in our forums? for all we know, it will be delegated into the dustbin, collecting cobwebs, along with "your personal notepad".

 

as an idea it's good. and on a widely-used forum like IPB there should be something already in the line as part of the modules, or is there not? know of it in current use on any other IPB forum? even in invisionpower boards, the idea was brought out since early 2005. and after two years?

 

Xisto has got to forge its own "save as draft" code, fully integrated with the hosting credits system, if this idea is to get implemented here.

[Misanthrope 0]

i don't understand the resistance you seem to have with Your Personal Notepad. tongue.gif

Resit the Personal Notepad! Heck - I don't use it either because until now - I've never been aware of it's existence. And I imagine many members are also unaware of it's existence. I've seen good points made to support it's use, but frankly -I'd be much more likely to use a "draft save" function over a notepad any day of the week because 1)it would be in my face, and 2)it would be in my face. Ooops -sorry, did I repeat myself? My point is, people are lazy (at least I am), and I'm not going to jump through hoops to use a notepad I can't even locate on the freakin' board. Call it what you want, but people are more likely to seek the path of least resistance.

[master_bacarra 0]

i don't understand the resistance you seem to have with Your Personal Notepad.

lol i don't resist it. i was just trying to stand by this suggestion of mine

 

same case in theoretical drafts if it gets used in the forums, i would say.

huh? i was thinking the draft posts look more like a draft post in blogs and all. i don't really see the point of not showing it to the poster who made the topic and "saved it as draft"

 

of course i am viewing it as a regular post/thread, since i see a draft as tied in to a topic thread. in actuality however, anything in the forums is subject to admin/mod interference, if it is warranted.

that's why i was thinking maybe another table could be added on the database where the draft can be placed. in that way, it's still tied to the thread but the post count is not affected since it's only in "draft" stage.

 

i guess it goes down to preference. i could use the personal notepad, but as stubborn as i am i don't think i'll get myself into the habit of using that feature.

Edited June 15, 2007 by master_bacarra (see edit history)