TO: Username FROM: Username in reply message

Started by hfhs72, February 04, 2005, 01:58:53 PM

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hfhs72

It sure would be nice when replying to a message or when starting a new message you could select who you want the message to go to. If replying to a message from say, Joe Blow, your relply message header would say TO: Joe Blow  FROM: John Smith.

Delphi message forums use that feature and it sure is nice. I'm sure there is a way you could pull out the users profile names from drop down box that would let you select who you want the message to go to. The box might contain the last 30 "Users Online".

I hope you will consider this mod.

Don

[Unknown]

I'm not sure I understand why you would want to do this.  First of all, the from is already very clear because it's from you - and your information is shown with every post.  As for to, I can only think that you're asking for threaded...

I mean, what if I wrote this post, but made it "to Compuart".  What in the world would that mean?!!?  Compuart hasn't even posted in this topic, whether he is or is not online, and may very likely never read this topic (well, actually, by mentioning his name I have increased the likelyhood indeed, but still.)

Or are you asking for pms?  Those already exist; private correspondence between members.

-[Unknown]

Compuart

I guess the search feature does the job too...I actually noticed this topic :P
Hendrik Jan Visser
Former Lead Developer & Co-founder www.simplemachines.org
Personal Signature:
Realitynet.nl -> ExpeditieRobinson.net / PekingExpress.org / WieIsDeMol.Com

hfhs72

Quote from: [Unknown] on February 04, 2005, 06:38:39 PM
I'm not sure I understand why you would want to do this.  First of all, the from is already very clear because it's from you - and your information is shown with every post.  As for to, I can only think that you're asking for threaded...

-[Unknown]

Hi -[Unknown],

I guess what I'm getting at is this. In the forum that we have, everyone knows one another, some on personal levels others just through the forum. We use real names for our display name.  We have lots of discussion topics along with games. In order to keep the members coming back to the forum we try to keep them involved in one topic or another. If we see that someone hasn't visited the forum in quite some time we can address a message to them. If they have email notification turned on (which most do) they usually come back to the forum and get back involved with it.


Currently our forum is located on Delphi and if you are familiar with that board then you know how it works. We would like to get away from Delphi and use SMF. We like everything that SMF offers. The complaint that we are hearing the most is the issue of the  (TO:). Nobody knows who a message is addressed TO.  You are correct when you say that the FROM is there, that's not a problem. 

One other nice feature that Delphi has is that when either starting or replying to a message you can select from a drop down box a list of about the last 20 visitors to the forum. Selecting a name puts that name in the TO: header.  It makes for a more personal message and keeps the members involved.

I hope you get the drift of what I'm getting at. 

Don


Kindred

hfhs...

I think your system is set up completely differently from an actual forum... It seems more like a series of personal messages that are actually public. (???)

Posts are based on TOPIC (title) not on to/from...
Although, every post includes the FROM in each message/reply (it's displayed on the left hand side of the message)

For individual messages to specific users, there is the PM system, and there is a select from all users option in that.
In addition, a user can request to be informed, by email of any new Personal Messages...   or even, if they are particularly interested in a specific post, they can request to be informed (by email) when a new reply is made in that post/thread.

You can also SEARCH the entire forum (like Compuart did) for anything with your name in it....
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

[Unknown]

Quote from: hfhs72 on February 18, 2005, 09:28:52 AM
I guess what I'm getting at is this. In the forum that we have, everyone knows one another, some on personal levels others just through the forum. We use real names for our display name.  We have lots of discussion topics along with games. In order to keep the members coming back to the forum we try to keep them involved in one topic or another. If we see that someone hasn't visited the forum in quite some time we can address a message to them. If they have email notification turned on (which most do) they usually come back to the forum and get back involved with it.

So far, you just gave a nice and wordy description of a forum, and personal messages.  You sorta put those two things together, but the description is there and we have all of that here and use it a lot.

QuoteNobody knows who a message is addressed TO.  You are correct when you say that the FROM is there, that's not a problem.

Tell me, this message I'm posting here... who is it to?  Is it to you?  Is it to Compuart?  Maybe, is it to someone else who might come along and read this...?

The answer, in this case, is everyone.  Yes, who it's to may depend on the poster... but in general, it's to whoever's reading it.  If I want someone specific to read something, I'll quote them or use their name.  Watch:

Compuart, are you still looking at this topic?

See, now, he might just come along and say yes/no to that.  Just wait and see.

QuoteOne other nice feature that Delphi has is that when either starting or replying to a message you can select from a drop down box a list of about the last 20 visitors to the forum. Selecting a name puts that name in the TO: header.  It makes for a more personal message and keeps the members involved.

You said this already.  I understand the feature, I just fail to understand WHY it's useful.  There's an online list at the bottom of the forum, from which you can click someone's name and send them a message.

Maybe I'm still misunderstanding you.  I'm picturing a post, like this: (pretend everything above and including this line is one post, and everything after is a new post...)


To: hfs72
From: [Unknown]

Hi!  Other people can read this message, and I know kindred might.  But, for some reason, I want to TOTALLY EXCLUDE him, and only talk to you.  Even though he can still read it, I'm still only talking to you and for some strange and insensitive reason, not talking to him.

-[Unknown]


Doing that makes no sense to me.  Obviously, you are able to tell who the posts made in this topic are from, and who they are to.  I am even, in this post here, talking to kindred to a degree... why would I want to exclude anyone who happened to be reading the post?  I can just imagine the feelings I would hurt if I did this; already it's bad enough, but what if I really forgot someone's name?  People are so sensitive.

I suppose a field for "From" could easily be added, but I really don't see this being a default feature - and I'm still trying to understand how in the world it could be useful.  To me, it seems like having a "chocolate" button on my keyboard, which gives me chocolate.  Nice, but.... why does it have to be on my keyboard?

-[Unknown]

Compuart

Quote from: [Unknown] on February 18, 2005, 07:41:07 PM
The answer, in this case, is everyone.  Yes, who it's to may depend on the poster... but in general, it's to whoever's reading it.  If I want someone specific to read something, I'll quote them or use their name.  Watch:

Compuart, are you still looking at this topic?

See, now, he might just come along and say yes/no to that.  Just wait and see.
Sure I'm reading this :P (this time it was the 'Show new replies to your posts.' link though)
Hendrik Jan Visser
Former Lead Developer & Co-founder www.simplemachines.org
Personal Signature:
Realitynet.nl -> ExpeditieRobinson.net / PekingExpress.org / WieIsDeMol.Com

gri

#7
Quote from: Compuart on February 18, 2005, 08:05:37 PM
Quote from: [Unknown] on February 18, 2005, 07:41:07 PM
The answer, in this case, is everyone.  Yes, who it's "to" may depend on the poster...
but in general, it's to whoever's reading it.
If I want someone specific to read something, I'll quote them or use their name.
Watch:

Compuart, are you still looking at this topic?

See, now, he might just come along and say yes/no to that.
Just wait and see.
Sure I'm reading this :P (this time it was the 'Show new replies to your posts.' link though)

[Unknown],
how long to wait and see..
if I have time limited access to internet
and am ~waiting and seeing~.. or not seeing
on this or hundreds of other forums ?

I want to be subscribed to all "to Compuart" replies.
I just suppose that they concern both him and me.
As well as to several other friends' ~to Friends~ replies..
scattered through the forum(s).

Welcome to Public Mail
<< http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=28329.msg217786#msg217786

<< http://agreetogri.newmail.ru/public-mail.htm

nave

this doesnt really make any sense to me.

a personal message to someone is sent through the private message system
a message intended for everyone to read is posted on the board
if you make a post and you want someone specific to see it, send them a pm/email/im with the link to it

hfhs72

#9
Quote from: nave on February 19, 2005, 02:32:01 PM
this doesnt really make any sense to me.

a personal message to someone is sent through the private message system
a message intended for everyone to read is posted on the board
if you make a post and you want someone specific to see it, send them a pm/email/im with the link to it

So, who are you addressing this message to? -[Unknown], Compuart, HFHS72, Kindred, Gri, everyone?

See my point!

Don

nave

yes its addressed to everyone, or i would have said:

hfhs72
this doesnt really make any sense to me.

a personal message to someone is sent through the private message system
a message intended for everyone to read is posted on the board
if you make a post and you want someone specific to see it, send them a pm/email/im with the link to it

see how it works?

hfhs72

I totally understand how the private message works with SMF. We are not talking about private messages.

I can't believe you guys don't understand what I'm getting at. In your post above you are replying to my message that I authored. You are replying to me (hfhs72), not everyone. Yes, everyone can read it but it is not addressed to everyone.


This is what a current message header looks like when someone hits the Relpy button.

Re: Topic Name
« Reply #2  on: February 20 2005, 05:59:33 PM »


My point is that if you add the Display Name or Username in the header it makes it easier to understand who the message is for.

Think about this: Lets say you have a topic with 600 messages in it. The topic was started one year ago. New member comes in and starts reading from message #1 and he decides to reply to message number #3. He hits the quote buttom but then deletes the quote. Now, the username that authored the #3 message is gone. So who is he replying to?

A simple solution:

Re: Topic Name
« Reply #601 on: February 14, 2005, 05:59:33 PM » in reply to: Username


Peter Duggan

Quote from: hfhs72 on February 19, 2005, 03:47:45 PM
A simple solution:

Re: Topic Name
« Reply #601 on: February 14, 2005, 05:59:33 PM » in reply to: Username

So you'd have to start a new reply for every point you wanted to address by a different user? ::)

Suggest using the existing Insert Quote function instead:

Quote from: hfhs72 on February 19, 2005, 03:47:45 PM
I can't believe you guys don't understand what I'm getting at.

But I think we do.

Quote from: nave on February 19, 2005, 02:58:10 PM
see how it works?

Yes.

Quote from: hfhs72 on February 19, 2005, 02:54:40 PM
So, who are you addressing this message to? -[Unknown], Compuart, HFHS72, Kindred, Gri, everyone?

In this case, you.

Kindred

hfhs72,

What you are asking for is handled by personal messages... as had been stated time and time again.

Doing that in a public post makes no sense at all, really...   if you're addressing it to someone, why bother with the slowdown that calling a dropdown of all users would entail?   Just use the quote feature, or address the message (as I did!)
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

helenbpd

#14
hi hfhs72,

I'm glad you're interested in SMF - I think it's a fabulous piece of software.  I've seen what you're describing on many online forums; on the standard SMF install it's generally implemented by using the "reply with quote" button on each post, as folks have pointed out, or by simply addressing it personally. 

But just because you want something different doesn't mean it ain't possible.  (I can't imagine it's something nobody has ever wanted before, y'all, even if rarely?   Users get used to specific features they're familiar with & like from their old software, and it's natural to want to keep 'em if possible.  It drives me insane that most other browsers won't store a default text size I've selected for each specific webpage that I can toggle right there on the footer like I can in Omniweb, for instance. :P )

Like many features folks want that diverge a bit from standard practice, someone might be interested in creating a special mod for this function for you, hfhs. That's the beauty of SMF - nobody else has to love what you want, as long as either you can or another member can help you create a mod for it.  :)

Helen

gri

Quote from: hfhs72 on February 19, 2005, 03:47:45 PM
I totally understand how the private message works with SMF.
We are not talking about private messages.


TO "ALL" (not excluding the author of the included quote)
("ALL" is not equal to the Author of the included quote):

Yes, it is one of the first problems..
to separate from this request about Public feature..
all those who do not understand the difference between Public
and Private.

TO gri:

May be to open another one topic
"The difference between Public and Private." ?
But what would it be the reguest ?..

TO ALL:

Another problem is to explain.. for those who have left in the topic
the difference between "ALL" and ~the Author of a topic~.

The presense of "TO GRI" here.. can help.. him to search and find
those messages adressed (concerning) to.. me.
After the moment when i have tired to wait notifications.

But do you know the words which i will pronounce
in case of the failed search of New replies ? Hope, you guess..

It would be
"Why not to formalize the header of the posting
and not to use it for notification ?"
EITHER because of my formalized Nickname is in the "Quote's Author" field
OR ~in the body~ of the posting
OR just because I have selected to be noticed about ALL
new postings in the topic..

Having got the e-mail notifications from only a few of hundred forums
I will connect exactly to the postings of my concern..
independently of the number of pages with the postings
~to ALL~
in the topic.

I would say then "Thanks to SMF".


There is a good logic function "OR".

"WITHOUT ANY TO" means "TO THE AUTHOR of the topic".
In order to distinguish such reference from "TO ALL"
it is necessary not to neglect by the formalized adressing to the Author:

TO hfhs72:

//end of all TOes  :)

[Unknown]


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