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I noticed when I was viewing a question on Stack Overflow while I was logged out, there is an option to add a comment with a broken image on the side. Here is a screenshot:

add a comment button with broken image

After I logged in, I realized this is where my profile picture is supposed to be displayed. Since I'm logged out, there is nothing to display here.

I also noticed that the button to publish the comment is disabled while I was logged out. Should there even be the option to add a comment for anonymous users?

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    My god. They let you log out? There is life outside Stack Overflow? Commented Aug 7 at 23:38
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    @user4581301 "There is no IRL. There is only AFK." Also, when logged out, I don't see a broken placeholder. I just see "Add a comment." Did the OP's machine cache his logged-in page? Commented Aug 8 at 0:22
  • @Nanigashi I don't think so because this is the first time I saw this new design and I happened to be logged out. Do you also see the new design (with threaded comments)? I just checked Safari and that is showing me the old design. There is probably an A/B test going on. Commented Aug 8 at 0:28
  • @CaveJohnson I see the "old" design when logged out. Commented Aug 8 at 3:42
  • Are you looking at question comments, rather than answer comments, @Nanigashi ? Note that experiment is only on comments to answers (at the moment). Commented Aug 8 at 7:59
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    h... how did that happen? The new comments UI shouldn't be enabled for anonymous users. Is anyone else able to recreate this while logged out? Commented Aug 8 at 10:13
  • @Connell I don't see the broken image icon. But I do see the alt text "user avatar" so I think I'm seeing the new comment UI. I did simply logout to test this right now. Commented Aug 8 at 10:32
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    Hmmmm interesting. I can't recreate it but I have a sneaky suspicion. @cafce25 is it still showing the new UI for you when logged out? Commented Aug 8 at 11:01
  • @Connell no, on rev 2025.8.6.32596 and when logged out I get the old comments now. Commented Aug 8 at 11:06
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    Excellent, thanks for checking. I'll post an answer with details. Commented Aug 8 at 11:09

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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This was an unlucky combination of experiment groups for users who were both:

It's coded so that users who do not have the privilege to comment should never see the new UI. But falling into the second experiment group (even if you're anonymous and cannot actually comment anyway) means you pass that privilege check...

I've just forced anonymous users to never be in the second experiment group, so this scenario shouldn't be possible now.

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