ForumTechnical Corner ► Binoculars for Neighbourhood Watch
I'm not sure whether or not to place this in Site Information or Technical Corner, but I'm posting it here just because it's not a core part of the website and this is nerd shit.

Binoculars


Binoculars is a userscript that you can install to a script manager of your choosing. When added, it creates a button next to the Preview and Post buttons whenever you make a post on the Neighbourhood Watch thread. Clicking it fetches the current list of online users, goes through each, and formats it for you, adding links to the respective profiles.



It's fairly simple, clocking in at only around sixty lines of code. However, in the future I plan to make this customizable with different format options. I don't want to make it too complicated, however. This is meant to make your life easier... if you like it being that way.

Links

You can find the script on GreasyFork which will automatically install it to a userscript manager in your browser, if you have one. If that's not your kind of thing, or if you'd like to make changes to the code, you can find everything at the GitHub repository. If you don't have a userscript manager yet still want to install it from GreasyFork, you can probably find one on your browser's plugin marketplace (i.e. Chrome Webstore or Firefox Addons). I use Tampermonkey, if you need any pointers.

I hope this is sufficient. If you feel like something should be added, just add an issue or pull request on the repo. Haven't used GitHub in a while, forgive me if I screw up and do some stupid git-related thing.

Additionally, sendmecutefeetpics did something in 2019 that achieves the same purpose as this in the form of a bookmarklet. If you don't want to go through any installations, you can use what they made. I won't judge.
  
Can you make an install guide?
  
Sure. Remind me this evening; for the bulk of my day, I'll be busy.
  

Installation guide


This guide details multiple ways to add Binoculars to your web browser so that you can use it on the fly. Processes may vary per browser.

No installation


If you don't want to go through the process of installing anything, you can add the paste users button to a reply page of your choosing for a single time only without any extra work. The steps are as follows:


If you're on a reply page, the "Paste users" button should appear. Additionally, you can format the thing into a bookmarklet, add it to your bookmarks list, and click the new bookmark whenever you want the button to be added. I trust you to know how to make a JavaScript bookmarklet.

Using a userscript manager


If you want the code to be executed automatically upon entering the Neighbourhood Watch thread, without any effort needed, you should install a userscript; but to do that, you'd need a userscript manager from your browser's extension marketplace.

First, go to:

Then:
  • Search up "userscript".
  • Get the userscript manager that looks the most useful. Binoculars should work on all. I use Tampermonkey (you can find download links for all sorts of browsers on its homepage).
  
I changed the color of the button on mine to the same red gradient as the unfollow button
  
please help me, can you dumb the instructions down for me? i pasted it into where you said to, but nothing happened? just came with an error?
  
...what error? I can't help you at all if you don't even tell me what went wrong.
  
"Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'prepend')
at createButton (<anonymous>:33:15)
at <anonymous>:20:5
at <anonymous>:25:3"
  
What version is your browser?
  
im using microsoft edge bc its the only browser i can use :)
is that what you mean?
  
That function may not be supported by your browser.
  
ok. thanks anyway, hoyle.
  
Thank you to user64837 for implementing a way to exclude Markov. I'm currently working on a configuration system that is loaded onto the page automatically, where you can change values on the fly. It's not been pushed to prod yet, but it should be very soon.

  
why do you want to exclude markov?
  
Because Markov is a bot and is almost always online (I think)
  
I hate Markov
  
Markov is generally always online and just clutters up the list. If he's always going to be the common denominator, why include him in the first place?
  
user64837 said:
I hate Markov

Woah there, let’s not get political
  
Idea: make it show when Markov is not online
  
Lmao
Edit: this is really cool actually, I'm just laughing on the realization there's controversy over the bot
  
yes do that
  
That is brilliant. I'll add that.
  
Well.

The whole thing just needs some ironing out and fixes to any potential oversights, then it'll be ready by tomorrow.
  
Counter point to not having Markov. Have a system where every online user shows as Markov
  
No, that would be too much. You can make your own modification of the script if you want, but I'm not adding that.
  
Forum > Technical Corner > Binoculars for Neighbourhood Watch