[Suggestion] PM layout is a bit messy

[1miau]

I was going to write about the topic last summer but somehow I have forgotten it until a few weeks ago. It's about the general PM feature, which I consider as quite messy and I’m still not familiar to use it. Or at least it’s always very complicated.

The current situation:

PM Inbox is separated from Outbox (1) and the result is an extreme mess if I want to go through the entire PM history I had with someone. Inbox separated from Outbox is not the only issue, even the individual PMs are all spread over the place, depending on the date when I was writing with more than 2 people at the same time (2).
I don’t know how often you write PMs, I don’t do it often and it's a bit complicated for me.





If I want to quote parts of a PM or look up more than one PM back and it is not quoted in the following PM, you have no possibility to look it up directly. You have to duplicate the tab and go back to quote it or something similar.

So, I had the following idea:




All PMs are set by default in one category (All Messages (3)). These are sorted in the overview by date (5) and it’s is also displayed, which person has received the message (4) and the topic.
In the overview you can select the different users you had PMs with and read the complete PM history of each person.

Below, the content of your PMs is displayed. The conversation is sorted by answers from the person you had PMed (6) and own messages to them (7), sorted chronologically. So, you can scroll through the previous conversation (9) and see all parts of the conversation sorted by date.

The structure is like a messenger e.g. in Telegram, WhatsApp etc.





If you scroll down to the bottom, you can write another PM to the person (10). You can still have access to the entire conversation so far (by scrolling up at any time (9)) and the possibility to quote the text ( 8 ) to use parts of it in your new PM.
That would sort out the chaos completely, where you often have to switch between different tabs or windows etc. in order to read the context or to quote things.

If you like, you can also begin a completely new PM to the same person under "new message" with a new subject, creating a new PM history (about a different topic).


Sorry for the unconventional presentation and layout style, I hope you understand what I mean. It would help to improve the PM layout a lot and save time for answering PMs. Especially for those who receive many PMs per day.

[1714159982]

1714159982

[1714159982]

1714159982

[Quickseller]

I believe this is how SMF implements the personal message feature.

If you have a lot of PMs theymos will let you download your PMs in a format compatible with outlook and similar email programs. (You won’t be able to PM via outlook, however this might be a possibility with the new forum software via an API.).

[hacker1001101001]

The current forum software surely has a non-userfrindly messaging layout which make it very hard to keep track on PMs received and sent by a same person. At the same time quoting a previous message needs users to find the message to be quoted from a bunch of other PMs by other members which makes the working more annoying.

There are many great features for PM sorting and handling which we can add to the existing messaging layout and make the user experience better.

But, I am recently testing the new forum software Epochtalk and most of the features you suggested above to be added to the PM layout are already implemented there.

I tried testing the working by sending some test PMs.


The new forum software already contains some upgraded features in the PM section, which includes tracking the PMs of a single users in one layout and not jumbling all the PMs at one place. You can track all the sent and received PMs at one place ( no different inbox and outbox)

But, I was unable to find any PM quoiting feature there, if I am not wrong it is just not implemented or suggested yet.


A suggestion from my side would be adding a message forwarding feature like telegram, from which we can verify if the message is legit and sent by the quoted sender only. Now, there is no such option to forward previous PMs, the only option to check the legitimacy of the PM is to report it to the moderator.

[Vod]

If you have a lot of PMs theymos will let you download your PMs in a format compatible with outlook and similar email programs.

not true.   

Theymos has stated he will download PMs into a compatible format ONCE for each profile on request.

[jademaxsuy]

I don't have any problems with the PM's inbox and outbox being separated. IMO it's better that way, why?. The reason is when you read someone's reply you might mistakenly read the older post of another person pm and you'll reply out of the topic discussed. Person 1 PM you and you mistakenly read person 2 PM and send message to person 1, that's what mean. It happen to me before but not in bitcointalk forum.

[1miau]

I tried testing the working by sending some test PMs.

The new forum software already contains some upgraded features in the PM section, which includes tracking the PMs of a single users in one layout and not jumbling all the PMs at one place. You can track all the sent and received PMs at one place ( no different inbox and outbox)

Yes, looks interesting. All PMs sorted by users would be very useful to have no confusions which PM was sent at which time by sorting them.

A suggestion from my side would be adding a message forwarding feature like telegram, from which we can verify if the message is legit and sent by the quoted sender only. Now, there is no such option to forward previous PMs, the only option to check the legitimacy of the PM is to report it to the moderator.

+1
And allow forwarding PMs to embed them into a new thread to prove that someone sent phishing links / begged for Merit etc. in PM.

[1miau]

Now, more than 4 years later, Bitcointalk has still its outdated, dysfunctional PM structure, where it's really a challenge to keep track + sometimes search or quote, what my PM people wrote me and what I've replied back only weeks ago, for members getting usually quite a few PM's every week.
Or like me because I've a recurring list sent via PM, adding updates to this list every time.
I always need to dig it up in my messy outbox / inbox to find the latest version.

Recently, I've tried to look into "labels" function to label all my PM's to get a better structure into it.
But guess what?
It's only possible to label incoming PM's, not outgoing PM's (containing ALL my reply PM's)...  
Honestly, the inability to label outgoing PM's is making "labels" pretty useless because I'd still have to dig up my old replies in my messy outbox.

Is it not possible to label my outgoing PM's, too?
If it's not possible, this is making "labels" completely useless as I would still have to search all the remaining messages.  
I'm so tried of this sick, dysfunctional shit.  

[LoyceV]

it's really a challenge to keep track + sometimes search or quote, what my PM people wrote me and what I've replied back only weeks ago, for members getting usually quite a few PM's every week.

I know your pain. My inbox is 235 pages, my outbox 186 pages. Have you considered downloading your PMs and managing them locally? See Backup/Sort Private Messages/PM/DM (I haven't tried this).

[dkbit98]

Is it not possible to label my outgoing PM's, too?
If it's not possible, this is making "labels" completely useless as I would still have to search all the remaining messages.  
I'm so tried of this sick, dysfunctional shit.  

Everything about Personal Messages in forum is bad, especially for people who are sending/receiving a lot of messages or for newbies.
Whenever I receive any message that needs longer conversation I usually ask if we can continue with email or other type of communication that can be faster and/or more private.
This is one more reason to have new forum software, but I guess we could temporary have another SMF patch to make things a bit more better than they are now.

[SamReomo]

Is it not possible to label my outgoing PM's, too?
If it's not possible, this is making "labels" completely useless as I would still have to search all the remaining messages.  
I'm so tried of this sick, dysfunctional shit.  

Everything about Personal Messages in forum is bad, especially for people who are sending/receiving a lot of messages or for newbies.
Whenever I receive any message that needs longer conversation I usually ask if we can continue with email or other type of communication that can be faster and/or more private.
This is one more reason to have new forum software, but I guess we could temporary have another SMF patch to make things a bit more better than they are now.

I agree with you and yes a new patch would be really useful in current Personal Messages situation. I personally don't use the PM feature a lot, but yes it's sometimes annoying to find out inbox messages and continue that conversation in current state of the forum. However, I still believe that something is better than nothing, but yeah improvement is also necessary and I hope that when the forum gets updated SMF patches then things will be better overall.

[1miau]

it's really a challenge to keep track + sometimes search or quote, what my PM people wrote me and what I've replied back only weeks ago, for members getting usually quite a few PM's every week.

I know your pain. My inbox is 235 pages, my outbox 186 pages. Have you considered downloading your PMs and managing them locally? See Backup/Sort Private Messages/PM/DM (I haven't tried this).

Interesting feature but from reading the replies, Vod still asked for someone to convert if for Windows? 
Maybe theymos can set up a bounty among trustworthy forum members and implement it in his general forum structure?
(If it's possible, I'm not a coder, so I'm not really educated on that issue  ).

This is one more reason to have new forum software, but I guess we could temporary have another SMF patch to make things a bit more better than they are now.

Of course, considering we won't get a new forum software anytime soon, it's a very good idea. 

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I know your pain. My inbox is 235 pages, my outbox 186 pages. Have you considered downloading your PMs and managing them locally? See Backup/Sort Private Messages/PM/DM (I haven't tried this).

Oh wow, I didn't realize this thread was so old until I merited OP--but whatever, he's got a good point even a couple of years later.  The messaging system is one of only a few things about bitcointalk that I'd like to see updated.

And LoyceV, thanks for that suggestion.  I've got a few PMs that I'd like to save, but the rest have outlived their usefulness and I guess I missed that thread you linked to.  Oops.

Of course, considering we won't get a new forum software anytime soon, it's a very good idea. 

C'mon, what makes you say that?  It's ready to be released any day now.  Any day.

[GetOCI]

I know your pain. My inbox is 235 pages, my outbox 186 pages. Have you considered downloading your PMs and managing them locally? See Backup/Sort Private Messages/PM/DM (I haven't tried this).

Oh wow, I didn't realize this thread was so old until I merited OP--but whatever, he's got a good point even a couple of years later.  The messaging system is one of only a few things about bitcointalk that I'd like to see updated.

And LoyceV, thanks for that suggestion.  I've got a few PMs that I'd like to save, but the rest have outlived their usefulness and I guess I missed that thread you linked to.  Oops.

Of course, considering we won't get a new forum software anytime soon, it's a very good idea. 

C'mon, what makes you say that?  It's ready to be released any day now.  Any day.

I agree the old style PM trap is not very user-friendly.
(Since it was just mentioned twice) Is there any recent news about the newer forum, what is the current status, please?

[Sim_card]

I know your pain. My inbox is 235 pages, my outbox 186 pages. Have you considered downloading your PMs and managing them locally? See Backup/Sort Private Messages/PM/DM (I haven't tried this).

Oh wow, I didn't realize this thread was so old until I merited OP--but whatever, he's got a good point even a couple of years later.  The messaging system is one of only a few things about bitcointalk that I'd like to see updated.

And LoyceV, thanks for that suggestion.  I've got a few PMs that I'd like to save, but the rest have outlived their usefulness and I guess I missed that thread you linked to.  Oops.

Of course, considering we won't get a new forum software anytime soon, it's a very good idea. 

C'mon, what makes you say that?  It's ready to be released any day now.  Any day.

What a quite relief to hear this from you sir,that a new forum software is ready and will soon be released in no time. I only have few PM because I am new here but I think that from my observations it will be nice if the inbox and outbox messages are separated just as suggested by my seniors and forum coordinators.

[LoyceV]

What a quite relief to hear this from you sir,that a new forum software is ready and will soon be released in no time.

Learn to recognize sarcasm

[joker_josue]

Sorry for the unconventional presentation and layout style, I hope you understand what I mean. It would help to improve the PM layout a lot and save time for answering PMs. Especially for those who receive many PMs per day.

I agree that the PM section of the forum is one of the hardest to manage on a day-to-day basis.

I also went through this challenge a lot, until I managed to find an organization method. Now you ask: which method? I can't say, it's a mental organization. I don't usually have many conversations via PM either, but I still have a few. The categories aren't very efficient either, I tried using them and gave up. So I understand your feeling well.

But this area of the forum should not be touched while we are using this software.

Of course, considering we won't get a new forum software anytime soon, it's a very good idea.  

C'mon, what makes you say that?  It's ready to be released any day now.  Any day.

Are you just being ironic? 

[1miau]

Hello, @1Miau this topic is educative that everybody will love to be aware of, I’m seeking for your permission to translate it to local board Nigeria (pidgin)

This topic is not helpful to get translated for your fellow local board members because it's a Meta-related suggestion to improve forum functions (this suggestion won't get implemented anyway, as we know by now due to literally nothig happening even for the new forum layout, where millions of USD were spent on...).
In addition, this topic is more than 5 YEARS old...
Or how should this topic be helpful for your local board? Have you actually read it?  

There are hundreds (probably thousands) of more helpful topics to get translated, like this one: [TIPS] to avoid pyramid quotes (for Newbies)
In the linked topic, at least you could learn, why it's important to avoid pyramid quotes.