Adding Smilies to Post Titles: A Guide for Forum Users

[tiny-tim]

Why can't we add a smilie to the title of a post?

We can add one to the title of a PM - I've just done it!

 

[jostpuur]

I think the option vanished at some point. Earlier smilies were available for the title. However, I noticed that Chris Hillman kept putting smilies into the title even after the option had vanished! Perhaps he knows something we don't!

 

[Moonbear]

The option was removed to leave space for the quick preview button in the forum index.

 

[tiny-tim]

quick preview buttons

The option was removed to leave space for the quick preview button in the forum index.

ooh, I never knew there was a quick preview button!

I've just tried a few - they're quite useful - shouldn't there be a column heading, or something else, drawing attention to them?

 

[Kurdt]

ooh, I never knew there was a quick preview button!

I've just tried a few - they're quite useful - shouldn't there be a column heading, or something else, drawing attention to them?

I think a column heading would be too much. They were announced but I just guess people are left to discover for themselves.

 

[_Mayday_]

_Mayday_

 

[tiny-tim]

… I've done it! …

ooh … I've done it …

General announcement​

You can add a smilie to the title of a post by editing it immediately after you post it, and clicking "Go Advanced" on the edit page, and adding the smilie at that stage!​

Let's see …

Nope … didn't work … that's odd …

It worked at https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1649368#post1649368

I wonder what I did differently?

oh yes … that's it …

woohoo! ​

 

[cristo]

ooh … I've done it …

General announcement​

You can add a smilie to the title of a post by editing it immediately after you post it, and clicking "Go Advanced" on the edit page, and adding the smilie at that stage!​

Let's see …

Nope … didn't work … that's odd …

It worked at https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1649368#post1649368

I wonder what I did differently?

oh yes … that's it …

woohoo! ​

Well, yes, it still works for titles of posts, but not titles of threads.

 

[G01]

I think it was over-all a good trade. Having a smiley in your thread title is fun, but being able to preview the posts without actually opening the thread is much more useful.

 

[Moonbear]

I think it was over-all a good trade. Having a smiley in your thread title is fun, but being able to preview the posts without actually opening the thread is much more useful.

Overall, very few people used the smilies in their thread titles anyway, so getting rid of something that was rarely used and doesn't really add any functionality for something that does add functionality seemed good to me too.

As for a column heading/label, unless you can think of a heading that uses only one character, it's not going to fit. You're supposed to just be a curious person wondering what all the +s are in that column and click one to find out what it does.

 

[tiny-tim]

… just being curious …

Hi Moonbear!

I don't actually want thread title smilies -

I was just "a curious person wondering" … ! ​

But the preview icon is very unsuggestive - it looks more like a first-aid box.

I see its name is "expand.jpg" - perhaps it could be replaced by a little magnifying glass, so that more people know what it is?

(btw, if you click on a preview of a zero-replies thread - so you've seen the whole thread - does that mean you aren't counted in the "views" column?)