User Interface Suggestion Re: Comments (@mentions)

[DavidMa]

It is cool that Airtable allows comments in any long text field, however that being the case, I’d like to suggest that any long text field should, at least optionally, be able to show the comments icon if someone has commented. Otherwise it’s possible for comments to be hidden.

IOW what I assume many a project manager would do is scan through the first column and open those with comments to see the discussion. But if the comments are in a different long text field, there is no way to even know to click.

Thanks for considering.

[Elias_Gomez_Sai]

You comment on records, not in any field. When a record has comments an icon appears on the left, next to the record row number.

[DavidMa]

My post was accurate, please reread it. Also, I did not say someone could comment on any field. I referred to long text fields, and they can be commented on, but do not have icons next to them when someone has done so, with the exception of the primary Name column.

[Elias_Gomez_Sai]

DavidMa:

they can be commented

No, they can be filled or not, as any other field. You don’t need icons, you have content itself.

I don’t see how you comment on a field:

DavidMa:

when someone has done so

Maybe you mean when other user adds more text to a Long Text field? That is not a comment anyway. In that case I recommend you to create an Interactions (or Comments, or whatever) table and link it. I have a similar one in an Events Tracking base.

DavidMa:

the exception of the primary Name

That icon is about the Record comments:

Or I am missing something? :thinking:

[Kevin_Conklin]

Yes, there seems to be confusion over the word “comment”. @DavidMa - a user adding additional content to a long text field is not what Airtable calls a “comment”. But to accomplish what you want to do, create a “comments” table that is linked to your main table, with each new comment being a new row in comments table.

[DavidMa]

Thanks guys. I don’t think I explained myself well. I was referring to @mention in a long text field. The person mentioned can then come back, and reply with their own @mention in the long text field. I was referring to this as a “comment” even thought I realize that it is not technically so.

My concern is that since @commenting is allowed in long text fields, now and then conversations will end up there, with other team members not realizing they need to be opening the item to review it, since there may not be any comment icon (the icon that show up to the left a the name field to alert you that there is commenting).

So I was suggesting that if a long text field had @mentions in it, there should be some type of commenting icon there, or next to the main field, so the @mentions are not missed. Having said all that, I can see that might present its own challenges, and perhaps the way they have it now is best.

[Elias_Gomez_Sai]

I’ve just tested it, and you get a notification when someone mentions you (and an email). Anyway, I think that is not the place to have conversations, you should have them in the Comments section of the Records, or maybe in the suggested Interactions/Comments/Conversations table.

[Kevin_Conklin]

If you plan or are thinking about using it for some type of system functionality, which is what it sounds like, I would definitely consider adding a comments/conversations table.

[DavidMa]

Thanks Kevin, I will experiment with that.

[Elias_Gomez_Sai]

Elias_Gomez_Sainz:

In that case I recommend you to create an Interactions (or Comments, or whatever) table and link it. I have a similar one in an Events Tracking base.

Ehhh, I said if first! :joy:

[DavidMa]

I liked your post but not Kevin’s if that makes you feel better Elias :-D. Question, if I create an “Events Tracking Base”, will it just show me comments (without crossed off revised comments, partial comments etc.)? This revision history view on the main Name field is driving me nuts, it adds nothing but endless noise to every conversation. It’s nice, I just don’t like having it mixed with comments.