Help prevent sending private messages to the whole fellowship

[Player9999]

I have read through all comments again. I updated my original post to emphazise that the suggestion should be disregarded if it isn't easy to implement. As for the comments about other changes needed to the whole message system then I consider it out of scope for this suggestion, although I do agree with them (but I don't expect that will be easy to implement!). Any other change suggestions for my original post before I ask for a vote?

The FS chat system needs capacity for event related formatted posts, and an editor without cursor jump, and capable of seeing a message or at least few sentences on the screen at once. FS's could use a virtual white board in game for sharing event plans. PM.s need an archive system for long term records, vs short term activities or social chat. Notifications needs a long enough cue to carry several days if not a week for periodic polishers, vs now 60 or 100 messages depending on world, that's under a day in some cases.

Any details aside, I've never found a player or FS admin who doesn't think present messaging systems are recklessly bad for a game that requires their use to function seriously.

 

[ajqtrz]

When I am sending a message and have added some individual players to the Recipients field then I sometimes press the "send to whole fs" checkbox afterwards even though I didn't meant to (I guess I am too used to press this button when I send messages). When I do this I risk sending messages to the wrong persons

I suggest adding a warning (something like "You have already added recipients, do you really want to send to the whole fellowship instead?") when I press the "send to whole fs" if I have already added individual recipients - in most cases I didn't intend to send to the whole fs in this case!

If the Recipients field is empty then the warning should not appear!

I would expect it would be easy to implement this warning - if it isn't easy then please disregard this suggestion! I would like the warning both in browser and on mobile.

Pros: Helps prevent sending private messages to the whole fellowship.

Cons: ?

2 Things.

1) The warning says "You have already added recipients, do you really want to send to the whole fellowship instead?" This implies the recipients you added have been replaced by the fellowship list -- "instead." Was that your intention? Does checking the fs button erase the names you added from outside your fs? If it does, this is fine. If not "You have already added recipients, do you really want to send to the whole fellowship as well?"

2) If the recipient list is empty no warning would be needed since the message won't go out anyway. AND, if by "empty" you mean only the fs is there -- listed as the fs, the message would not be needed. The circumstances in which the message would be needed would be that you first put in some names and then added the fs (by accident).

I'd suggest (even though it's probably too late) you just ask for the "add fs" check box to be turned off if the recipient box is not empty. You would then not make that mistake. And if you wanted to send to the fs and others, you would check it before you added the other names. This would be much easier to program and not take a lot of changes. Wish I had thought of that earlier. Easier to program and fool proof.

AJ

 

[The Fairy]

1) The warning says "You have already added recipients, do you really want to send to the whole fellowship instead?" This implies the recipients you added have been replaced by the fellowship list -- "instead." Was that your intention? Does checking the fs button erase the names you added from outside your fs? If it does, this is fine. If not "You have already added recipients, do you really want to send to the whole fellowship as well?"

2) If the recipient list is empty no warning would be needed since the message won't go out anyway. AND, if by "empty" you mean only the fs is there -- listed as the fs, the message would not be needed. The circumstances in which the message would be needed would be that you first put in some names and then added the fs (by accident).

I'd suggest (even though it's probably too late) you just ask for the "add fs" check box to be turned off if the recipient box is not empty. You would then not make that mistake. And if you wanted to send to the fs and others, you would check it before you added the other names. This would be much easier to program and not take a lot of changes. Wish I had thought of that earlier. Easier to program and fool proof.

1: Checking the fs button erases ALL names, both fs names and players outside my fellowship (I just checked both on mobile and browser). As for the exact wording of the message: I would let the developers choose - I wrote "something like".

2: I am not sure if I understand what you mean here? When I write "the recipient list is empty" then I mean that no names has been added, so in this case I DON'T want the warning.

As for your other suggestion about disabling the check box if names has been added: I thought about that solution before posting my suggestion and originally wanted to add both alternatives and let the developers choose what was easiest unless someone in the forums preferred one of the solutions. But then I thought if someone had added some names and then regretted and wanted to send to the whole fs instead then it wouldn't be obvious that they needed to delete the names before they could press the fs button. (Then we could add a mouseover/whatever it is called on mobile with a tip that they needed to delete the names first - but then I thought the warning was simpler.)

 

[Player9999]

Lol ... in my case when it happened, I was sending a message to the mages to tell them I was thinking of leaving after the tourney; it went out to everyone and that was definitely not my intention. But yeah, I could see how talking about another member would be awkward too, lol.

Why am I imagining a house of mirrors, such that one could be talking about others in front, sideways, and overhead, and never just behind their backs? That'd likely be easier than getting a good functional mail system for Elvenar, and would be a fitting Mucking around with Muckster? ;-p

 

[Player9999]

1: Checking the fs button erases ALL names, both fs names and players outside my fellowship (I just checked both on mobile and browser). As for the exact wording of the message: I would let the developers choose - I wrote "something like".

2: I am not sure if I understand what you mean here? When I write "the recipient list is empty" then I mean that no names has been added, so in this case I DON'T want the warning.

As for your other suggestion about disabling the check box if names has been added: I thought about that solution before posting my suggestion and originally wanted to add both alternatives and let the developers choose what was easiest unless someone in the forums preferred one of the solutions. But then I thought if someone had added some names and then regretted and wanted to send to the whole fs instead then it wouldn't be obvious that they needed to delete the names before they could press the fs button. (Then we could add a mouseover/whatever it is called on mobile with a tip that they needed to delete the names first - but then I thought the warning was simpler.)

I suspect there's a far more functional, even if more work to code but long since overdue to players and FS's, alternative that would mitigate the warning issue in more functional ways.

We need a large enough display area for cc: lists and FS chat messages, to see what we're composing. Plus no odd cursor jump, or script that disappears drafts before sending if some other task is done while composing a message.

Large enough display windows to see what we're doing, and proper edit functions, would allow seeing rather than working from memory or assumptions as to what we're doing, and could enable use of the whole FS function to preselect typo-free actual usernames, and then edit to remove some, or add others, including if addressing a multi-FS group, or most/all of an FS plus outsiders.

As things stand, I often compose some messages in an outside text editor and c/p them, which should not be necessary for those reasons. Or kick myself for not doing that other times.

 

[hvariidh gwendrot]

the larger read out would be nice .. as many typos as i throw in it would help to have the entire message displayed before posting it in chat

 

[The Fairy]

@helya is this ready for a poll? (I admit that I expect a no based on the feedback I have got, but if I don't try then it will definitely be a no

I have added as a cons that this suggestion won't solve any other problems with the messages.

 

[hvariidh gwendrot]

i would vote no as we just talk to each other and everyone knows what is going on .. no need for special messages

 

[helya]

@helya is this ready for a poll? (I admit that I expect a no based on the feedback I have got, but if I don't try then it will definitely be a no

I have added as a cons that this suggestion won't solve any other problems with the messages.

If you're ready, I'm happy to add it.

 

[The Fairy]

If you're ready, I'm happy to add it.

Thanks, I am ready.

 

[helya]

Thanks, I am ready.

done

 

[DeletedUser29768]

I have had this same problem, so I will give it a yes.

 

[Fiona Selah]

Don't talk about people behind their back.
Problem solved

We just had someone in our FS lose both parents in a car accident. We wanted to do something kind for them and we arranged it thru messaging in game and wanted to do it privately. Also, there are time where our Archmage wants to discuss something with his three mages before the whole FS just to get feedback. People's relationships in game also progress at different levels. I don't want some things that are private to me passed along to everyone in the FS. So there are many times when discussions are not backstabbing and so this reply isn't truly relevant to those times.

 

[helya]

This was voted yes by the community Managers to be moved on to the Devs

 

[helya]

This has been rejected by the developers, they do not think an additional double-check for an issue that has to be confirmed by the player sending the message in the first place is really worth the effort. (their words, not mine)

 

[Myne]

This has been rejected by the developers, they do not think an additional double-check for an issue that has to be confirmed by the player sending the message in the first place is really worth the effort. (their words, not mine)

Thank you for trying @helya