Private Messages bloody buggy... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 08:03:35 am
content: Writing private messages does not work that good:1. I had one lengthy message not beeing send, but telling me like "your message has been send, but you probably double clicked".2. One can write a lengthy message, but after sending it, it tells "the user has blocked PMs". Jeeeeez, then dont let me type a private message in the first place!!!

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 09:48:22 am
content: Then don't use the PM to send lengthy messages.First see if the recipient is interested in what you have to tell, and then negotiate if they are willing to communicate via normal email.Works much better then the PM system.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 10:18:37 am
content: My Messages -> Preferences -> Change Settings -> Receive personal messages from: [All members]/[All members, except those on my ignore list]/[Buddies and Administrators only]/[Administrators only]If [All members, except those on my ignore list] option is selected and you are on their ignore list, recipient will not get your message.

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 12:03:37 pm
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on January 04, 2025, 09:48:22 amWhy in the world do people not like to adress (fix) issues, and rather use somestuwork arounds?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 12:16:55 pm
content: Quote from: eTobey on January 04, 2025, 12:03:37 pmSometimes because they have better things to do with their remaining lifetime, sometimes because of PEBCAK.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 12:51:18 pm
content: Quote from: eTobey on January 04, 2025, 08:03:35 amUser error in combination with a maybe crappy systemQuote from: eTobey on January 04, 2025, 08:03:35 amSo you would like the software to check if the recipient you selected has PM receiving enabled, and if not block you from typing the message. What if you have two members selected of which only one has the PM receiving blocked?Since it is server/client based and the server only gets input when you press the send button, it is then that it can check on receiver being enabled.What could be an option, and I don't know if this is already done, is that when a member has PM blocked it should not show the "Send PM" option in that persons profile, but then it would have to check if the one looking at the profile is in the ignore list of the selected member.So to conclude, even though you might have a valid complaint, to solve it requires a lot of thinking and software modifications that no one wants to do.Sometimes it is just better to not work yourself up over something that is not in reach of your control.Another work around that can help, is to type the message in a text editor and copy paste it in the PM message window. This way you can save it and don't have to type it all over if needed.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 09:23:18 pm
content: I (and at least one other user) had a problem with the PM system loosing track of the number of unread messages: still get the not that there is an unread message, though no such message to be found. Things get OK when a new message gets in and is read. For the fix one can write a message to one self.With the web interface for the messages and posts it is possible to loose a text by user mistake of web site hick ups. For long messages it makes sense to write them in an editor first (and get better spell checking there).

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 10:09:50 pm
content: Quote from: eTobey on January 04, 2025, 12:03:37 pmI can't speak for others... but from what I've seen, "fixing" issues with an outdated version of SMF with several buggy plugins installed is a bit like playing whack-a-mole, and likely not worth the time unless they're causing major issues. There also seems to be a general reluctance in the powers that be to consider upgrading to a more modern platform that might make fixing things more tractable. So... it devolves into "If itworkscan be held together with baling wire and duct tape, don't fix it."

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2025, 06:11:40 am
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on January 04, 2025, 12:51:18 pmIt will probably take about 10-15 times the time, it took to write your post, to fix this issue. But there will be probably hundrets and thousand times of time beeing wasted by users writing messages, that will be "ignored" by the receiver.If people would think less selfish, we all would get much further!

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2025, 10:46:43 am
content: Quote from: eTobey on January 05, 2025, 06:11:40 amCorrect. Here's a mirror for you to use.You have no idea how long it would take to isolate, change, and test the fix. (Others do, and have given hints)You have no idea how many people have encountered the "problem"Don't be so free with other peoples time.

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2025, 08:55:51 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on January 05, 2025, 10:46:43 amYou have no idea, that i actually have (some kind of) an idea:If( user in list does not allow messages)print("user x does not allow messages")if( list consists of one user)disable message window

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2025, 07:37:24 am
content: Quote from: eTobey on January 05, 2025, 08:55:51 pmThat only partially takes care of the client side, which is the easiest bit to deal with.To make this work requests to the server need to be made, and the server has to handle these requests by querying the database bringing additional load to the server, slowing things down for users that don't give a crap about the PM system.To overcome this the servers need to be scaled up, costing more money.Quote from: eTobey on January 05, 2025, 06:11:40 amSo maybe reflect on things first and follow your own advice before starting kind of a demand for a solution for your problem.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2025, 10:07:25 pm
content: The server already checks if the user is online or not and shows a unique PM icon, checking if they have PM on or off and then hiding the PM icon would not be significant load.If it doesn't do this already then its probably difficult to implement.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2025, 07:18:11 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on January 06, 2025, 10:07:25 pmIf it is done while loading a page of a thread it won't be that much additional load, but when it has to check it when a user is on the private message page and enters a member name in the input field it will be additional load on the server with additional network load.And maybe I exaggerated it a bit, but that was to emphasize that it is not as simple as some may think. I have build several web based systems for showing management information or to control systems and know about this client server stuff, which also includes database querying. There is more to it than a simple if then statement.

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2025, 06:43:51 am
content: GOSH:This IS annoying:Quote-> NO, i did NOT double click NOR did i refresh the page.I did ALREADY test if the user accepts messages, but clearly it wasnt enough.And of course, after clicking back, all the text was GONE.My scope is already annoying enough!