How to Hide Long Comments in Dramabeans Using DBrief

Remember when I threatened to joked about making a mute feature for dramabeans comments?

I wasn't really expecting you twitterbeans and chingus to jump on the idea, but once we started talking, it became obvious that we NEEDED this. Or at least, we needed a way to collapse long comments and make beanut gallery readable again.

Here at PotUP (err... is this official, kakashi? Maybe I'm just speaking for myself) we support free speech. BUT we also believe that people should have a place online where they can just relax and have fun. Somewhere you can chat about what happened in a certain episode without being treated to a really long essay on that episode's merits and failures.

Personally, I think that kind of deep analysis already belongs to a blog. (A blog I would then have a choice NOT TO VISIT.) Having it forced regularly on me in the beanut gallery is like going home to relax after a long day at work, only to find your boss in the kitchen, ordering you to hand over a report and make him a sandwich. Which, no. Go away, Sir.
(Disclaimer: my real-life boss is an awesome person.)
On the other hand, some people actually love to have those long discussions on beanut gallery, and I can't in good conscience tell them to fuck off. What I CAN do is make it easy for like-minded beanies to avoid being stressed when visiting the beanut gallery.

Anyway, long story short, here is a Google Chrome extension called DBrief. (Thank you for the perfect name, JoAnne!)

Install DBrief to cut off long comments and replace with a Collapse/Expand button. Plus, if you're feeling extra vindictive, you can also "mute" certain usernames. (And by mute, I mean a "super secret feature built for the glory of Rim".)

How to use DBrief

Using your Google Chrome browser for desktop, go to Chrome extensions page for DBrief and click the + Add to Chrome button. (See above image)

After installing, the following icon should show up when you visit dramabeans.com:

Click on the icon to display the options, which allow you to:

  • Turn the effects on/off
  • Set how long comments should be before they're half-hidden
  • Type usernames to mute (this is case-sensitive)
  • Click on the  x  beside a muted username to unmute them
And that's it! Here are some pics of DBrief in action...

Where to find DBrief icon, and how to enable/disable it


How to mute/unmute a username


How to collapse or expand long comments

(Edit note: replaced this image with my own username being truncated, but the mechanics are the same. Apologies to redfox and friends who think it was deliberate.)

Final notes

Make sure to read the short description before installing! This only works for Google Chrome and desktop theme of Dramabeans. If you like visiting the beanut gallery on your phone, then I'm so sorry to your tired fingers that have to swipe endlessly.

PS This was not commissioned by javabeans and minions. If you have questions regarding the feature, contact me instead! Err... maybe I'll setup an FAQ page for it somewhere. :)