#Hashtags

[Morrigan]

I want to throw out there that hashtags (pound signs for us old people) mean something different on different media platforms. So making an educated and good decision on this is, and should be difficult.

For example you use a hashtag in discord and other chat programs to link to separate rooms. Whereas they are used to link other content on social media streams. Its not quite the same thing to assume that a hashtag is just one thing.

When you have a limited space to type content I can see how a hashtag is super important but you don't have a limited space on a forum. TO ME, I think that the better recommendation here is to make the tag section more prevalent as a hashtag center. Call it "Hashtags" call it something more media-centric. Allow people to #callit and then utilize them more for similar content.

I don't think the problem is that we "need" hashtags but more that we need to make our tagging system work as if we already have them.

[Adrian A.]

I see some have followed this topic so I just want to let you know something is in development. Check this out.

 

[TheWorldNewsMedia.org]

+1 to nth #websitedesignmatters

[simonle]

What do we want?! Hashtags! 

[Jordan Miller]

Installed on my site and activated! Going to see how it performs over the next few days with my members then circle back here.

Feel free to check out my post about it here:

https://www.breatheheavy.com/exhale/index.php?/forums/topic/779188-introducing-hashtags/

Edited June 13, 2020 by breatheheavy

[ABGenc]

20 hours ago, breatheheavy said:

Installed on my site and activated! Going to see how it performs over the next few days with my members then circle back here.

Feel free to check out my post about it here:

https://www.breatheheavy.com/exhale/index.php?/forums/topic/779188-introducing-hashtags/

The subject and your effort was interesting but at the end I realised the hashtags you have used on your site basically seems to run a standart search. The tagging system is much more closer to hashtags than this is 😏

[Jordan Miller]

19 minutes ago, ABGenc said:

The subject and your effort was interesting but at the end I realised the hashtags you have used on your site basically seems to run a standart search. The tagging system is much more closer to hashtags than this is 😏

In what way? 

It's performing similarly to how hashtags work on Twitter.

A member uses a hashtag, it displays all instances that hashtag was used as well as the search term for it. It displays a list of the top 5 hashtags being used within an 8 hour window. 

If 10 members want to trend a hashtag, they can all write #Hello and get it to appear in our trending list. When members get more familiar with it on my forum, I anticipate they will start to use it when breaking news happens, or organize campaigns together. 

Am I missing something? 😅

[Adrian A.]

33 minutes ago, ABGenc said:

The subject and your effort was interesting but at the end I realised the hashtags you have used on your site basically seems to run a standart search. The tagging system is much more closer to hashtags than this is 😏

Yeah, that was the initial way the search was done as I didn't the right functions to hook into 🙂 

It has been updated since and a new search system that is similar to the tagging system has been implemented. Still working to improve it to allow users to makes searches based on both a search term and hashtags like the tagging system works.

[ahc]

I went to view the page you linked to see it in action, but I’m unable to view it without being bombarded with pop-up ads. (I’m on mobile.)

Anyone else using this that I can take a peek? 

[Jordan Miller]

3 minutes ago, ahc said:

I went to view the page you linked to see it in action, but I’m unable to view it without being bombarded with pop-up ads. (I’m on mobile.)

Anyone else using this that I can take a peek? 

There aren't any pop-up ads on my site. 😬

[ahc]

9 minutes ago, breatheheavy said:

There aren't any pop-up ads on my site. 😬

Sorry to tell you this, but there are... no matter where I click I get pop ups telling me to apply for Amazon jobs, listen to different songs which tried to redirect me to Apple Music, and now I’m being blocked from viewing anything because I’ve hit some sort of limit even though I haven’t been able to view anything yet. 
 

🤨

Edited June 14, 2020 by ahc

[Jordan Miller]

8 minutes ago, ahc said:

Sorry to tell you this, but there are... no matter where I click I get pop ups telling me to apply for Amazon jobs, listen to different songs which tried to redirect me to Apple Music, and now I’m being blocked from viewing anything because I’ve hit some sort of limit even though I haven’t been able to view anything yet. 
 

🤨

There should only be ~3 programmatic ads per page and one ad that lays over the content via mobile that's powered by a very commonly used ad company for music sites called Bands In Town. I haven't heard from anyone that they can't click anywhere. Would be greatly appreciated if you could screen record what you see and send me please. I don't want anyone to have a poor UX. 

The guest login wall comes up after someone attempts to read 3 or more topics. It should never appear on the homepage. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by breatheheavy

[ahc]

1 minute ago, breatheheavy said:

There should only be ~3 programmatic ads per page and one ad that lays over the content via mobile that's powered by a very commonly used ad company for music sites called Bands In Town. I haven't heard from anyone that they can't click anywhere. Would be greatly appreciated if you could screen record what you see and send me please. I don't want anyone to have a poor UX. 

The guest login wall comes up after someone attempts to read 3 or more topics. It should never appear on the homepage. 

It’s on the topic you linked above.  I haven’t tried reading anything else.  I just wanted to see how the hashtags worked. 

[Askancy]

36 minutes ago, ahc said:

Qualcun altro che usa questo che posso dare una sbirciatina? 

250 cookies this was enough to make me run away from that site.

I believe that here people want to have a board full of functions, make it weigh down a lot without thinking that those applications are better as external addons to avoid having an IP.Board really heavy. Hashtags, stories, tiktak embeed does a board really need these things?

I think IP.Board has many big shortcomings, but these are just the last on the list. one thing that comes to mind all of a sudden is link cleaning ie, convert a link:

https://www.amazon.com/LG-OLED55CXPUA-Alexa-Built-Ultra/dp/B0829RYP8V?pf_rd_r=ASVJVSMFM2Q6R0VW4JJ8&pf_rd_p=76f54966-688a-4b94-8474-c7a8ff47e986&pd_rd_r=8b6dd349-94a1-4d86-ac13-216375283b45&pd_rd_w=0hjH4&pd_rd_wg=MAanm&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d

to

Amazon.com: LG OLED55CXPUA Alexa Built-In CX Series 55" 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV (2020): Electronics

I think it's pointless to propose infinite things and it would be better to think of, “Would this be useful for everyone or just me?” and then think about whether to fund the addons or propose it to the staff. So many councils are trying to make IP.board become a "facebook clone".

I hope the IP.Board staff will keep the board as light as possible.

 

[ABGenc]

3 hours ago, breatheheavy said:

In what way? 

@Adrian A. got what I mean and I wish I could give more detail but your site seems to be blocking me for not registering and I cant go to the announcement any more 😏

[ahc]

 

2 hours ago, Askancy said:

I think it's pointless to propose infinite things and it would be better to think of, “Would this be useful for everyone or just me?” and then think about whether to fund the addons or propose it to the staff.

I understand this viewpoint, but at the same time I also understand why so many people want features that exist on more mainstream social platforms due to the popularity and to have more of seamless transition.  People who are used to the way Twitter works would be more inclined to stick around on other websites that function like Twitter because people hate change and learning new things. 😛

But I also agree that a lot of features people borderline harass the staff to add are things that could be done in a quick plugin or app to satisfy the needs of about ~50-100 communities and leave the rest of us that don't want it alone.

On 6/4/2020 at 8:54 PM, Morrigan said:

I don't think the problem is that we "need" hashtags but more that we need to make our tagging system work as if we already have them.

Morrigan is correct.  We already have the tagging system that helps with content organization, I would much rather IPB improve upon this feature instead of adding something new or changing its function completely.  I wanted to compare how this test app functioned differently than tags just out of curiosity's sake.

Edited June 14, 2020 by ahc

[ABGenc]

4 minutes ago, ahc said:

People who are used to the way Twitter works would be more inclined to stick around on other websites that function like Twitter because people hate change and learning new things.

Besides all functions the top one missings are the application and the notifications. I believe if it was available we would seek less functions among the ones available in othe social media applications 😉

[Jordan Miller]

9 hours ago, Askancy said:

I think it's pointless to propose infinite things and it would be better to think of, “Would this be useful for everyone or just me?” and then think about whether to fund the addons or propose it to the staff. So many councils are trying to make IP.board become a "facebook clone".

I respectfully disagree. It’s imperative people propose ideas. That’s what creates momentum, innovation and change. 🙏

7 hours ago, ahc said:

 

I understand this viewpoint, but at the same time I also understand why so many people want features that exist on more mainstream social platforms due to the popularity and to have more of seamless transition.  People who are used to the way Twitter works would be more inclined to stick around on other websites that function like Twitter because people hate change and learning new things. 😛

But I also agree that a lot of features people borderline harass the staff to add are things that could be done in a quick plugin or app to satisfy the needs of about ~50-100 communities and leave the rest of us that don't want it alone.

Morrigan is correct.  We already have the tagging system that helps with content organization, I would much rather IPB improve upon this feature instead of adding something new or changing its function completely.  I wanted to compare how this test app functioned differently than tags just out of curiosity's sake.

It’s my view that hashtags are a spin-off of tags. Which is great, however... hashtags are universally used and understood. Tags are not. Why re-train members to use tags in a comment (if that was possible) when they know how and already exercise using hashtags. 😊

[Matt]

We have talked about hashtags a lot internally over the years.

The core issue is that we're just not sure how useful they are on a forum. They work on Twitter because it's the only way to create a 'channel' of similar discussions. There is no other way to separate out conversations. So adding the tag makes it clear you're talking about that topic.

Obviously, with a forum you have categories, forums and topics. Adding a hashtag would be largely superfluous.

We have a tagging system for content already, and I would say that 98% of Invision Communities do not use it, and of the 2%, a small handful use it in a meaningful way that aids content discovery.

Hashtags are often mistyped further diluting the usefulness. Using your example, on twitter I've seen:

#blacklivematter
#blacklivesmatters
#blm
#blackouttuesday

Twitter actually is smart enough to know these are largely the same topic, so you will often see something like:

Trending
#Blacklivesmatter
Also talking about: #blm, #blackouttuesday

That's a great system but takes a lot of AI/human collating and computing power.

So our current position is simply that adding hashtags won't really increase content discovery in any meaningful way.

Facebook has hashtags but almost no one uses them.

Most hashtags are added for irony, like:

We're not going to add hashtags into 4.5

#sorryNotSorry

This creates a bunch of records and consumes a chunk of computing power and database size for almost no purpose at all.

[simonle]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

Hashtags are often mistyped further diluting the usefulness. Using your example, on twitter I've seen:

#blacklivematter
#blacklivesmatters
#blm
#blackouttuesday

They are not mistyped (and #blackouttuesday is different from the rest), Twitter users are using different hashtags to keep the topic trending as Twitter doesn't allow one hashtag to trend for long. 

[Matt]

On 6/15/2020 at 7:06 PM, simonle said:

They are not mistyped (and #blackouttuesday is different from the rest), Twitter users are using different hashtags to keep the topic trending as Twitter doesn't allow one hashtag to trend for long. 

Fair point, however it illustrates how hashtags are used indiscriminately and without rigour which makes grouping content difficult.