Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

classic Classic list List threaded Threaded
8 messages Options
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Gary Lewis
This may be the wrong place to put this, but I don't see the right place, so here 'tis.

It would be helpful if there was a way to force the forum to send someone an email to call them to a post.  Basically, what Facebook does when you put a person's name in a post.  Many times I want to alert a member to something being said which I know they can answer, but instead of just adding their name/handle I have to go send them an email on the side.
I'm not Nabble support, but have Nabble running on my Weebly website: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

GregChapman
Gary Lewis wrote
It would be helpful if there was a way to force the forum to send someone an email to call them to a post.
This is an interesting one - philosophically!

Currently, Nabble works on a traditional forum principle - that users control both when they visit a forum and whether anyone should be able to contact them other than through a post on the forum. Gary's proposal breaks that long-standing convention. However, the world moves on and it is right to consider whether some conventions have not become outdated with the rise of social media platforms. However, given the backlash against some of their principles that are designed to suck you in to staying on their platforms, maybe it is a good idea to retain the old forum ways?

My first reaction was that the forum principle should not be broken and that the option to be contacted by the forum administrator should be under the control of the user, but that's not to say that it could not be turned on by default.

But then I realised that currently, the option does exist. You alert a user to a post by posting a reply in the topic, quoting the relevant detail saying "I've invited user X to answer this!" and use the "Email this post to..." facility.
Perhaps this is an argument for retaining that facility for approved administrators as is done with the "Invite Subscribers" module?

(Of course you could argue that Nabble already breaks forum conventions as it has no Private Message facility and its equivalent cannot be turned off by the user - the use of email to make private responses.)
Volunteer Helper - but recommending that users move off the platform!
Once the admin for GregHelp now deleted.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Gary Lewis
Oops, I wasn't specific enough.  I'm suggesting that all members of the forum have the ability, as on FB, of alerting another member to a post.  Not just the admin.

My forum works as a community helping people solve problems with their trucks.  And we've come to know many of the other members - to the point that we know who can probably answer the question.  Many of us also use FB so are quite familiar with alerting another by just typing their name in and hitting enter.  That way they get a pop-up saying so-and-so mentioned you and they can click on the pop-up and be taken to the message/post.

But perhaps other forums don't need or want that functionality, so it should be able to be turned off by the admin for the whole forum.  As for individuals turning the notifications off that's something that can currently be done on FB - if you are running their app, but I don't think it can if just viewing through a browser.
I'm not Nabble support, but have Nabble running on my Weebly website: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

GregChapman
Gary Lewis wrote
Oops, I wasn't specific enough.  I'm suggesting that all members of the forum have the ability, as on FB, of alerting another member to a post.  Not just the admin.
Fear not Gary! I did recognise that you saw advantages in anyone being able easily to alert a "sleeper" to a post, in the hope that they might respond.

However, I was conscious that in Raven's post suggesting that the "Email this post to" feature be removed, you responded, "I think that is a good idea.  I've not had spam, but my members don't use that feature, so am happy for it to be taken out", so what I was suggesting that having voted to take it out you were now, effectively, asking for it to be put back. What other reason could there be for that feature appearing if not to encourage non-users to register or post?

The only reason I added the caveat about admin only, was because of sensitivity to the spam issue - because it most certainly could be abused and the individual forum administrator could be completely unaware that their forum had been hijacked for that purpose.

I also recognise that many folk are Facebook users and are used to its features. The reason I described my post as philosophical was because I see the aims of Facebook and a forum very differently and I think retaining that difference is important.

Facebook is a medium which is designed to draw you in (so the company gains more and more data about you in order to feed you with the adverts which its customer's find the most effective) and you sign up for it knowing that you can expect to re-engage with those with whom you haven't had contact in years. Indeed, it will be the prime purpose for many.

With a forum the expectation is rather different. The user expects to choose their level of involvement and expects an ability to withdraw. In my view, if consent was not specifically granted, while a user is active in the forum, then one shouldn't routinely re-approach an ex-user for a response to a new post.

Nabble already gives far more ability to chase old members than most forum platforms, as it lacks a Private Message facility and forces its users to use email and, by default, automatically provides all users with the ability to contact anyone who has registered - they don't even have to have made a post. To my mind making it still simpler to email people would have even greater capacity for spamming.
Volunteer Helper - but recommending that users move off the platform!
Once the admin for GregHelp now deleted.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Gary Lewis
Greg - Excellent points. We don't have many spammers, maybe because of the sign-up process, but we apparently recently did have one. And if "it" had been able to notify people with the feature I proposed then we might have had some real problems.

And your description of the differences between FB and forums is spot-on. My time on FB is twofold - first to keep up with family. Second, to answer people's questions about Ford trucks by giving them a link to the website. But, the behaviour of many of the people on FB is abysmal! So I highly prefer the forum.

Given all that, I take back my suggestion.

I'm not Nabble support, but have Nabble running on my Weebly website: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Raven<Nabble>
I have seen another forum software where you can tag users in a post. Not sure whether you can receive email about it but you do get a notification on the site in a notifications dropdown like Facebook. There is a forum I use where I've seen it in action and it is used quite frequently. It might be worth considering.
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Gary Lewis
Is that a Nabble forum?  Do you know how it is done?
I'm not Nabble support, but have Nabble running on my Weebly website: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/
Reply | Threaded
Open this post in threaded view
|

Re: Suggested Feature In Nabble Replacement

Raven<Nabble>
Not Nabble, it's Xenforo.