I don't understand why extended discussions in comments usually get moved to chat. Long threads are collapsed be default, so they don't require significantly more scrolling to get to other content. The comment UI is much more visible, and far more user-friendly, especially on mobile devices. If a conversation gets moved to chat, I basically can't participate anymore, because I use SE from my phone much more than from a laptop or desktop, and chat is basically unusable on the phone.
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1This Q&A does a good job laying out the reasoning. Hopefully it will soon be included in the message that is left behind when the comments are deleted.– Ian CampbellNov 30, 2022 at 16:57
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8They are not allowed because we are a Q&A site, not a Q, A & endless comment threads with multiple participants that refuse to reach consensus so the Q or A can be improved site.– reneNov 30, 2022 at 17:04
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1Do you use mobile chat? Because I use chat on my phone all the time and I don't have any issues. :/– CatijaNov 30, 2022 at 17:19
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1@Catija I think so. When I tap the text box at the bottom to type, it does select it and I can type, but the box isn't visible, so I can't see what I'm typing.– SomeoneNov 30, 2022 at 17:26
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1It sometimes works, but the issue happens often enough that I just give up on conversations that get moved.– SomeoneNov 30, 2022 at 17:39
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1@Catija sadly I agree with OP about chat being unusable on mobile. The mobile chat theme looks better, but is incomplete and buggy.– Shadow Wizard Is Sad And AngryNov 30, 2022 at 17:47
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Chat works well on a phone: i.stack.imgur.com/DP9KT.png– RobNov 30, 2022 at 17:59
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2@Rob no. It's impossible to show the bad user experience with screenshots, it's just a fact and kind of personal experience being bad. It's technically possible to use the chat, but it's really tough and terrible experience. It needs a massive overhaul.– Shadow Wizard Is Sad And AngryNov 30, 2022 at 18:04
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1See: "How has "move comments to chat" affected users' behavior?", "What is the desired practice for comment discussions?", and "Why isn't "Comments are not for extended discussion" the case on Meta?".– RobNov 30, 2022 at 18:13
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@Sha, meta.stackexchange.com/questions/384254/…– RobNov 30, 2022 at 18:14
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@Rob so those are 2 vs. 2, we're even.– Shadow Wizard Is Sad And AngryNov 30, 2022 at 19:13
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@Sha, not even. Ping her, and question her opinion; as you did to me.– RobNov 30, 2022 at 22:07
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1 Answer
Stack Exchange is a collection of Q&A sites, meaning Questions and Answers.
Therefore, the main focus, actually the only focus, is the questions and the answers, and that's it.
Anything else exists only to support better quality of the questions and answers, and should be used only for that purpose.
This also includes comments: as the comment textbox placeholder says:
Use comments to ask for clarification or add more information. Avoid answering questions in comments.
While it does not explicitly says "no discussions", it's pretty much implied. Discussions in comments do not do anything towards "ask for clarification or add more information" which is the goal of comments.
Let's take some imaginary example. Suppose there is a question:
I have a code
function doThis(arg1, arg2)however when calling it I get error null pointer exception, how to fix it?
Now, some valid comments can be:
- How exactly are you calling the function?
- What is the code inside the function?
etc. After OP edits with the requested details, such comments become obsolete and can be deleted. That's how comments should be used.
However, suppose someone posting such comment:
I noticed you are from Australia in your profile, I heard life there are good.
Then the OP replies and there's a discussion about the life in Australia. That adds nothing to the question, or to others who are not interested in those things. That's exactly what chat exists for.
answered Nov 30, 2022 at 18:03
Shadow Wizard Is Sad And AngryShadow Wizard Is Sad And Angry
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