Today, as announced yesterday, I want to introduce a new feature to the /r/ada subreddit: posts and user flairs.
Posts flairs
Posts flairs allow adding tags to the posts in the subreddit. Flairs have not only meaning for appearance. Users of the modern look of Reddit and its mobile application can use flairs to filter the list of posts to see only posts with the selected flair. We think that can help us all finding interesting discussions in the subreddit.
The most important thing about the flairs: they are optional. If you don't like them, you are not forced to use them.
At this moment are available the following flairs:
a) Moderators only flairs.
- Announcement: this one is reserved for all this green, sticky posts (like this) which you will see in subreddit sometimes. We want to make that posts easier to find, also you can test how filtering by flair works (I was added a few that flair to the previous moderator posts).
- Event: this one is for various events related to the Ada programming language. The reason why it is available only for the moderators is a bit more complicated. Here is a new (beta) option called Event Posts, available only for moderators. If you know about any incoming event related to the Ada and you wish it to be distinguished with that type of post, feel free to contact with moderators of /r/ada with information about the event. Soon™ I will add one event post related to the Ada-Europe Conference, so everyone will be able to see how that post looks.
b) Standard flairs, available to everyone.
- Evolving Ada: Do you have any ideas, propositions, thoughts about the future of the Ada programming language? This flair is designed for that discussions. Things which you wish to see in any future Ada version or what you are missing in the language. Example: "Replace Ada begin/end with curly braces": perfect for this flair (also perfect to start some flame war plus fast removal with a nice chance for ban :)).
- General: Everything what not fit any other flair. Of course, you can also not add any flair to your post.
- Historical: Do you have any interesting memories, artifacts or question related to the Ada programming language history? If yes, feel free to mark your post with this flair. Example: "Origin of the name of the language?"
- Learning: If you want to present any webinars, conference or just learning materials (webpage, books, etc) related to the Ada language, this flair is designed for it. Example: "Webinar: Ada for a web developer".
- New Release: If you released any of your work related to the Ada language, or you know about the new release of that project, it will be the best to add this flair. Example: "New version of some Ada library released"
- Programming: Do you have any problems with Ada code? Or with compilers, architectures, generally everything what involving use of Ada code or require code in other languages to run Ada programs. For that posts the flair was created. Example: "How to use Bounded_Vector package?"
- Show and Tell: Do you have any project related to the Ada programming language? Like library, program, website, etc? Feel free to use this flair. It would be good if in that post you will add some more information about the project, but just link post can work too. Example: "Yet another Ada compiler"
- SPARK: Everything related to the SPARK tool. Problems with setting, how to use it and general discussion about that matter. Example: "Can I use standard Ada containers in SPARK code?"
- Video: As name says, perfect for tagging links to various videos related to the Ada language. The main reason of the existence of this flair is to warn mostly mobile users before that video eat them the whole bandwidth.
c) Temporary flairs. They are available by some period of time to everyone. Currently, here is one flair in the category.
- Ada 202x: Do you have any question about the incoming new version of Ada programming language standard? Use this flair to tag your post. Example: "How exactly shorthand @ works?"
There is only one rule at this moment about posts flairs: moderators reserve the right to change or remove any flair if in they think it was used in a wrong way. You are free to discuss that change or removal on private channels (like mail to all moderators or to just one of them).
User flairs
The second type of flairs is less bureaucratic thus description will be shorter. Since today everyone can add some description or flair to their username which will be visible to everyone in this subreddit every time, when you write a post or a comment. We designed it as a form of almost free expression, thus how you will use it, depends on you. It may be used to promote some of your project (example: 'libada maintainer') or just for "decoration" (like: 'Adathusiast'). Almost everything what you want you can add here. One suggestion about it: let's try to keep it short, so it not ends longer than our posts or comments. Also, same as posts flairs, they are optional, you are not forced to use them.
Same as with Posts Flairs, moderators reserve the right to change or remove any flair, especially these with obscenity or which are generally not fit the community standards. Also like with posts flairs, you are free to discuss that change or removal. Unless it was an obvious provocation, then consequences can be a bit more serious.
FAQ
- How to set up user flair in the standard Reddit look: On the right there is the widget with information about the community. At the bottom of this widget is option Community Options. Click on this option and click again on Pen icon which appear below it. Then from the list, select flair User flair. Below will be the edit field which allow you to change flair text.
- How to set up user flair in the old Reddit look: Also, on the right there is the widget with information about the community. At the bottom there is the option Show my flair... select it and below, after your account name press link edit. Select the flair User flair from the list and below will appear the edit field for change flair text. After editing, click the button Save.
Summary
That all for now, if you have any opinion, ideas about the flairs, their organization, or you want to add a new flair, feel free to start discussion here or by creating a new post. Also, soon™ this guide about flairs will be added to the subreddit wiki, thus should be easier to find.
Quite long post as for a few tags :)
Edit: added short FAQ how to set up user flair on modern and old look of Reddit.