UBB.Developers Forums UBB.threads 6 V6 Modifications V6 Mod Ideas Enhancing the PM system - Please provide feedback

Hi all,

I have looked at our current PM system and it is clear that there is a lot of room for improvement. In similar thread several suggestions came up, and Rick said that he was thinking of creating some sort of threaded view of the messages. I don't know how feasible this is but I can give it a try if anyone is interested. Along with this I have additional ideas:

1. Create a combined view of threaded messages, with replies coming underneath and indented the original message.
2. Create a set of "folders" that messages can be grouped and put into. Additionally we can enhance this so that particular messages go to particular folders as a rule that the user sets up, and then those folders appear in bold with the number of unread messages in them - something similar to a mail client
3. Add a preview screen (set to on/off by the user) which will allow you to click on a new message and it will appear on screen.
4. Allow the user to ignore emails from certain users (something like a trashcan or junk mail) which will allow them to receive messages but only from people that they have not in their black list. Now you can switch on/off private messages for all users.
5. Ability to search through all of your PM's or specific folders.
6. Admins should not be affected by the users chosen not to accept any PM's

Any more suggestions? I am working on a design for this modification which hopefully won't have any weird alterations on the existing tables.

Please comment with what you think about this. As soon as I finish the design I will post it here so that I can start working on its implementation.

Nikos

Sounds very good.
I think the ability to search through you pm folder would be nice.

Yep. Sorry forgot that. I had it written down in some kind of doctor look alike scribble that I couldn't understand

Nikos

Sounds awesome to me
The only thing I can think of right now is that I don't want them to be able to ignore PMs I send them!

I see. So the do not accept pm from other users should apply only to users and not to admins.

Nikos

Moderators should also be able to send to everyone.
But that shouldn't be a problem i suppose.

Those ideas sound great.

But what about making the PM system more like OpenTopic's private topics? I.e., PMs would essentially be private threads, in which two or more parties could participate. Or would this be too complicated?

Yes Astaran,

It would be a simple check on the status.

Nikos

I would say that the "OpenTopic" approach (one message after another like a private board) would be easier to implement, since there the technology is already there. Using the showflat.php scripts (equivelant) you can effectively simulate the boards.

If everyone else agrees we can take that approach. I will post a poll to see what everyone thinks.

Thanks Dave.

Nikos

Yes, all are nice ideas, I've had some of them in mind myself (I've even implemented the PM search into the Search Page Upgrade mod).

But I'd say it would be better to scrap the Messages table completely and use the normal Posts table for PM:s as well. No need to reinvent the wheel. If the normal functions are used we will get all the functions from the posting pages (we still haven't got the signature in PM:s, or the Quote feature). We will also get search possibilities, better browsing etc. There would also be easy to follow discussions in PM:s because they are threaded (or, could be shown in flat mode as well).

I'm not sure exactly how to implement this, but I guess there would either have to be an external table connecting users to threads in a special hidden "PM forum". Or possibly an extra field containing the user numbers of the users allowed to read the thread. I'd prefer the first option, since it's more scalable and is a better database structure.

Of course, there would have to be some checks in the search page so that it won't be possible to see PM threads that the user isn't allowed to read. Could possibly be done with an option to search in either posts or PM:s.

The idea with folders and filters is nice as well, but I would say it's the least important feature.
PM ignore feature is a definite must.

I have already put a poll up on the General Feedback board for those of you that want to help us steer in the right direction.

Gardener I now see the light. I too agree with the idea of the hidden forum, but I was wondering if that will bring a big load on the posts table?...

Nikos

Maybe you add a couple of columns to the post table.... "owner" and "invited". If it's 0 then it functions like a thread on the board... otherwise it has 2 or more users number who are allowed to see it.

Thus all the functionality of posting..... but in a private format.

When there are loads of PMs in your inbox there is a long delay to show the PM list, can these be paged ?

Look for my PM Limit hack in Beta Modifications, it does exactly this. You can install that if don't want to wait for the enhanced PM system, which I believe will have that function as well when it's finished.