7 votes

Is this a reply quoting bug or feature?

Tags: bug, feature

I noticed an odd behavior, and I can't tell if it's an intended feature, or if it's a mistake. I selected some text in a comment. I then scrolled it offscreen as I read more comments. Eventually, I started to reply to a comment further down on the page. When I pressed the "Reply" button, it used the selected text from an entirely different comment as a quote block in the reply.

I think it makes sense to pull selected text into a reply, if the selected text is part of the comment you're replying to. I was surprised to see it happen when replying to a different comment. Is this intentional or a bug?

8 comments

  1. [2]
    sron
    Link
    Works for me too. I'd say it's intentional!

    Works for me too. I'd say it's intentional!

    4 votes
    1. Erik
      Link Parent
      Works on mobile too.

      say it's intentional!

      Works on mobile too.

      1 vote
  2. [2]
    stu2b50
    Link
    This behavior also works on reddit (or, at least the old reddit interface) for ages now, so I'm guessing it's intentional.

    This behavior also works on reddit (or, at least the old reddit interface) for ages now, so I'm guessing it's intentional.

    4 votes
    1. joplin
      Link Parent
      Is it frequent that people want to reply to a post with the text of a different post? (I mean besides passively aggressively responding to questions like, "But what does that actually mean?") I...

      Is it frequent that people want to reply to a post with the text of a different post? (I mean besides passively aggressively responding to questions like, "But what does that actually mean?") I would have thought the vast majority of people want to quote the post they're replying to, especially if it contains quotes that might become nested.

  3. [2]
    wirelyre
    Link
    Relevant source code. Seems like the behavior is working as currently intended: copy the selection if it is entirely contained within a single comment's text.

    Relevant source code.

    Seems like the behavior is working as currently intended: copy the selection if it is entirely contained within a single comment's text.

    2 votes
    1. joplin
      Link Parent
      OK, then. Seems weird to me, but if that's what people want, and that's what's implemented, I guess it's intended. Thanks!

      OK, then. Seems weird to me, but if that's what people want, and that's what's implemented, I guess it's intended. Thanks!

      1 vote
  4. mrbig
    (edited )
    Link
    Yeah, I think I remember this being requested.

    Yeah, I think I remember this being requested.

    2 votes
  5. skybrian
    Link
    So that's how it works? I was confused by this feature, but just deleted the text when it happened. It seems too clever by half.

    So that's how it works? I was confused by this feature, but just deleted the text when it happened. It seems too clever by half.

    1 vote