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Christine Lemmer-Webber

So here's the biggest tip I can give you if you're using Mastodon's web interface...

Someone sent you a link to a post on an external site and you really wanna fave and boost it but you don't know how?

You can copy and paste the URL the search box and it'll show it in your local UI!

Most important undocumented feature of Mastodon's web UI IMO. You're welcome.

1 Nov 2022 at 20:05 | Open on octodon.social
33 comments
dcbaok

@cwebber might want to clarify you're talking about a link to a post on an external mastodon/fedi site

1 Nov 2022 at 20:07 | Reply | Open on fosstodon.org
CJ Booker :propride:

@cwebber I'm struggling with the phrase "You can copy and paste the URL the search box"... but I have a feeling there's something valuable here. Can you clarify?

1 Nov 2022 at 20:09 | Reply | Open on sfba.social
Christine Lemmer-Webber

@cjbooker the search box in the upper left
you can copy and paste the URL of the post you wanted to favorite/boost into there

1 Nov 2022 at 20:11 | Reply | Open on octodon.social
see shy jo

@cwebber was gonna rant this is a bug that should be fixed

but look here, it's fixed for following, on mastodon.social!
1 Nov 2022 at 20:13 | Reply | Open on octodon.social
Generic Sadboy 1916

@joeyh @cwebber ohhh thats neat!

Love a platform which fixes bugs instead of finding new and fun ways to extract advertising revenue from my time.

1 Nov 2022 at 20:19 | Reply | Open on todon.nl
Hippo πŸ¦€πŸ¦€

@chriscoreline @joeyh @cwebber but wait! What happened to automatically opening a popup window with an "Enter your instance" box when you click on "Follow"? Both are essentially the same, but that seemed a bit more seamless 🧡

Or is it only seamless to people who always know what their full handle is? πŸ€”

Noticed the new layout in mastodon.social, but assuming it's coming to other instances too when they upgrade ⬆️

2 Nov 2022 at 5:01 | Reply | Open on fosstodon.org
Sundar

@badrihippo @joeyh @cwebber

Yes, I preferred the pop-up window! Most instances still do that, it’s only mastodon.social and a couple other big ones that use this new UI. I find it less convenient, and it also breaks addons like addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firef which redirect on the same page instead of in a pop-up. The add-on makes it almost a frictionless process - click on boost, the page loads in your instance, click on boost again, done. Having to switch tabs, choose the search box, paste the URL in, etc. is more of a mental context switch and feels more involved to me.

@badrihippo @joeyh @cwebber

Yes, I preferred the pop-up window! Most instances still do that, it’s only mastodon.social and a couple other big ones that use this new UI. I find it less convenient, and it also breaks addons like addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefwhich redirect on the same page instead of in a pop-up. The add-on makes it almost a frictionless process - click on boost, the page loads in your instance, click on boost again, done. Having to...

2 Nov 2022 at 10:48 | Reply | Open on qoto.org
Lapineige

@cwebber especially helpful to watch a remote (not on your instance) private toot. You can only do it this way, using the search.

1 Nov 2022 at 20:17 | Reply | Open on mamot.fr
Conny Duck
Jack William Bell

@cwebber

You should clarify that this works for links to ActivityPub posts and not for non-federated external sites.

Moreover, I'm not sure this would work in every case and I haven't had time to investigate.

Would this work with a post to a blocked site? (I certainly hope not.) How about with a post not already in the DB because it is from a non-affiliated site? (Might, but Mastodon would have to fetch it on the fly and I don't know that is supported.)

1 Nov 2022 at 20:29 | Reply | Open on rustedneuron.com
Timo Tijhof

@jackwilliambell

Yes, search can import new posts regardless of whether author or instance are known. Oddly, I use this most for authors that *are* known where perhaps you're the among them first remote followers and so (most) posts weren't broadcast here originally. You can browse their profile, and pick a post or two to import and bookmark/fav/boost/reply.

Search cannot allocate profiles or posts for blocked accounts or blocked instances.

β™₯️

@cwebber

2 Nov 2022 at 3:35 | Reply | Open on fosstodon.org
Anisse :unverified:

@cwebber Agreed, used that multiple times, it should be documented more. I feel like the follow on another instance pushing you to copy/paste is hinting at it but still a bit hidden…

1 Nov 2022 at 20:34 | Reply | Open on octodon.social
Cy-real Β―\_(ツ)_/Β― :mastodon: ⏚
Panama Red

@cwebber So where's the search box in the web interface? #noob

1 Nov 2022 at 23:03 | Reply | Open on mstdn.social
Tim Chambers

@cwebber This is a great little known (by me anyway) feature....

2 Nov 2022 at 0:28 | Reply | Open on indieweb.social
the real raccoon β“‹ β’Ά

@cwebber Wait a minute, that's undocumented?!

2 Nov 2022 at 0:53 | Reply | Open on octodon.social
Virtue signal πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

@cwebber I really wish this were automatic. Like M. could prefix the original link with the instance address, while still displaying the link text in its original form.

2 Nov 2022 at 0:57 | Reply | Open on mastodon.social
Robert Wutz

@cwebber It needs to be fully automated. It's too much for the normies.

2 Nov 2022 at 8:39 | Reply | Open on det.social
Nordnick :verified:

@cwebber

Searching for an #URL of a #toot should also work in #Tusky... so i assume, it is also part of the #search #API.

2 Nov 2022 at 8:42 | Reply | Open on norden.social
🌸 Rosaluna πŸŒΈπŸ˜·πŸ’‰

@cwebber
Thanks πŸ‘

This seems to only work on a PC, but not on the mobile web interface when logged in via a mobile phone (Android) as there is no search box in that case (at least I couldn't find it) πŸ™„

2 Nov 2022 at 9:02 | Reply | Open on mastodon.social
Amrion

@cwebber my account is not confirmed yet - can I still share my address? #newhere

2 Nov 2022 at 9:03 | Reply | Open on mastodon.green
Wim van Winterswijk
Brandon

@cwebber I hope someday we can make this friction as simple as possible while keeping our logins safe.

2 Nov 2022 at 11:51 | Reply | Open on mstdn.social
RΓ©mi Verschelde

@cwebber I wish it were handled automatically. The instance knows the URLs of other instances it's federated with, so it could convert such links automatically to one that opens in the current instance, no?

Following an external link to an instance and having to enter your credentials to boost/follow is really going in the way. Usually I prefer to just close the tab than to try to copy paste the URL again in my client's search bar.

2 Nov 2022 at 11:52 | Reply | Open on mastodon.gamedev.place
lashman
Tamitha

@akien @cwebber There's a Firefox plugin to help with this, though I'm not sure if there's one for Chrome.

addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firef

2 Nov 2022 at 11:53 | Reply | Open on indiepocalypse.social
RΓ©mi Verschelde

@tamitha @cwebber Thanks! I saw that linked yesterday too though I haven't tried it yet.

While I appreciate having a variety of clients and plugins to improve one's workflow, I'm more concerned about improving the vanilla experience because this is what most laypersons will use, and if the UX is bad by default, it's a deterrent to adoption IMO.

2 Nov 2022 at 11:56 | Reply | Open on mastodon.gamedev.place
Michael Veale
Tane Piper

@cwebber there's a big opportunity for people to create browser tools and plugins to make QoL improvements

2 Nov 2022 at 11:55 | Reply | Open on tane.codes
Paul

@cwebber sadly this does not seem to be enabled on some instances. Thank you for the tip, will check it out on another instance.

(edited: mastodon.social seems to have this enabled but it doesn't seem to work. The instance I was on does not have it enabled)
2 Nov 2022 at 11:55 | Reply | Open on mastodon.gruezi.net
JuTaRo :emacs: β˜•

@cwebber I'm lost haha.

First, what am I posting exactly?
Second, why is it useful?

I understand it's just copying a link to a post on mastodon?

I saw this tip and I thought it was some clever joke... But seems like a real thing?

2 Nov 2022 at 11:56 | Reply | Open on fosstodon.org
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