Browser based add-on to sort a thread by staff posts only.

[altmin]

I have been reluctant to take this step to provide a way to sort by staff posts, but I don't think a server side solution I have suggested is going to be implemented anytime soon. I have been hesitant because there are so many different ways to view this forum vis a vis, computer/phones/ operating system/ browser etc. Also this will involve a little work on the side of the users to implement the function, but if you are willing to do it - I can provide you a functioning sort by staff function. I know that has been an important request by many of you, so I am willing to provide the instruction to get this feature working for you in the limited ways we can. Right now I have instructions for computer web browsers and Safari in iPhone. I don't have an an android phone to test on, but will provide AI summary on the steps to take. This will not work in the IC App.

What we will be doing is adding what is called an extension to your web browser, that will allow use to run a script I wrote to change the appearance of an Inside Carolina Thread. What this script will do is add two buttons to the top page of every thread - Staff Posts and All Posts - these act as a toggle for every thread on the site. You click the Staff posts button and all posts my regular users should be hidden. You can then navigate the pages of a thread only seeing the posts by staff. When you leave the thread it reverts back to All Posts. You can of course click on the All Posts button to once again show normal poster posts again while perusing the thread.

The extension we will be using is called TamperMonkey, which is a long established browser plugin that allows people to customize how they view a webpage. It is easily removable if you no longer want it installed, and is a trusted extension for all the major browsers. I am still working out the best process for phones. I will update this thread with instructions when I streamline it.

Step 1: Go to this link: https://www.tampermonkey.net it should autodetect the browser you are using and automatically serve you up the correct version to download. The download links will look like this:



I post the image because the tampermonkey site that has some banner ads that can look like install buttons, but these lead to other software. You want to click the buttons that looks like the above image, ideally you would want the normal versions, not the BETA ones.

Tampermonkey is free for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. It looks like in Safari, it has to be purchased via the Mac App store for $3.99. I don't know why the Safari version has a fee. I bought it on my mac, and my iPhone had access as well. I don't love people having to purchase it on Safari, but not sure what else I can do to get around it.

So click the green button and it will take you to the proper place to install it; follow through with any subsequent install clicks on popup windows you need and I will go over the configuration process in the next post.

 

[altmin]

Configuring Tampermonkey

1. Open up the Tampermonkey interface.

• In Chrome you should see this icon in the upper right of your browser window. Click on that.
  If you do not see it, click the puzzle piece icon and then click on Tampermonkey. Next step is to click "Dashboard."
• In Firefox you should see this icon in the upper right of your browser window. Click on that and then choose "Dashboard."
  If you do not see it, click the puzzle piece icon then click "Manage Extensions." You should see Tampermonkey listed, click the "..." on the right then choose preferences.
  
  
• In Safari, after you purchase it from the app store, you should get a popup to install it in Safari. You will then need to restart the browser. Once Safari is open again go to Window > Extensions on the top task bar.
  
  
  
  Make sure the extension is checked so it is active then hit the settings button.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
• In Microsoft Edge after you click the install button, a prompt will appear asking for permissions. Click "Add extension" to confirm. Once installed, the Tampermonkey icon (a black square with a white symbol) will appear in the top-right corner of your browser toolbar. If you don't see it, click the extensions icon (a puzzle piece) and use the "Pin" option to make it permanently visible. When you first launch Edge with Tampermonkey installed, Edge may prompt you to turn on the extension; click to enable it.

All browsers should be ready for the next step now. That will appear in the next reply.

 

[altmin]

2. Click the add new script tab which looks like this:

3. You are now in a place to add the custom script. Your window should look like this:



Select all that text and delete it.

3. Copy the code found in the PDF attached to this post and paste it in the Tampermonkey script window in place of what you deleted. You can also find the code by following this link: https://pastecode.io/s/2h1xna50

4. Save the code by going to the File > Save in the header of the code window. Or by Hitting Ctrl-S on Windows or Command-S on a Mac.

 

[altmin]

This should be working now. To test it, go to a thread you know a Staff Member has posted on such as : https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/feature-requests.7862955/

You should see a "Staff" and "All" button this in the upper right of the thread.



Click on Staff posts to filter everyone else out. you still have to navigate through each individual page to see the staff posts on that page, but all other posts will be invisible. To switch back click All Posts or simply navigate away from the thread.

 

[altmin]

Ok here's what I did to get it to work in Safari on my iPhone. This should be the same for iPads. I cannot install tampermonkey on Chrome on my iPhone. I don't have an android to test it on.

After going to https://www.tampermonkey.net I scrolled all the way down till I saw the install link, which I clicked and it launched the app store. I then installed it through the App Store. Now here is what I did.

1. Went to https://pastecode.io/s/2h1xna50 to easily access the code. I hit the copy button to get the code ready to go.




2. Clicked on this icon to the left of the URL Bar

3. I clicked Manage Extensions




4. On the following menu I turned TamperMonkey on. Then hit the checkmark in the upper right.




5. Tampermonkey will now be on the previous menu, tap that.



6. Now you can tap the add script button:



7. Select all of the placeholder text either manually or via the edit menu and delete it. Tap the blue cursor to paste in the previously copied script.


8. Tap File and Save, and it should be ready to go in Safari.

 

[altmin]

AI summary of steps to take on an Android phone. I cannot test this, as I don't have access to one.

Before you begin, probably best to have the code already copied.

Goto https://pastecode.io/s/2h1xna50 to easily access the code. I hit the copy button to get the code ready to go.

1. Install Microsoft Edge from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the app, tap the three-dots menu (or hamburger menu), and select Extensions.
3. Tap on Manage Extensions and find Tampermonkey in the list of available extensions.
4. Tap the "Get" button next to Tampermonkey to install it.
5. Once installed, the Tampermonkey icon will appear near the address bar, and you can manage scripts from its dashboard.

6. in the dashboard hit the tab with a + in a circle,

7. select all the text, delete it, then paste in the code you previously copied.



8. save the script

 

[SnoopRob]

It works for me on Firefox on a Mac!

This is awesome!

I upvoted every post in celebration!