Rate Comments on Instructables -- Greasemonkey Script

Sometimes, someone post a particularly helpful comment that you'd like to acknowledge. Other times, people post rather idiotic ones that you wish weren't there.

Like digg, this Greasemonkey script allows you to rate comments.

As of now, the userbase is enough for ratings to have some meaning. However, the more people that use the script, the better & more useful the ratings, and thus the script, become.

Step 1: Install Greasemonkey

Although Greasemonkey was originally for Firefox, several browsers now have equivalents. Follow the directions for whichever browser you use.

Firefox: Install this extension and restart Firefox.
Safari: Follow steps 1-4 of this tutorial.
Epiphany: Install epiphany-extensions using your package manager or via the link. Enable Greasemonkey under Tools > Extensions.
Opera: Nothing!

If you have instructions of another browser, let me know!

Step 2: Signup

In order to prevent people from voting multiple times, I had to tie each script to an instructables account. This means you have to go through a small authentication procedure that hopefully isn't too long/hard.

First,go here. Enter your instructables username, case-sensitive.

Next you'll have to post a comment to your orangeboard. While you do this, keep the other page open! After you've made the post, you can refresh the page. There will be a link to your unique version of the script (see next step for installation help).

For security, you should delete the comment you made on your orangeboard once you have installed the script.

Step 3: Install Script

To install the script...

Firefox: Click the link. A dialog should appear. After accepting, the script will be installed.
Safari: (see above)
Epiphany: Right-click the link, and select "Install User Script..."
Opera: See this tutorial

If you have instructions of another browser, let me know!

Step 4: Use!

Using the script is incredibly easy. You can see ratings in stars next to usernames. Unless specified otherwise, sub-average comments will start to fade and awesome comments might get highlighted.

Once you find a comment you feel like rating, set the number of stars like rating an instructable.

Later, if you decide to, you can choose to remove your rating by clicking the [[]x] next to the set of stars.

You are not allowed to rate your own comments. If you try, your username will flash.

You can set preferences, such as removing fading & setting levels for highlights by going to http://ibles.appspot.com/prefs or clicking the preferences link at the bottom of any page.

(I've changed the script quite a bit, and thus the picture below is not representative of its current state)

Step 5: Receiving Updates

Updates? Ha!

Luckily for you, most of the time this script will automagically start using updates immediately. No need to do anything!

However, on rare occasions, I may need to tweak something that I normally can't get to, and it requires you to re-install the script. When this happens, you will be notified of an update, and be taken to a page where you can reinstall the script.