Tell HN: The comment tree collapser [-] is too small for mobile users | Hacker News Reader

Tell HN: The comment tree collapser [-] is too small for mobile users

72 pointsGavinMcG15 comments

Changing to an em or even an en-dash would be a significant improvement.

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They know and they don't care. I suggest finding an HN app that puts a usable interface on it.

Shameless plug: if you use an iPhone, try my app, Octal [1].

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1308885491

[--] to collapse as currently implemented (widened)

[^^] to collapse all comments within top most parent. Thus making the next top level comment visible.

^ username 2 hours ago [--] [^^]

--________--___________---____---____

Mobile could also add two spaces between clickable elements, because even that is sometimes too close. And three spaces between timestamp, [--] and [^^] button.

Upvote/downvote buttons could also be bigger with more spacing between.

Just some ideas, open to improvements.

The upvote is too small too.

Especially when there's a downvote button about a pixel away!

I think every time I get more downvotes I end up burning them accidentally on comments I intended to up vote :(

You can click `undown` if the downvote is accidental, it remains available for an hour or so after the button is clicked. (I can't remember the exact time, but it does expire at some point.)

Yea, I do that a lot. But I also suspect that sometimes I though I hit the upvote button, but HN registered it as a downvote anyways. Both of the buttons combined are smaller than the tip of my finger, and they both disappear as soon as one is tapped :(

The text for an upvote is “unvote” and for downvotes is “undown”. So if you check that you’ll see which you did.

Oh, awesome, I didn't realize that!

Give this man an up vote! Shit, I accidentally clicked down vote.

Agreed. At least the downvote v button can be next to comment tree collapser. So unintended up/down votes are avoided.

There is a browser add on that lets you collapse right up to the top most parent comment which I miss when I'm on mobile and want to hide the whole thread and see what the next top level comment is.

While I don't have this problem, what I really would like is a way to collapse back to parent. Often, I'm knee deep in a thread and forget what started it. I have to scroll up, keeping a mental pin at the left margin to see when I get back to the parent.

OH, that's what that is, thanks!

I suggest making it wider like [--]

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