Comments and File Clean-up

I’ve added in the ability to post comments on activities, tags, and news posts like this one. You’ll have to register an account on the site, and once you’ve verified your e-mail address, you can comment away with aplomb. Like activities, a moderator has to verify the comment before it shows up on the site. This is primarily to keep spam out.

If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you’re probably aware of the benefits and pitfalls of comment sections. Comments can either be extremely helpful, with knowledgeable people pointing out something that other people may not have noticed, or in the worst case scenario, about as pleasant to read as public restroom graffiti. Obviously we’d like to avoid the latter!

At the outset, I’m hoping that we can avoid arguments and general coarseness by sticking with a short rule: Make sure your comments contain positive or constructive feedback. As with teaching, it’s important to give people feedback in a manner that gives them a positive motivation to act and improve. Let’s hope we can set a good example now for everyone who will use the site in the future!

There’s one more idea I had for the comment system that I want to explain. People often use comments to point out mistakes or issues with something, but once it’s fixed, the comment still sticks around. If someone leaves a comment on your activity and you address their point, you can mark the comment as “solved.” This will make it a little tinier and grayer, so future readers will know that you’ve acted on the feedback.

The other thing I added recently is the ability to delete files on your activities. Maybe you uploaded the wrong file, or you have an updated version of a file to go with a revision to your activity. Make sure you’re logged in and then go to your activity’s page and click on the “Edit” button. At the bottom of the page, you should see a listing of all of the files in your activity, and a small icon next to each file that you can click on to delete that file. You can then attach any new files you have, along with any other changes you want to make to the activity. Make it the best it can be!

We’ll try and evolve the system to serve the needs of everyone using the site. Please let us know how the site is working for you!