Message Threads Disappearing (or not)

[Pauly7]

Regarding the debate and difference of opinion on whether message threads should disappear permanently when people delete them, I've thought of a possible compromise. This all depends on whether those Inno scientists are able to program this, but in my head it sounds feasible, given that they're able to apply a different rule for messages sent to one person, compared to messages sent to a group:

Would it be possible for them to do the following?:

• If any message is sent to the whole fellowship, by checking the box as such, these message threads could be permanently deleted by people who didn't want them
• If a message is sent to a group of people by manually typing in their names, then future messages will always cause the thread to come back

This solution (if possible) wouldn't completely satisfy either group, potentially. People wanting to get rid of messages may still complain that sometimes they're unable and people wanting to start a "permanent" message thread would have the annoyance of having to manually type in 24 names.... but at least it would be a compromise. At least I would be able to start a thread that I need to know everyone sees the replies to... and I would be able to set up swap threads using the fellowship checkbox in the knowledge that people could get rid of them if they chose to. Fellowships could work out their own guidance on when people should and shouldn't use either method.

 

[Gargon667]

How about a checkbox available to mages only that makes a message non-deletable? Should be easier to program at least.

Of course it is more or less the same as your suggestion, with the same problems and limitations.
Important messages could become non-deletable on demand, while the standard stuff like AW chains are deletable?
It wouldn´t solve the problem of accidentally deleted AW chains, but it would help with not losing important threads?

 

[Pauly7]

It wouldn´t solve the problem of accidentally deleted AW chains, but it would help with not losing important threads?

I'm not so bothered about people accidentally deleting swap threads. If that happens they'll just message me and ask me to restart them. That's no problem. Not many people do it more than once or twice. It's the threads I consider to be important that I have to start a new thread with each message just to know that people get it... and then you don't get a conversation history.

 

[Lelanya]

How about the FoE message system?
The Guild Administrators can add in new people.
Folks can leave when the message isn't relevant to them.
Guild Administrators can boot people who have left or whatever.
Messages can also be ignored, so each person on the list receives them - so they don't get added back every time there's a shakeup - but they are hidden so less annoying.

 

[Pauly7]

How about the FoE message system?
The Guild Administrators can add in new people.
Folks can leave when the message isn't relevant to them.
Guild Administrators can boot people who have left or whatever.

I haven't played FoE, but that also sounds good to me. Even if all it was doing was accurately telling us who is about to receive a message at least we would have the information.

There are of course many different ideas possible and ways to improving the archaic messaging system. The whole thing needs overhauling. It has done ever since I've been playing the game. They've shown little desire to want to do much about that though. My thought with my idea in this post, however, is that it may possibly need virtually zero coding or programming from them. If they have the facility already to make threads deletable when they go to a group and not deletable if they go to an individual, then it could just be a matter of quickly amending a parameter.

I hope this can be forwarded to the devs.