Why slash commands are a bad idea
Slash commands are slow, and make things confusing. Not very many servers only have one bot. Many have multiple bots. Some have multiple bots with a lot of common commands. So while suggestions SEEM like a good idea, it will just confuse the users. That is what help commands are for, and documentation as well.
If privacy is the motivation behind slash commands, then I have exciting news! Admins can simply create a channel and restrict the ability to see message history. Maybe even make an admin only channel for certain commands to be used. Bots can DM the responses if the content is considered sensitive. The bots can quickly delete issued commands for the same reason after responding.
Tuduh! Problem solved! All you got to do now is enforce that kind of behavior for verified bots and commands that could reveal sensitive data. Maybe even implement a way for devs to mark commands as sensitive.
-
However long it takes for the command to process is the developer's fault, and partly Discord's (realize how I said partly)
So what if server's don't only have one bot? Slash commands let you use the same command on multiple bots.
Slash commands as a whole have a built-in help menu that's very descriptive and guides the user through the command for anyone new - not to mention documentation is still very possible and Slash commands should not always be used, but you shouldn't force a new user to have to search through a document or stare at a help embed trying to find the command they're looking for when they can just search it up on a user-friendly UI.
Also, restricting the ability to see message history still lets other people see it if they're in the same channel. Ephemeral responses restrict it to only one person, no matter the channel. And while DMs are a pretty good alternative, it still makes it annoying to do when there's such an easy alternative.
Marking commands as sensitive, though, is not too bad of an idea. So I must agree on that.
Also, what's your grudge on Slash commands? It makes development very easy. If you are a developer yourself and just pissed you can't get them to work, I can link my GitHub which had a command handler for them lol
1 -
Slash commands have Been super slow, the past week it wouldn't even swipe , it gets so glitched , for users maybe it's ok for server moderators , admins and owners it's kind of annoying especially because a lot of us are used to doing commands and we're not allowed an option to manually use commands, popular bots such as dank memer, I was robbed with a slash command and it didn't even ping me, I'm not completely against it but a lot of things could be fixed
1 -
i think slash commands are good for a minority of discord users. slash commands might be good for developing and such; i can't confirm or deny that as i am not a developer myself. however, for the vast majority of discord users, slash commands are utterly horrific. most discord users are not developers. most discord users are not actively moderating or owning a server. most discord users are just there to have fun. slash commands are not fun in the slightest.
it's not that slash commands are difficult to understand. when i'm making a poll i strongly prefer to use slash commands because then i see the options i have before me and i don't have to memorize the command. however, when i'm playing a game, i strongly prefer to just type in a command.
as far as multiple bots having the same commands, why not just change the prefix? that always worked for me. two bots have the "!" prefix? change one to be a different symbol, or a letter, or a combination of letters... it's not that hard. in fact, i actually have *more* difficulty with multiple bots having the same command now that i'm being forced to use slash commands because there isn't enough room to display all the different bots that have a command with that name... and there's no scroll bar. so now, when i want to use the "help" command for one specific bot, i have to cross my fingers and hope that the bot i want actually shows up in the menu, and if it doesn't, i'm out of luck and i don't get to run that command, meaning i don't get the help i need.
if you're operating a discord server that's focused on a certain theme, concept, idea, whatever -- such as a video game, a movie series, or a youtuber -- then maybe recreational bots aren't a big thing in your server. i get that. but what about the rest of the servers that probably make up the majority of all existing discord servers? what about the ones not really centered around a super specific community? the ones that are occupied by a friend group consisting of 10 people, or the ones trying to become a fun and friendly community all by itself? these servers commonly have recreational bots for members to use.
using these bots used to be quick, easy, and fun. now it's a huge pain in the ass because whenever i want to run a single command i need to bring up an entire menu of commands, wait for the menu to load fully so i'm not selecting a command for the wrong bot, then click the specific command i'm looking for. maybe that doesn't sound too bad for a developer who's more used to what they do being a process, but for someone who's used to quickly typing out commands (used to be able to do maybe 5 commands within 5-10 seconds) this is painstakingly slow. the bots are probably about half the fun of discord for me and they've now been ruined.
i understand there are good sides and bad sides to slash commands, but i think we really need perspective here. we need to understand the different needs of different people. we need to not force everyone to comply with slash commands when slash commands are not right for everyone. if you like them, that's great. if they work well for you, i'm so glad. but i think there's a complete nuisance for a very large portion of discord's userbase.
i think slash commands should not be required. i think you should have the ability to disable them in settings so you don't see the giant annoying menu covering up the channel you're working in if you don't want to.
1 -
According to what has been said, the bot is mostly to blame for their sluggishness. There could be some latency since Discord needs to process data, but it won't be any more noticeable than when you send a message. The majority of sluggish bots, in my opinion, have improperly optimised code.
1 -
You are just completely wrong.
0 -
I don't get how there's ever an argument about application commands being all around bad. Should we be forced to use them? No, I don't think we should. That being said, they are still much better than the older systems. Application commands greatly simplify arguments and streamline the entire command process. If you're inviting several bots that share the same commands, that's on you - stop adding 20 multipurpose bots to your servers.
We aren't being forced to use application command due to the content therein being sensitive, Discord is saying all message content not directly aimed at a bot is sensitive. To a point, this can be true. I'm not personally a huge advocate for upending everything for privacy theater, but that's what Discord has chosen to do. Using direct messages for sensitive information is not a viable solution as plenty of people will have their direct messages either completely off, or set to only allow friends. Ephemeral messages can work for sensitive things, I myself use these for a command to get an api key for my own apis. It works like a charm, can be used in any channel, and will never be seen by anyone else.
As for them being slow, most of that as has been said falls on the side of the bot. Sure, some latency can come into play with Discord having to parse things, but nothing more than what's happening when you send a message. Of the bots that are slow, I'd bet the majority are not optimizing their code properly. Making extraneous database calls, not acknowledging interactions quick enough, using outdated api versions, etc.
In summary, application commands are not as bad as you may think.
0 -
According to what has been mentioned, the majority of their slowness can be attributed to the bot. Discord must parse data, so there may be some latency involved, but only in the same degree as when you send a message. I'd wager that the bulk of slow bots have improperly optimised code. making unnecessary database calls, failing to respond to interactions quickly, utilising a stale api version, etc.
0 -
I was robbed with a slash command and it didn't even ping me
Users could do that without a mention before any of this happened, Dank Memer also has dm notifications you can turn on
Not getting notifications isn't a valid criticism, that's on bots. I also personally haven't seen many issues with application commands. I've migrated all of my bots to only application commands as they are much more continent to both the end user, and developer. Sure, they were clunky when they first came out, but they're fine now. Any perceived slowness is either up to network issues on your side, or said bot taking too long. Anything beyond 3 seconds is completely on the bot, if a bot does not send SOME reply to an interaction within 3 seconds, the interaction will fail. Deferring an interaction gives a bot up to 15 minutes to do whatever it wants.
0 -
Not getting notifications isn't a legitimate complaint; that belongs to the bots. Additionally, I haven't personally observed many problems with application commands. I switched all of my bots over to using solely application commands because they are significantly more user- and developer-friendly.
0 -
Not getting notifications isn't a legitimate complaint; that belongs to the bots. Additionally, I haven't personally observed many problems with application commands. I switched all of my bots over to using solely application commands because they are significantly more user- and developer-friendly.
0 -
Because they are so much more user- and developer-friendly, I changed all of my bots to only use application commands.
0 -
Not getting notifications isn't a legitimate complaint; that belongs to the bots. Additionally, I haven't personally observed many problems with application commands. I switched all of my bots over to using solely application commands because they are significantly more user- and developer-friendly. Sure, they were awkward at first, but they work just great now. Any apparent slowness is either the result of network problems on your end or an excessively slow bot. Anything after 3 seconds is entirely up to the bot; if the bot does not respond to a request within 3 seconds, the request will be rejected. A bot can do whatever it wants for up to 15 minutes after deferring an interaction.
0 -
According to what has been said, the bot is largely to blame for their sluggishness. There might be some latency because Discord needs to parse data, but it won't be any more noticeable than when you send a message. The majority of sluggish bots, in my opinion, have improperly optimised code. making pointless database calls, being slow to respond to user interactions, using an outdated api version, etc.
0 -
Hi everyone! The problem should be resolved at brand this point because the driver package for 30.0.100.9684 has been replaced with an updated installation. Simply download and reinstall version 100.9684 from the Download Center to get the fix.
0 -
I think there should be no need for lash commands. I think you should be able to turn them off in the options if you don't want to see the huge annoying menu that covers the channel you're working in.
0 -
Why there is ever a debate about application commands being harmful in general eludes me. Should they be required of us? No, I don't believe we ought to. Despite this, they are still far superior to earlier systems.
0 -
Slash instructions aren't very hard to comprehend. I much like to utilise slash commands when creating polls since they allow me to view the alternatives I have available to me without having to learn the command. However, I much prefer to just write in a command when I'm playing a game.
0 -
I agree with your points about slash commands. They can be slow and confusing, especially in servers with multiple bots. I also think that the privacy benefits of slash commands can be achieved with other methods, such as creating private channels and deleting commands after they are sent.I think the best way to move forward is to make slash commands optional. If a bot owner wants to use slash commands, they can, but if they don't want to, they don't have to. This would give bot owners the flexibility to choose the best option for their server.
I also think that Discord should make it easier for users to learn about slash commands. The current documentation is not very user-friendly, and it can be difficult for new users to figure out how to use slash commands. Discord should make the documentation more clear and concise, and they should also provide more examples of how to use slash commands.
I think that with a few changes, slash commands can be a valuable tool for bot owners and users. However, I don't think they are the right solution for every server. I think the best approach is to make slash commands optional and to make the documentation more user-friendly.
0 -
No, Slash Commands are a very good Idea. For example, if 2 Bits have the same Command, there ist the Bot Pfp in front of the Command, so you can choose, wich u want to execute.
Also are they better to see what Commands a Bot has, cause they are listed, if u click on the Bot pfp after typing "/". Thats good because at first, Bot Developers don't have to write a Documentation and the Users din't have to read it. They just simply can look up, otherwise Bots almost always have a /help Command, what helps if needed.
(Here comes my Opinion):
Also they are more easy to code.-1 -
Slash commands shouldn't be necessary, in my opinion. If you don't want to see the enormous obnoxious menu that obscures the channel you're working in, I believe you should be able to turn them off in the options.
-1
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
20 comments