I would love for HN to support some type of mark up that could actually render a quote block properly. ( @dan )

> But it doesn't have one AFAIK.

It's not markdown, and the only thing we have is a code block.

I've re-formatted for an even slimmer screen :D

You’re better off wrapping it in asterisks and prefixing it with a >:

> No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

HN really needs some basic features to improve quality of life (and comments). Like making links, quotes, bullet lists, and code.

In short, it needs markdown

I just go with the * around the text since it seems to work fine for mobile.

One problem that makes it much worse is that the css for the code block has a very small max-width, if you disable it, much easier to read.

> It's not markdown, and the only thing we have is a code block.

And shitty unescapable emphasis which fucks up as often as it succeeds.

The username is @dang

What I've sometimes done when I've needed a second level quote, or needed to both quote the parent comment and something else, is use a code block but word wrap it at some length hopefully not too wide for mobile.

Here is an example using blocks wrapped to 40. How is this on mobile?

>This is a top level quote

  second level quote something about the
  quick brown fox jumped over the lazy
  poodle

    third level quote the fox was Scottish
    and wearing a kilt, and nothing else.

      fourth level quote when he jumped over
      the poodle she saw his junk and
      complined to HR

        fifth level the fox got in trouble for
        harassement, and the poodle got in
        trouble for cultural insensitivity to
        Scots

          sixth level also the company got in
          trouble with OSHA for putting the
          poodle's workstation in a place where
          others had to jump over her to get in
          and out of the building

Sadly, this is what that looks like on a phone (iPhone, in this case):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xw30t56w06xpbgp/hn.png?dl=0

I agree but this is how a quoted block is rendered on this site. Its fine for desktop but almost completely unusable on a mobile phone since you have to scroll horizontally to read each line.

> I agree but this is how a quoted block is rendered on this site.

No, it's how a code block is rendered on this site. Abusing that for quotes is not really a good idea. (It's not that great for code, either, but it's tolerable for very small snippets, and the ones it's not good for are probably better hosted elsewhere and linked than embedded in a comment anyway.)