Quote locked threads, 120-day merit total, custom themes, and other good stuff

[suchmoon]

What if I told you that there is a magic browser extension that does all this:

• Allows quoting posts from locked threads - full proper BBCode quotes, no gimmicks.
• Allows quoting trust ratings into BBCode as well.
• Provides shortcut buttons to include/exclude someone in your trust list.
• Sums up sent/received merits on your (or anyone's) merit page for the current day, last 24 hours, and last 7/30/120 days.
• Gives you a choice of alternative styling for Bitcointalk, including a dark theme.
• Adds links under the MORE menu that you wish were always there - forum rules, merit info, trust system info, BBCode tips, etc.

You would probably think that I'm shilling BPIP browser extension and you'd be right. The reason I'm posting this subset of the extension's new features here in Meta is that all of the above does not depend on BPIP or any other external services and every feature is individually configurable so you can install the extension and turn on only the stuff that you're interested in. You can even download the extension and pick it apart to steal borrow the code if you're so inclined.

More details and installation links here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5224821

Some screenshots:


Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

This does exactly what it says... copies BBCode into clipboard from a locked thread.



Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

Another BBCode-to-clipboard feature - for trust ratings (see the button on the right side). The result looks like this:

smartcontracts100

2020-09-15

Reference

scammer part of Lauda gang

Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

Options to include or exclude the user in your trust list. This screenshot also shows one of new themes created by ibminer.



Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

When you click the person+ or person- button on user profile it opens your trust list, adds the new entry to it, shows a message explaining what's going on, but doesn't automatically save it - you would need to review and save the change yourself. If a conflicting entry is found (for example you're trying to exclude a person whom you're currently including) the extension will not add the new entry and will show a message explaining the issue.



Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

Merit totals on each user's merit page.


And some extra links under the MORE menu that I wish were available to everyone. I realize that an extension used by a few dozen people doesn't really solve this problem but maybe someone will find this useful and it's not like you're paying extra for it


Edited 2020-11-30 to fix a broken image

[tranthidung]

Amazing indeed!

Could you bring it to your tool, please.

• List of threads (with url links and thread titles). Can it be done with SMF?
• It can be done with hidden pages as this one is for my thread list in Meta but it is inconvenient.

It looks like you included 2 threads of mine in OP. Thank you. 

[o_e_l_e_o]

Amazing! Thanks for all the hard work. I particularly like the quoting locked threads button.

Do you have a CSS template for the custom themes handy that you could share? I want to tinker around with them but I'm on mobile at the moment. No worries if not, I'll go through the code and find the relevant bits myself next time I'm back home.

[suchmoon]

Amazing! Thanks for all the hard work. I particularly like the quoting locked threads button.

Do you have a CSS template for the custom themes handy that you could share? I want to tinker around with them but I'm on mobile at the moment. No worries if not, I'll go through the code and find the relevant bits myself next time I'm back home.

I don't know if there is a template - ibminer could probably better answer how he did it. I bet it wasn't easy because this darn forum doesn't use classes or IDs for the most part. Check your PMs.

[Findingnemo]

Practically usable tool by everyone, no need to learn complex steps just everything can be done with simple clicks.All you guys need to install is the extension on your browser.

Thank you for the amazing tool!

[suchmoon]

Amazing indeed!

Could you bring it to your tool, please.

• List of threads (with url links and thread titles). Can it be done with SMF?
• It can be done with hidden pages as this one is for my thread list in Meta but it is inconvenient.

Do you mean a BBCode list of threads? Or just a link to https://bitcointalk.org/gettopics.php?user=<user-id>&board=<board-id> somewhere? Not sure where that could fit though. We can put a link to all threads on user profile but we would need something more complex to do it by board.

It looks like you included 2 threads of mine in OP. Thank you. 

I hope you don't mind

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Although this scares me a bit since I don't use Tor or a VPN:

Is it going to spy on me?
We don't log your IP address when the extension contacts our server but if you don't trust us you should use Tor or VPN. The extension can technically read any data from your BitcoinTalk session, including your PMs, but it doesn't do so. It collects user IDs from the page you're looking at - e.g. a list of posts in a thread - and sends that list of IDs to bpip.org to get info about those users, and only does so if you turn the optional features on (these features are off by default).

I might just try it anyway, because it seems like a damn good extension--and I totally missed the thread where the above quote was taken from, so I wasn't even aware such a thing existed.

I particularly like the quoting locked threads button.

Yeah, I'm with you on that.  I know there's a way to do it, but I so infrequently have a reason to quote from locked threads I always forget how to do it.  Yeah, I think I'll give this one a shot.

[irfan_pak10]

Amazing, I don't have to visit bpip itself for some details. I really like the two features, Merit dashboard and shortcut buttons for include/exclude in trust list. Seems you are doing better for this forum than the forum developments itself 

[pugman]

I don't know if BPIP already offers this(I haven't come across it at least), but maybe there could be multiple theme options to choose from for Bitcointalk? Something similar is there on the BPIP site itself, it would be great if it can be implemented here as well. I have other suggestions as well:

- Auto resizer option for avatar uploads(if someone uploads a large file with bigger pixels, insert a js script to resize it).
- Make the "Create a topic" page more user friendly, as in put the additional options(" Notify me of replies, Watch this topic, Return to this topic, Don't use smileys.) below the post which are usually hidden in a more accessible way.
- Add a BB code table generator(https://www.teamopolis.com/tools/bbcode-table-generator.aspx)
- Image upload to url convertor(have an upload button for images below a post to allow a user to upload an image and that gets added to an online image hosting service and gets converted into a bbcode img link.

I will recommend more when and if i come up with more ideas. 

[suchmoon]

Although this scares me a bit since I don't use Tor or a VPN:

Just to make it clear - it doesn't send any identifiable information when it requests data from BPIP, and it doesn't request any data if you don't turn on the features that require it (marked with asterisks in the settings). And even when the extension sends a request to BPIP it's not much different as when you just click on any BPIP link or visit the site for any other reason. If you don't use Tor or VPN your IP is visible to BPIP if you visit the site but we have no idea that it's your IP.

So ultimately - short of auditing the code, which is feasible since the extension is basically open source so you could technically verify what it sends to the server - it's about how much you trust that the above is true. For example someone who wouldn't trust me to sell them a trinket and keep their shipping address private probably shouldn't use the extension without Tor.

I don't know if BPIP already offers this(I haven't come across it at least), but maybe there could be multiple theme options to choose from for Bitcointalk? Something similar is there on the BPIP site itself, it would be great if it can be implemented here as well.

The extension offers some themes to choose from. You can also paste custom CSS if you have it from some other source.

I have other suggestions as well:

- Auto resizer option for avatar uploads(if someone uploads a large file with bigger pixels, insert a js script to resize it).

I don't think that's doable in JS.

- Make the "Create a topic" page more user friendly, as in put the additional options(" Notify me of replies, Watch this topic, Return to this topic, Don't use smileys.) below the post which are usually hidden in a more accessible way.
- Add a BB code table generator(https://www.teamopolis.com/tools/bbcode-table-generator.aspx)

I do have some BBCode editor improvements in mind for a future version of the extension. This might be doable.

- Image upload to url convertor(have an upload button for images below a post to allow a user to upload an image and that gets added to an online image hosting service and gets converted into a bbcode img link.

Unfortunately that would require a free unlimited image hosting service that can be used via some sort of API. I looked into doing this with imgur a while ago and it wasn't feasible. Ideally the forum itself should offer it. Epochtalk has that, kind of.

I will recommend more when and if i come up with more ideas.  

Great!

[LoyceV]

If you don't use Tor or VPN your IP is visible to BPIP if you visit the site but we have no idea that it's your IP.

For the paranoid who don't want to use a VPN all the time: would it be possible to setup a proxy server for this extension? Say for someone who doesn't trust BPIP with his IP information but trusts someone else to run the proxy?

Unfortunately that would require a free unlimited image hosting service that can be used via some sort of API. I looked into doing this with imgur a while ago and it wasn't feasible.

How "unlimited" does this really have to be? I've never counted images in daily posts, and I don't even know if Bitcointalk's image proxy caches them or not. But I've said before it would be great to setup an (community) image hosting service dedicated to Bitcointalk. Any external service will at some point disappear, while the forum should last as long as Bitcoin is around.

[Lafu]

Amazing! Thanks for all the hard work. I particularly like the quoting locked threads button.

Yeb same here this would be sometimes very helpfull when the thread is locked !

@suchmoon
Awesome work and for sure an help for making a few things easier here , and i also like the Idea for the more links section.
Would be nice if theymos can implement this as normal , for new users and others it would help them a lot .
Fingers crossed this thread helps for doing it.

[pugman]

- Auto resizer option for avatar uploads(if someone uploads a large file with bigger pixels, insert a js script to resize it).

I don't think that's doable in JS.

I think something like this could help perhaps: https://jsfiddle.net/codeandcloud/xor3L8db/

I do have some BBCode editor improvements in mind for a future version of the extension. This might be doable.

Yes please that would be amazing.

Unfortunately that would require a free unlimited image hosting service that can be used via some sort of API. I looked into doing this with imgur a while ago and it wasn't feasible. Ideally the forum itself should offer it. Epochtalk has that, kind of.

Perhaps this could help: https://freeimage.host/page/api?lang=en ?

Thoughts on advanced search perhaps? I also like what tryninja does with his site, it is pretty dope. And he has an API as well if i am not mistaken, maybe both of them could be integrated together? 

[suchmoon]

If you don't use Tor or VPN your IP is visible to BPIP if you visit the site but we have no idea that it's your IP.

For the paranoid who don't want to use a VPN all the time: would it be possible to setup a proxy server for this extension? Say for someone who doesn't trust BPIP with his IP information but trusts someone else to run the proxy?

Sure. The extension can connect to any endpoint as long as it's not behind some cloudflare garbage and allows cross-site requests. I can make the URLs configurable. I can even publish the specs so that anyone can implement the actual API without proxying.

Unfortunately that would require a free unlimited image hosting service that can be used via some sort of API. I looked into doing this with imgur a while ago and it wasn't feasible.

How "unlimited" does this really have to be? I've never counted images in daily posts, and I don't even know if Bitcointalk's image proxy caches them or not. But I've said before it would be great to setup an (community) image hosting service dedicated to Bitcointalk. Any external service will at some point disappear, while the forum should last as long as Bitcoin is around.

I don't know how much space it would take - depends a lot on how many users would use it and how they would use it. There is also a not-insignificant issue of liability and abuse e.g. if someone starts putting child porn on it.

I think something like this could help perhaps: https://jsfiddle.net/codeandcloud/xor3L8db/

Hmmm... canvas. I think it's disabled in Tor Browser but I'll check it out, thanks!

Thoughts on advanced search perhaps? I also like what tryninja does with his site, it is pretty dope. And he has an API as well if i am not mistaken, maybe both of them could be integrated together?  

TryNinja added some features to the extension - these will be in the next version that we will roll out for testing over the next few days and will release hopefully shortly afterwards.

[tranthidung]

Or just a link to https://bitcointalk.org/gettopics.php?user=<user-id>&board=<board-id> somewhere?

Yes, it is what I meant. Currently the user profile page will have 3 lines (and links) at bottom:

• Show the last posts of this person.
• Show the last topics started by this person.
• Show general statistics for this member. (it already was disabled)

"Show the topic list of this person." is the line I'd request. As said, I can do it myself and customize its with boards (in my draft, bookmark or in Archival) but the list can be helpful for guys who don't know hidden pages.

We can put a link to all threads on user profile but we would need something more complex to do it by board.

I would be integrated on BPIP for people who want to search for list of productive or reputable members. It is not necessary for the extension because there is limited productive members so that the default topic list for all boards is enough.

It looks like you included 2 threads of mine in OP. Thank you.  

I hope you don't mind

You are welcome. The inclusions mean I did some helpful contributions.