Messaging: Recent Messages UI

Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -
Number of replies: 15

Hi. I'm currently figuring out how to implement a recent messages user interface (MDL-25616). Conceptually similar to your email inbox but for all of your Moodle messages and notifications. A single place that will show you all of your messages in chronological order.

Below are three possibilites. Suggestions for other alternatives are welcome smile

1) Show all conversations in the same 2 pane layout as is used for 1 on 1 conversations. Shows everything in a single flow which is nice but could be rather cluttered. The interleving of conversations could also be a bit confusing.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

2) only show the last message sent to or from each user ie effectively show the last conversation you had with each user. You would need to click through to see full conversations. Less cluttered but you cant see a timeline of notifications.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

3) Split out received and sent messages. You would need to click through to see full conversations. Less cluttered. By viewing all received messages you can see a timeline of notifications.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Martin Dougiamas -
iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa}

I would personally prefer to see something like the messaging interface on the iPhone, or Gmail for that matter, so you see a list of "conversations" with people sorted with the most recently updated first, going backwards in time.   Effectively your option 2.

Each item just needs the name+icon of the other person, plus the last thing that was said by either of you ... you then click through to see the full conversation.

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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

Hi Martin. Option number 2 (recent conversations view) is great for human conversations but means you cant view a timeline of all of your notifications at once. Viewing all of your assignment submission notifications, for example, requires to you see more than just the last message from each user. Maybe we want a separate screen for that...

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Martin Dougiamas -
iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa}

Perhaps this?

  • Recent Conversations
  • Recent Notifications
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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

That could work. I like the conversations Vs notifications terminology.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Emma Richardson -
iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa}

I like the idea of links to conversations without showing the actual messages automatically.  Also, can we move the Send Message box to the top of the page instead of having to scroll down through recent messages to get to it.

I have also found a bug in the Advanced Search.  If I search a keyword in all users and I find a message with that keyword, if I click on Context (which should take me to the Message), I get a screen showing messages between myself and one of the message participants instead of the message or preferably the conversation that the message was sent in.  I used to use listall.php to keep an eye on student messaging and like that fact the functionality is now built in but if I can't see a message between two other users, it is no good to me.

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In reply to Emma Richardson

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

Hi Emma. Can you please go to tracker.moodle.org and create a bug report for that search issue smile

If we were to move the send message box to the top we'd want to flip the sort order so messages are sorted newest at the top and oldest at the bottom. Not so bad. Dont think we'd want to just move the send message box however as having it sit next to the oldest message from a person could be confusing.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

ok, here's one way we could do it. For some reason I cant take a screenshot with the navigation drop down expanded. It looks like this:

My course

--Course 1

--Course 2

Recent

--Conversations

--Notifications

 

One thing Ive already noticed is wrong with these screens. Your contacts should be being displayed below the navigation drop down.

The conversations are grouped by the people who you were talking to. ie regardless of whether Ive messaged you 1 or 100 times I will only appear on this page once. Once you've found the person you want to talk to you click on their name to access a full history of all messages exchanged by the two of you.

 

The recent notifications list is not grouped or filtered at all. This is a chronological listing of all of the notifications you have received for forum posts, assignment submissions, course requests etc.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

Slightly improved version with your contact list displayed.

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Juho Viitasalo -

Hi! I'm glad I found this post.

I have a question about messages page. Why are we using dropdown field for navigation on this page? Wouldn't it be better to offer list of links instead. Here are some benefits.

  1. User can easily recognize that there are other views she can visit. At the moment this can be missed.
  2. List of links is themeable in variable ways.
  3. Links are more easily associated to navigating through different views and pages.

Any thoughts on this?

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Emma Richardson -
iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa}

I will create the bug report.  It would make sense to have the newest messages at the top, don't you think? That way when you click to the page, the first thing you would see would be the last message received and the box to reply.  Much more user friendly.

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In reply to Emma Richardson

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Andrew Davis -

hrmm, Emma, you may be right. Sorry about this but would you mind also opening a tracker issue for that improvement? That way its apparent that this is something that someone outside of HQ requested smile

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In reply to Andrew Davis

Re: Messaging: Recent Messages UI

by Emma Richardson -
iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa} iTaba kei {Sa}

Thanks by the way!  Currently, my teachers are actually having to teach students how to send a message because the Send box is not visible when they go to that page!  And, of course, they are grumbling!

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