Scheduled Jetpack release: February 2, 2021.
Scheduled code freeze: January 25, 2021

Thank you for the great PR description!

When this PR is ready for review, please apply the [Status] Needs Review label. If you are an a11n, please have someone from your team review the code if possible. The Jetpack team will also review this PR and merge it to be included in the next Jetpack release.

Generated by 🚫 dangerJS against dcfc380

I like the idea of being able to play from the time displayed in the Dialogue block timestamp, but I think adding an extra icon that appears very similar to 'play' is confusing.

I agree this is a visually cleaner approach in regard to the toolbar, but my worry is that it makes these controls a little hard to find. This also duplicates some of the elements from the block toolbar.

I think we should either proceed with one of the following options:

• Maintain the controls and functionality as defined in the designs, and explore this idea in a later iteration.
• Keep the toolbar as is in the design, remove the duplicative UI elements within the timestamp dropdown, and keep the timestamp dropdown actions focused on manual timestamp editing and the ability to play from that time (see screenshot below)

I like the idea of being able to play from the time displayed in the Dialogue block timestamp, but I think adding an extra icon that appears very similar to 'play' is confusing.

I've been using this feature continually, and not being able to play the podcast in the desired position could be an annoying issue for the users, imo.

Can/should we always play in the time defined by timestamp?

I agree this is a visually cleaner approach in regard to the toolbar, but my worry is that it makes these controls a little hard to find.

Probably, yes. But also keep in mind we'd like to add podcast links in other areas, not only in the Dialogue timestamp section. For instance, a simple example of a transcription:

This feature won't be part of v1, but we may like to keep working on this after v1, maybe we should consider adding podcast audio links to other part f the content

Could add a hint that the link (the timestamp in this case) is tied to the media source? Maybe adding a play icon just close to the timestamp label?

This also duplicates some of the elements from the block toolbar.

Correct. Fair enough.

I think we should either proceed with one of the following options:

• Maintain the controls and functionality as defined in the designs, and explore this idea in a later iteration.
• Keep the toolbar as is in the design, remove the duplicative UI elements within the timestamp dropdown, and keep the timestamp dropdown actions focused on manual timestamp editing and the ability to play from that time (see screenshot below)

I prefer choosing the second. All controls suggested in this PR are focused on the timestamp edition. Range control is awesome and makes the difference. Could you consider to keep it?
Similar to the keep-in-sync option too.

Going to update the PR according to some of this feedback.

Question:

Is participant dropdown something that we'd like to add in the block toolbar too?

should we remove duplicated controls also when there the media player control is shown in the block settings sidebar?

Is participant dropdown something that we'd like to add in the block toolbar too?

I believe so - that tweak was in response to #18283

should we remove duplicated controls also when there the media player control is shown in the block settings sidebar?

Yes

Just reviewed the latest version, looking better. Feature-wise, there are still 2 changes I would make:

1. Change the sync button from a toggle to a one time action per click. I think the point is to set the time stamp from the player at the point the player head is at the beginning of that section of dialog. I don't see how continually syncing the timestamp from the player head is helpful. I see the timestamp as something you set once per block, not something you'd want to continually change.

2. Remove or hide the sync button in the toolbar when timestamps are hidden, since it isn't relevant.

Just reviewed the latest version, looking better. Feature-wise, there are still 2 changes I would make:

1. Change the sync button from a toggle to a one time action per click. I think the point is to set the time stamp from the player at the point the player head is at the beginning of that section of dialog. I don't see how continually syncing the timestamp from the player head is helpful. I see the timestamp as something you set once per block, not something you'd want to continually change.
2. Remove or hide the sync button in the toolbar when timestamps are hidden, since it isn't relevant.

Sounds good to me, but let's tackle in a follow-up PR. I do really think we should to try to get this one before to keep adding enhancements.

This is neat, nice work! I'd only have a few questions. I don't think any of this is blocking though, so I approved the PR.

At first, I had added the podcast within the conversation block, above the first dialogue block, and things didn't work there. I had to take the block outside of the parent conversation block.

When the audio is paused, it seems that syncing the timestamp is not possible; I had to play again so I could hit the sync timestamp button.

I was a bit confused when I got back to a previous dialogue to make a fix, and the timestamp got updated as soon as I clicked in, because the player was still going; I consequently had to select the right timestamp again.

Let us analyze this feedback and try to improve it immediately after this erge.
Thanks for your review.
r219830-wpcom

At first, I had added the podcast within the conversation block, above the first dialogue block, and things didn't work there. I had to take the block outside of the parent conversation block.

I can't reproduce this issue. In theory, it doesn't matter where the podcast block is inserted since it's registered globally by the store. I tried to do/undo to get it to get out-of-sync.

When the audio is paused, it seems that syncing the timestamp is not possible; I had to play again so I could hit the sync timestamp button.

Initially, the audio file is not loaded locally. For this reason, is why we disable the sync button.

Once the user clicks on the play button, it starts to download and get ready to work with it. So it happens just once. Maybe we can implement something smarter.

I was a bit confused when I got back to a previous dialogue to make a fix, and the timestamp got updated as soon as I clicked in, because the player was still going; I consequently had to select the right timestamp again.

I'm not sure I follow but probably it was because the sync button was activated. Instead of toggle the sync state, we may just sync once, when the user clicks on the button.