How to change order of replies WITHIN disucssions -- or how to add to roadmap

[Robin Moore]

Thanks for your improvements to the product.

What I'd like: I would really like to be able to sort the order of comments in discussion forums, chronological order, most recent first. I don't mind if I have to turn off threading (though I'd prefer not to). I don't care if it's a user setting or a system-wide default that I get to select as NC (though I'd prefer the latter). I just NEED it.

To clarify: I want to have replies on Forum discussion pages in reverse chronological order (newest first). The setting you currently provide is to change the order of discussions on the main forum page, which is different, unless I misunderstand it. If so, please clarify.

I'm pretty disappointed that this isn't an option now when it's the standard for most of the forums I've ever been on (its absence is one of the main reasons that FB discussions suck). How is a long conversation supposed to develop if you have to reread all the comments?

How do I make the strength of my desire for this feature known?

Any way of knowing whether your team is considering it already, or any way of influencing your next roadmap? I have seen other posts on sort order here on NC, but they're not illuminating in the least. And I also got a reply from Chris on this thread, but it was not relevant.

Interested to learn how to get this done.

Thanks!

Robin

 

[Chris]

I do appreciate where you're coming from, I think it's a good idea to have the same options apply to the Forum as to the rest of the network, so long as they are optional! Every network is different...

[Tim Cousar]

It's funny. Many people in my group want the comments on the blogs to be in order from oldest to newest, just as they are in the fora. I'd like to be able to set it that way for them.

[Chris]

You can. Have a look around your management area, it's there somewhere...

[Tracy Brown]

Hi Robin,

I'm so glad you posted this - I was doing a quick search to learn if anyone else asked this question before I went ahead and posted mine.

Our Gratitude Journal is currently 2100+ comments/replies long (177 pages).  We didn't envision this becoming the big "discussion" that it has (otherwise maybe we would have done it differently), but it's now one of the most popular sections in our website.  It's become a "place for members to hang out."

We absolutely want to be able to post newest comments first!  I am hoping that Ning will give us the option to do so (and keeping the threaded replies - absolutely necessary for us).  Some of the best content and conversation takes place in that discussion.

I'll keep my eye on your post Robin to learn if this option becomes available. Thanks again for posting it!  Others feel similar!

Tracy

[Dan "JR" Goodman]

Has this gotten any legs yet?   I have one forum where it is so diffucult to follow, I had to delete comments, because the thread is so long and no one wants to go through a tomn of pages to see the last reply

[Nicolette James]

I agree! I've continued to check on this to no avail. With all of the new and interesting updates that are being made you would think that this one would be easy to (especially since so many people are asking for it) I really  don't see what the  problem is. It really is quite unnerving to have to scroll through an entire discussion from the beginning--Come on Ning Admin--please get on this right away!

Thanks,

Niki

[Nicolette James]

Hey Robin,

Please let me know if you ever get an answer to this. It is my number one pet peeve about Ning and the only thing they don't seem willing to work on. I don't know why.

[Edward]

There should be a setting so NCs can change the default to show latest comment first.

[Barbara Schneier]

Robin i see you first posted about this in May and nothing has been done. This is a really big problem for us. I so want our discussion forum to be utilized, but people want to see the latest post first and not have to go to the 3rd or 4th page to see it. They just do not have the time. The latest post 1rst is the way all discussion forums work. I just cannot fathom that Ning does not get this. Why can't this be addressed and fixed? i don't understand why this is not at the top of Ning's list. Discussion Forums are so important and yet are treated as the least important by Ning. This is a way to get people involved and keep them coming back. I am pretty upset as I have been searching all over the web to see if anyone has come up with a solution and cannot find anyone who has pursued away of changing the chron order. I am seriously asking Ning to make this a priority and fix this and would appreciate a response that it is being done!!! News keeps happening and not to have the most current first does not make sense!!

[Mark O.]

Wow, a year's gone by and still no response from Ning?  This is such a clear limitation of the product.   And you know what really frustrates people even more? ...when they know that the software company is listening in on the forums, and choosing to ignore people.   Even if Ning said something like: "this is on our list of mods, but not a high priority at this time" it shows they at least care enough to respond to their customers.  But to ignore the people that are financing your company, is simply a slap in the face.   Ning has no excuse for not responding.

[Eric Suesz]

We definitely don't intend to ignore anyone. We try to respond to as many requests as we can. In fact, I believe I did respond to this one when it was requested in this very same discussion. I was the first responder:

Hi, Robin! This is a good idea, and it's one that has been requested before. I can't promise we can get it on the roadmap, but I will campaign for this for you with our product team.

So, yes, this is something we have on our list of things we'd like to do and that has been requested here on Creators. That is a long list, and we have been adding to our internal request documentation when more people request this specific feature. But, it hasn't risen to the level of a high priority. 

[Mark O.]

My apologies Eric.  Yours indeed was the first response.  But there doesn't seem to have been any follow up from Ning since then.  Now you're telling us that this mod is indeed on your list.  Pardon my ignorance.  I should probably know this as a Creator...is there a link to this list, where Creators can view the list and vote on specific new features?