Thanks for explaining that, now I can eventually see the OP.

I want more like the second picture by default (although I wish the tap would take me direct to the OP instead of to the reply and then I have to scroll up).

I don’t want to see a main feed full of replies I don’t understand because there’s no context and have to decide whether it’s worth tapping and scrolling up dozens (hundreds?) of times a day to find out what it’s about.

I want by default to see the OP with replies underneath (perhaps the replies collapsed or collapsible). Then I can decide based on the OP, not guess by the reply, if I want to read through that thread or scroll past to the next.

Maybe it’s cuz I’m new and all the content is new. Once I’m in, perhaps I’ll want to see unaccompanied replies. But for now, I want to see OPs first, then replies once I’ve read the OP.

Good idea. I wanted to search their Github Issues to see if they already have a request for this but then I realized I don’t know the correct technical terms to describe this. “Show OP with replies below directly in timeline”? Or “feed”? Or “home page”? Whatever is the porper Mastodon term for what it shows me when I load the main page.

• https://github.com/cheeaun/phanpy/issues

Unfortunately, it looks like Fedilab is a mobile app only.

Also, I’ve installed it on Android and the default does not show the OP above with replies grouped below.

Looking at its settings, maybe one might affect completely missing OPs, “Remote Conversations”. I’ve enabled it and will see how it goes.

I can’t find any setting to make it show replies grouped below the OP.

Phanpy

First impression: “That’s more like it!”

But then: “Wait… it’s still not showing me the OP followed by replies.” It shows me a reply, with some faded text above. I click on the faded text above, and still don’t get the OP, eventually click on a group of microavatars with mouseover text “Go to top” and an up arrow, and at last see what the hell it is people are talking about, with replies below. I try going through settings, find no way to get it simply show me the OP in the first place.

I guess I’ll have to keep trying out front-ends until I find one that works in a way that is not obviously maddening the way I need it to.

I’ll try Ask Lemmy. https://lemmy.ca/post/44479417

(And wondering again if I should try Mbin or Piefed, and what the difference is.)

Well, I’m confused. And has it caught on?

Disclosure: I’ve tried it out on my computer, not the app. Is the app more user-friendly?

E.g. I only just realized now why I’ve been so confused by Mastodon; the web page shows you replies before showing you what’s being replied to, without the UI making it obvious that’s what it’s doing and what’s connected together. Does the app fix that, and is there a way to get a fix in a web browser?

We need to find a way to fund the cost of implementing this. Perhaps a series of NFTs?

New game:

“AI or Putin? You decide!”