User blog comment:Mira Laime/Introducing long-awaited Discussions updates/@comment-28083312-20190329210555

For text formatting, I believe that it is important that Fandom go one step further & add syntax highlighting & varying methods of reformatted text, Discord/Slack style. I am pleasantly surprised that we’ll be getting lists, & somewhat saddened that we don’t have quote functions, but preformatting for code is absolutely essential for teaching users how to become editors; it is a must, & syntax highlighting is a great bonus for code comprehension. While it is good that Fandom are seeking to increase non-editor user-retention, that is no excuse not to also take every action possible to optimize the retention of new editors. There are never enough. @ mentions are a good social tool, but they are a bad moderating tool. As a Global Discussions Moderator I could have been served by an internal DM or Message Wall feature within Discussions, one that works within the apps (part of the problem is that /d users don’t use web browser & can’t use actual Message Walls). There will never be a good situation where Moderators can use @ mentions in a healthy way to get the attention of disruptive users to teach them how to behave. Creating a separate thread with an @ looks like a call out post, because it is, & it’s fantastically toxic. @ mentioning someone within a thread, while effective, will guarantee that said thread gets derailed. Wider discussions is not the proper place to talk with someone about their conduct; we need a segregated area for that, & @ mentions don’t satisfy that need. As Moderators we need more.