Serendipity Forums

Hi,

Did my research, settled on Serendipity as a blog engine, and created my first blog. I'm using 1.3.1 as that's what was installed on my webhost.

This blog is a memorial site, and has a static front page, then some other pages for research links, etc. We are allowing comments on only one of the following pages for people to post their memories. We will be moderating all comments and photos etc., and after posting, we want them to all appear by default when someone goes to that page -- we don't want them to have to click on the 'comments' link because, well, some folks seem to 'miss' that extra step... <grin>

My question: when I go to the page where we are allowing comments, by default you need to click on that comments link in order to get then comments AND the add new comment box to show up.

What do I need to change in order to have the comments and box available at all times?

I looked through the forums and didn't really see an answer to anything similar.

Thanks in advance for your time!

Jo

This COULD depend greatly on the template you are using. However, most templates will show the entire entry, plus the comment form on any detailed page view... If your template shows entries in a pretty standard manner, you will see each entry listed in reverse date decending order (most recent first). Each has an entry title, the entry body (but not EXTENDED entry body), and possibly some meta info, such as number of comments, trackbacks, author name, etc.

The entry title is usually a link to the detailed pageview for that entry, and will include all comments and the comment form.

Now, what exactly do you want to differently? A link to your URL might be helpful as well.

Hi, Don,

Thanks so much for posting!

Here's a link to the page I want to modify:

http://www.wigglebums.com/cblog/index.p ... es-Friends

What I want to do -- if possible -- is set it so that people don't need to click on the 'comments's link in order to actually see the comments. I don't know if that's possible or not, I guess I'm thinking of certain other sites (like my hometown newspaper) where the comments are always out in the open at the end of the article without having to click on anything.

So, maybe I'm doing this all wrong, too. This is the first time I've used a blogging package of any sort...

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

Jo

Jo - I understand what you want to accomplish.

The page you showed me has, at present, only a single entry entitled "Your story".

If you click on the entry title, you will navigate to a detailed page view for THAT entry... and it will show you all the text of the entry, its comments, and the comment form. Prior to clicking the entry, you are seeing an "overview" page view. When you click on the entry, you are seeing a "detailed" page view.

Now - fast forward several entries. Imagine that you have dozens of entries.

What would you want to see before ever clicking through to a single, detailed view, of a single entry? All comments and a comment form for EVERY entry? I do not think you would want that.

Think of each entry as unique... it has a subject, its own text, and its own comments and comment form. The next entry has the same thing - ITS title, text, comments, comment form. Can you see how an "overview" page view would quickly become congested with info??

Think of your blog as a diary. Each entry is unique. When visitors come to your site, they get the basic overview... such as the title of the entry, maybe a bit of teaser text (not necessarily the FULL entry), and some meta info, like the author's name, date of publication, number of comments, etc.

Maybe what you need is larger text on the entry title to make it really obvious that each individual "diary" entry is, in fact, its own unique entry, which might then encourage people to "click through" to the "detailed view".

I hope I am making sense here. Please let me/this community know how else we can assist.

ARGH!

Imagine, if you will, my hand coming up and slapping my forehead... <VBG> Talk about having a dense day...

Would it be considered a faux pas to copy the link to the larger text in the middle of the page? A bit redundant, I know, but... ?

Jo

Jo - just sent you a forum private message with a suggestion that might make this move a bit faster... If you do not want to proceed that way, I will continue via this method.

.. And I can assure you from prior experience that slapping one's forehead does not usually improve anything.