Can Forum Index Titles Show First Post Content on Hover?

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The discussion centers on the suggestion to enhance forum usability by allowing users to see a preview of the first post's content when hovering over thread titles on the main index page. Currently, the hover feature only displays a generic message, which limits users' ability to gauge thread relevance, especially for titles that are not descriptive. The idea is seen as beneficial for exploring unfamiliar forums without the need to click through each thread. However, there are concerns about the technical feasibility of implementing such a feature, as it may involve access restrictions to thread content. Overall, the suggestion aims to improve user experience by providing more informative pop-ups.
Moonbear
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If it's not too much trouble...

Here's something that would be nice to see changed, if it doesn't require a ridiculous amount of effort to accomplish it (I can live without it, but would be nice to see added). You know how when you're in a forum and you hover the mouse pointer over a thread topic, it pops up with some of the content of the first post? When you're on the main index page, and you hover the mouse pointer over a thread topic, it just pops up and says something like, "Go to first thread in..." When I'm just roaming around the forum index and see a title that catches my eye in a forum I don't usually visit, it would be nice to get a pop up like I get when already in the forum, so I know if the thread really is something I'm interested in reading further. And, actually, it might be more useful when threads have rather generic sounding titles, but might contain really interesting information if I bothered to look.

Like I said, I can live without it. It hasn't killed me yet to follow the links and just enter the forum to read the first post; it just seems it would be a nice treat to get a more informative pop up to get a better sense of the topics under discussion in an unfamiliar forum. So, if Greg and/or Chroot are/is feeling really bored one day... :biggrin:
 
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I think this is a good idea, but since I've noticed the same feature in other forums, I suspect it is rather difficult to do something about it.

I'm no computer wiz, but I assume it has something to do with how forums and sub-forums are made:
Perhaps the actual text of a new thread is "private info" within the sub-forum, which cannot directly be accessed through the external forum? :confused:
 
arildno said:
I'm no computer wiz, but I assume it has something to do with how forums and sub-forums are made:
Perhaps the actual text of a new thread is "private info" within the sub-forum, which cannot directly be accessed through the external forum? :confused:

It might as well be magic and spells as far as I understand what goes on behind the scenes here. It might just be too hard to do (or maybe not possible at all). But, it's also possible nobody gave it much thought before, or maybe it's already on Greg's long list of things to do around here. We all do manage to keep him busy. :biggrin:
 
I want to thank those members who interacted with me a couple of years ago in two Optics Forum threads. They were @Drakkith, @hutchphd, @Gleb1964, and @KAHR-Alpha. I had something I wanted the scientific community to know and slipped a new idea in against the rules. Thank you also to @berkeman for suggesting paths to meet with academia. Anyway, I finally got a paper on the same matter as discussed in those forum threads, the fat lens model, got it peer-reviewed, and IJRAP...
About 20 years ago, in my mid-30s (and with a BA in economics and a master's in business), I started taking night classes in physics hoping to eventually earn the science degree I'd always wanted but never pursued. I found physics forums and used it to ask questions I was unable to get answered from my textbooks or class lectures. Unfortunately, work and life got in the way and I never got further the freshman courses. Well, here it is 20 years later. I'm in my mid-50s now, and in a...

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