Currently, if I need to reply to a particular monk's comment, I have to always type his monk name myself, like this: 
say [monk name] [my reply message]

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I think it would be somewhat easier on the chatterbox user if whenever he/she felt the need to respond to a private message sent to him by a monk monk name (substitute monk name with any monk name :), it would be enough to simply select the monk name's last private message (by clicking an appropriate checkbox), type a response inside the 'talk' input box and hit the 'talk' button to send this response message to the desired monk name monk.

If implemented, this would spare many monks (including myself) from unnecessary frastration related to typing a monk's name (especially of the name is tooo long, such as crazyinsomniac hehe) wrong and receiving a chatterbox error message saying that the user couldn't be found. Also, checking 1 checkbox is much quicker than having to type a monk's name every time I wish to talk to him/her.


"There is no system but GNU, and Linux is one of its kernels." -- Confession of Faith

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Re: chatterbox: proposal for enhancement
by grep (Monsignor) on Mar 04, 2002 at 21:21 UTC
    You could always leave up a browser with your Inbox. This has all the functionality you're asking for.
    Unfortunately I think the Inbox is a little too hidden for it's own (our) good.

    grep
    grep> cd /pub
    grep> more beer
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Re: chatterbox: proposal for enhancement
by cjf (Parson) on Mar 04, 2002 at 21:26 UTC
    This sounds like a good idea to me. I can only think of a couple minor problems with it:

    • New monks (and old ones that aren't aware of the feature) could end up sending messages that were meant for public display to other monks.
    • Someone would have to do the work to set it up. Judging from the state of Perl News It seems the gods are currently rather busy.

     

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Re: chatterbox: proposal for enhancement
by Chady (Priest) on Mar 05, 2002 at 17:00 UTC
    you say:
    it would be enough to simply select the monk name's last private message (by clicking an appropriate checkbox), type a response inside the 'talk' input box and hit the 'talk' button to send this response message to the desired monk name monk.

    usually, the checkbox is used to delete a message... so if your way was implemented, how would you delete the message? "without typing anything" you might say? (selecting the checkbox and clicking Talk)

    I prefer the way it is used right now.. it's more straightforward. and as grep has noted.. you can always use the Message Inbox to do that.

    He who asks will be a fool for five minutes, but he who doesn't ask will remain a fool for life.

    Chady | http://chady.net/
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chatterbox autoreply (re: chatterbox: proposal for enhancement)
by N-Wing (Deacon) on Mar 09, 2002 at 11:34 UTC

    from the stealing-stuff-from-E2 dept.

    E2 has had a lazy-user's reply thing for a while. There are 2 separate forms that need updating: Message Inbox and the chatterbox nodelet. It is client-side, so it requires JavaScript enabled. (But there is a pref to turn this on and off, so it isn't required.) When enabled, private messages have an extra (r) link that when clicked, copies "/msg <var>user_name</var> " to the message area. Simple but effective.

    From a quick scan of E2, there are several things that need to be added/changed. (Note: the links to the code view on E2 require that you are a member of the edev usergroup there to see it.*)

    • openform2 (htmlcode) - IIRC, this was needed so the Message Inbox wouldn't conflict with the chatterbox
    • chatterbox (nodelet) - lines 1-8
    • showmessages (htmlcode) (on PM, this is showprivatemessages (htmlcode)) - around line 92, but also 94-104 if PM gets real usergroup support (a separate field in the message table for that target usergroup)
    • Message Inbox (superdoc) (IMO, this is way bloated on E2 due to a zillion and one options it deals with) - lines 1-15 and 243; for extra fun, the current way (with radio buttons, serverside) could display for people who don't have the JS pref enabled, and the JS way for those that do)

    I think that covers all of it.

    E2 has another way to message a specific user - every user has a /msg box on their homenodes that will send the message right to them. displayUserInfo (htmlcode) covers that, and a bunch of other user display stuff.

    * If you want to be in edev on E2, /msg me there.

    --== [N] ==--

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