The Ability to Message other Paizonites!

Hello Vic and the guys - You do an excellent job.

It would be cool if we could leave a message for other Paizonians on their profiles.

I know you are very busy but are you thinking about it?

Yes, we're thinking about it, though it's not a particularly high priority. How does everybody envision private messaging? Is it more like chat, or more like email? Or more like commenting on a myspace page? Or is it like some sort of private thread visible to "friends"? Do we create a friends system? If you add someone as your friend and they confirm, do you specify a relationship? Is that relationship public? Is the relationship a drop-down menu or a free-form text field? Does my stated relationship to you have to match yours to me? If not, which do we display, and when? Do old messages expire? Can the sender delete them? Can the recipient delete them? Who are they visible to? What if they're unwelcome? Can you add someone to a block list? What happens to messages that are blocked? Is there a limit to the size of messages? Will Paizo have to store them forever?

I have some thoughts on most of these issues (lean toward email rather than chat or thread, though chat seems kind of intriguing, like the idea of friends, unsure about stating relationships, etc.), but I'm curious about what others think.

I'd be interested in seeing this.

I'd rather see it like other PM systems I've seen, sort of a mini e-mail system that just works for the boards. It would make it easier to get ahold of other Paizo board people without trying to figure out e-mail addresses and the like.

I'm not sure about a friends system, but I do think that if this were implemented that there should be a way for someone to disable their PMs, and to block PMs from certain members. While I don't think an "ignore" function is a good idea when it comes to the boards, I think its very important for a PM system.

Really simplified email would be good, start small and grow later if you have to.

I think the PM feature that works sorta like forum email is likely the most effective method for this.

There is some danger here of posters who disagree sending each other flaming messages. Could be bad.

There is some danger here of posters who disagree sending each other flaming messages. Could be bad.

Hence why I mentioned in my post that, at least for PMs, you should be able to block members, which also works for authors and designers that don't want their inbox deluged by "OMG you r teh awesome" or "Why the hell did you write X" messages.

There is some danger here of posters who disagree sending each other flaming messages. Could be bad.

As long as there was some way to flag such a mailing for corrective measures, I don't think it would be that problematic.

You mean that...gasp...Sebastian might be able to send me messages?

Aaaaahhhhhhh!

The regular send a message and get a message back (email style) would probably have the lowest learning curve for user, however since the feature isn't there, it probably requires the most work.

I wouldn't mind if it worked message board style. Meaning if I sent Gary a message, and he replied, and I replied to that, we'd see it as if were were posting in a message board thread. This might require less work.. but who knows. :)

As has been said, a block feature would be important and I beg you guys to be smart with the blocks to make sure there's no easy way around it. I don't care about this feature for myself, but for yourselves and your freelancers. The WOTC forums have been a nasty place for more then one freelancer and as a result many don't go there or no longer go there.

Gary any of these suggestions are cool.

Also thanks to you for running and maintaining the boards :-)

I have some thoughts on most of these issues (lean toward email rather than chat or thread, though chat seems kind of intriguing, like the idea of friends, unsure about stating relationships, etc.), but I'm curious about what others think.

I prefer an email, answering machine kind of thing so the girls can leave their numbers. I don't go for the whole friends facebook thing. Yah, I don't have any.

Gary any of these suggestions are cool.

Also thanks to you for running and maintaining the boards :-)

Yah I second that heartfelt thank you, Gary.

...but don't let it get to your head, chump.

You mean that...gasp...Sebastian might be able to send me messages?

Aaaaahhhhhhh!

You may not realize it, but that Aaaaaahhhhh! was a wee bit ambiguous.

"Dear Aberzombie,

I can't stop thinking about you since the night at the motel. You're gentle caresses haunt me and I'll cherish the 3 word poems you traced on my back with your tongue forever.

Yours,
Sebastian"

Aberzombie wrote:

You mean that...gasp...Sebastian might be able to send me messages?

Aaaaahhhhhhh!

You may not realize it, but that Aaaaaahhhhh! was a wee bit ambiguous.

"Dear Aberzombie,

I can't stop thinking about you since the night at the motel. You're gentle caresses haunt me and I'll cherish the 3 word poems you traced on my back with your tongue forever.

Yours,
Sebastian"

Pokes own eyes out with knitting needles - must erase image from brain

What about like the Facebook Message System?
Not the actual Online/Offline Chat Boxes, just the ability to send people an actual Message which is delivered to a seperate Message Box that's part of that Member's [My Account].
The only real problem I can see with this is how do you find people to actually send them a Message without actively doing a search for them.
A Friends system works in theory, but then that opens up the [I don't really want them as part of my "Circle of Friends", but I wanna send them a Message as a one off scenario. Plus, it then creates that afore mentioned "Circle of Friends" that I think can get to be a bit too cliquey...

Kruelaid wrote:

Aberzombie wrote:

You mean that...gasp...Sebastian might be able to send me messages?

Aaaaahhhhhhh!

You may not realize it, but that Aaaaaahhhhh! was a wee bit ambiguous.

"Dear Aberzombie,

I can't stop thinking about you since the night at the motel. You're gentle caresses haunt me and I'll cherish the 3 word poems you traced on my back with your tongue forever.

Yours,
Sebastian"

Pokes own eyes out with knitting needles - must erase image from brain

That made me laugh out loud. And yeah! Not a nice image there... ;)

And PM'ing sounds like a good beginning. I have no clue as to how it works in detail, but let's have it here!

I don't know how to describe it in detail, but I have found the PM feature in the EN Forums to be very easy to use and keep track off. That might help to set a comparison for any similar system here, as I too would like to be able to contact some members on the Paizo forums directly to engage in conversation off the official boards, but without having to access a separate email account.

Gary, the Apolyton Civilization Site has some very good ideas on how to handle Member to Member e-mails and messages. Check it out if you feel up to it.

Edit - And Gary, I also appreciate all that you do for us here at the Paizo web site! You do a great job!

This would be great for pbps, too.

And Heathansson could spam people directly.

And Heathansson could spam people directly.

Oh joy!

Something like the standard phpBB messaging features would be great. Can't remember if they have an ignore feature, thoug, but it would certainly be a good thing. Maybe a report function too, although you could always forward any offending private messages to a central abuse account.

Is this really necessary? I would imagine it could cause server storage problems and is there much we need to say to eachother we can't say over the boards? Plus, if we get into one of our famous flame wars, it could even be a source of harrassment. Maybe I don't get it. Well, no "maybe" to that.

I don't think this is a vital feature, but it would be useful as a limited one (too broad and the boards would suffer from the lack of interactive exchange).

I'd suggest:

• Email style.
  
• Mail send limit (15 or 50), and size limit (10-20K?).
  
• Either may delete, and deletes from both.
  
• Sender cannot tell if recipient is blocking.
  
• Blocked mail is deleted, when blocked, and when sent.
  
• Possibly expire mail after 3-6 months.
  

Honestly I think that the WotC boards are the best example I can think of, a PM system that shows in the upper right with all your account stuff how many messages you have and if you want to PM someone all you have to do is scroll over their name in the forums and the option to PM them pops up or just put a PM option next to the flag option. Also install a block feature to allow you to refuse PMs from certain users and you are good to go.

Honestly I love these boards, but I do feel that a lot of times I miss all the cool stuff I could do and create on the WotC boards.

Oh and one big request...

Can we please please please get an underline BBCode tag? Pretty please?

just a simple [u] [/u]

Just a standard forum type email box would work for me. It would really help with PbPs!!!! Secret messages...Paranoia PbP would be incredible!!!

obviously give people the option to turn it off, and if it could be by forum alias that would be even better.

A built in die roller on this site would be great too!!!

Just a standard forum type email box would work for me. It would really help with PbPs!!!! Secret messages...Paranoia PbP would be incredible!!!

Yah, and I've been thinking of running a game with a traitor... Alien, the Thing, Clue... whatever. So much better with private messages.

Also messaging people when their turn is up.

And second the die roller. It's inevitable, I say.

I looked in the Help/FAQ section of the message board but I didn’t see the answer to this question:

How can you contact another member on the message boards directly?

I tried clicking on the “profile” section but did not find any way to leave a message or initiate contact.

Do I just make a post in the general forum: “Hey Mister X, I would like to email you, what is your email address?” or “Yo! Mister X! I want to talk to you offlist, contact me at somewhere@yahoo.com.” , or is there some other way to go about doing this? :)

I looked in the Help/FAQ section of the message board but I didn’t see the answer to this question:

How can you contact another member on the message boards directly?

I tried clicking on the “profile” section but did not find any way to leave a message or initiate contact.

Do I just make a post in the general forum: “Hey Mister X, I would like to email you, what is your email address?” or “Yo! Mister X! I want to talk to you offlist, contact me at somewhere@yahoo.com.” , or is there some other way to go about doing this? :)

As mentioned above, we have no private messaging at this time, so one of those methods would be the way for now. We don't have a particular preferred method.

There is some danger here of posters who disagree sending each other flaming messages. Could be bad.

What other reason would anyone ever have to use a PM system? I thought that was the point!

And oh yes, Aberzombie, you are high on my list of people to receive angry hate-filled non-sequitor ranting PMs once such a system has been installed. I have long suspected that you have built a complex artificial intelligence that is a highly accurate model of my thought process, as demonstrated by your clone avatars of me.

Oh yes, there will be a reckoning...

And oh yes, Aberzombie, you are high on my list of people to receive angry hate-filled non-sequitor ranting PMs once such a system has been installed. I have long suspected that you have built a complex artificial intelligence that is a highly accurate model of my thought process, as demonstrated by your clone avatars of me.

Oh yes, there will be a reckoning...

Oh please! Tell me you didn't just indicate that you think some shuffling, Romero wannabe, has even a fraction of the brain power necessary to simulate such incredible thought processes. Seriously, were talking about the one who invented the alias of Vomit Guy. I'm amazed he can even complete whole sentences.

A Message with a happy ending can get you in jail...

GRU

And second the die roller. It's inevitable, I say.

Yes! A die roller! We must have a die roller!!!!!!!!

Yes! A die roller! We must have a die roller!!!!!!!!

Done! Roll a d6, and then consult the following table for your die result:

1=4
2=3
3=6
4=2
5=1
6=5

Note: it only works for a d6 right now.

You're welcome.

Aberzombie wrote:

Yes! A die roller! We must have a die roller!!!!!!!!

Done! Roll a d6, and then consult the following table for your die result:

1=4
2=3
3=6
4=2
5=1
6=5

Note: it only works for a d6 right now.

You're welcome.

~laughter~ Smartass!

Aberzombie wrote:

Yes! A die roller! We must have a die roller!!!!!!!!

Done! Roll a d6, and then consult the following table for your die result:

1=4
2=3
3=6
4=2
5=1
6=5

Note: it only works for a d6 right now.

You're welcome.

Woot!

Pulls out his bag of d6's and starts to roll

This is awesome!! Thanks Vic!