My website allows me to close article comments, but I have a question about how best to define the flow.
Here is the scenario I am wondering about…
9:59am @ralph_m ; starts typing away on a long, but thoughtful, comment to better the discussion
10:00am Nasty-Nick posts an inflammatory comment and it is clear the conversation is going downhill quickly.
10:01am Prude-Pam takes great offensive to Nick’s comment, and posts a return volley.
10:02am Nasty-Nick strikes again!
10:19am After 20 minutes of typing, @ralph_m still can’t get to the point!! (Such a wordy devil!!)
10:20am Debbie-the-Admin decides to CLOSE the conversation before Nasty-Nick posts something else nasty!
10:21am Finally @ralph_m completes typing the perfect Comment, and hits “Submit Comment” button…
10:21:01am <<What happens next?!>>
Option #1:
I trash all of Ralph’s hard work. (Hey, he took too long, and once the thread is closed it is closed, regardless of whether you started typing up a response before it was closed.)
Option #2:
Any attempts to post a Comment after the thread was closed are denied, but if you started typing a response before things were closed, then it will succeed. (Although as an Admin, I could later deny it for continuity reasons.)
Currently, my script checks to see if posting is open when the “Post a Comment” form loads, but after that a scenario like above could happen?!
And since this web page isn’t “real-time” like a chat session, there is no easy way to prevent someone from typing a long Comment only to get denied due to timing issues. So, personally, I say let their posts survive.
But what do you think?!
Sincerely,
Debbie
P.S. No wise-guys telling me, “If you used JavaScript then…” :tdown: