Sorting forum topics by featured

[zenzoidman]

There are a lot of options for how you can sort forum topics, but one more option that would be useful would be sorting topics by whether they're featured or not. Is this something that could be added to the software in the near future?

Thanks!

[Joel R]

I'm not opposed to this idea but I do want to flesh the idea out more with you.  

In any good sorting system, every data point needs to be uniquely sorted.  It needs to have a position that's either before another data point or after another data point.  Are you with me? 

If you sort by featured, you're actually getting two blocs of data. One bloc is Featured; one bloc is Not Featured.  Even though we can sort the Featured bloc before or after the Not Featured bloc, how do you sort the individual topics within Featured? You don't have any sorting rules within the featured topics. 

I think a more useful suggestion is to filter topics.  

And filter by not just Featured, but:

- Featured

- Pinned

- Polls

- Popular

- Picked

 And If IPS were smart and forward thinking, they would let devs be able to hook into topic filter so the marketplace could build in filters for things like:

- started by a staff member

- topics with 0 posts

- Q&A with no answers

- expiring polls

 

I think this would be especially useful in a format like Fluid Forum where things tend to get jumbled together. 

[Ramsesx]

41 minutes ago, Joel R said:

I think a more useful suggestion is to filter topics.  

And filter by not just Featured, but:

- Featured

- Pinned

- Polls

- Popular

- Picked

 And If IPS were smart and forward thinking, they would let devs be able to hook into topic filter so the marketplace could build in filters for things like:

- started by a staff member

- topics with 0 posts

 Filter criteria like polls are available already. 

[zenzoidman]

Hi @Joel R thanks for your comments. Yes, you are right— I used the wrong term. I meant filtering.  For example, in a forum view: sort by > custom > then in the filter drop down menu, add Featured to the list of filter options. This is really what I was hoping for. 

[Joel R]

13 minutes ago, Ramsesx said:

 Filter criteria like polls are available already. 

Thanks, I didn't look very hard on mobile.  😋