Private Messaging Now Available

[The Computer Audiophile]

FYI - The private messaging feature has just been enabled for registered users of the site.

 

[PeterSt]

Hi Chris - Undoubtedly a great feature. Now we can talk behind your back about you more easily. haha

 

I have been testing a bit around with it ... and maybe because I only talked to myself this morning ... at this moment I can't make it work consistently.

 

At first I was looking for where the indication "new message" would show up, and couldn't find it. So I thought to log off, but it is impossible to log off. BUT ... in that "stage" (of virtually being logged off) the "1 new message: shows up (home page). Aha ! huh ? Next, when I want to read the message I'm told not to be logged in. Also, logging in doesn't seem to be possible from within that stage (where the Login fields are presented to me).

But as said, I can't even log out, thus, after reordering for the CA site (URL area) - voilá, logged in again.

 

I feel it is related to the indenting "Messages" under My Account at the left. Can't explain how though, and I performed too many clicks by now to know what I have been doing exactly (which btw usually is the case anyway :-).

 

In the message area itself too, I couldn't get a consistent "idea" of how things work. But I better post about that later because it may be related to the above.

 

Notice that I still can get there via My Account and next click at Messages after the screen refreshes, so *then* I remain logged in.

 

All 'n all I am confident that you don't understand a thing of what I'm saying here, which may be because I got my (IE6) PC just in a "state" and it won't get out (and I don't like to throw out all my cookies either).

If you can only confirm you don't see this, I will try to reset it. Currently I obviously can't tell whether this can lead to a solution.

Remember, I sent messages to myself.

 

Peter

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Peter - I think I might understand 1% of your post :~) There is no need to log out and back in for messages. An email notification is sent when someone writes to you. Also, clicking on My Account at left will display how many new messages you have. The full messaging screen is available when you click My Account >> Messages (menu link at left as well).

 

Yes there are some things I would like to operate different, but I don't want to re-write the complete module.

 

The logout issue is a weird one. When you click logout it does actually log you out of the site. To make sure of this, click logout then try clicking the CA logo at the top. It should refresh the page and present you with the standard user login box at left.

 

[PeterSt]

Dearest Eliose ... hahaha

 

I received your message and sent back one 4 minutes after that. This is 20 minutes ago now, and didn't receive anything back. So I guess that ends our relation already.

 

Anyway, you asked me to confirm in the thread here I received yours ... which I just did.

Normal regards :-)

Peter

 

[PeterSt]

Hey Chris - Of what I get from it, the threading in there seems to be *very* nice. I don't think I ever saw such a thing before. Well done !

 

About the other stuff ... I don't know what is happeing (and of course the email notification works/helps, but that -as of course- shouldn't be leading.

 

Strangely enough, after receiving a real message (from Eloise)

- the necessity to log out disappeared

- I can log out normally

- when so, I can login normally

- I can't see the messages to myself as "new" anymore, which seemed logic in the first place, because at sending it, it displays and thus is read at that time. Notice that before I could.

 

As said, some stage the lot can get in.

I'll play more some more with it, now knowing all should be just fine according to you (which it obviously is not, depending on the pilot !)

 

But again and more importantly ... really slick that threading.

Peter

 

[Audio_ELF]

I think it's probably how the site code works - but I also didn't get any notification of a message until I logged out of the site and back in again - even refreshing browser didn't show me a "You have a message" message.

 

I also had a problem that when I clicked "Log out" it still appeared to be logged in. Though clicking "Log out" again I got a "You're not authorised to do that" message.

 

Eloise

 

[PeterSt]

Ok Chris, I can't get it in the exact same stage, but the following description should be sufficient to get you to 5 % of understanding and copying the behaviour.

 

1.

All starts with sending a message (if to yourself anyway !) from My Account. So, NOT from Messages. See PM00 where I did that.

This "allows" that your own message is not viewed immediately (PM00a).

 

2.

Next, this message, officially "new' to even you yourself, does not show..

 

3.

Next, Log out. This by itself brings an access denied (PM01).

 

3a.

[here the real anomalies started earlier of not being able to get in the real logout state, which I couldn't copy this time- > actually PM02 -> I stayed logged out.).

 

4.

Next, Log In. Now the new message shows (PM03).

 

Btw, Eloise just confirmed that only at first logging out and logging in again she could see my message, so for normal operation 3 and 4 above seems to be necessary. Edit : see her last post.

 

Peter

 

Only now this post is a bit consistent for referencing the screen copies, Sorry !!

 

[PeterSt]

The left over of the before is shown in PM04 (no messages to be seen), while they really are there (PM05).

 

[PeterSt]

One more thing for now :

 

As Eloise noticed, in my before situation something seemed to need a "double action". One Logout did nothing, a second did. However, I notice that things *show* double as well. One example is the actual retrieving of the messages at clicking the "unread messages" link. But there are more of these "double cals" in the "messages" area.

 

I would start looking at that first.

 

Ok, I'll be quiet now for a moment.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Here is how it all works.

 

The only way to get the new message notification at the top of the page is to logout and back in. Making the notification appear at the top without logging out and back in is tough to do. I can't think of an event that would call this function and show the new messages without logging out and in. I am working on an AJAX function that can popup a little screen with the actual message on screen from anywhere on the site. It will take a bit of work.

 

A new message notification will be sent via email when the scheduled job runs (every 15 minutes)

 

There is no need to logout to see you have a new message in the messages area and in the navigation menu ->> Mesages (1 New) etc...

 

 

The logout & access denied items

 

These have been around since day 1 at the site, but usually they go unnoticed because it's behavior that virtually nobody does when reading the site. Logging out and back in on the same page is a rare occurrence.

 

Here is what happens. You click Logout, the site actually logs you out and sets that flag in the cookie. It appears that you are not logged out because the login box does not reappear right away. This has something to do with the caching scheme I am using to speed up the site. After clicking logout, one only needs to visit another page or refresh the screen to see they are actually logged out of the site. If the screen is not refreshed and the user hasn't moved away from the page where they clicked logout, they will still see the Logout link. Thus, when clicking that link they receive a access denied message. This is because they aren't logged in and there is no way to logout if you're not logged in.

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Not sure where this double stuff is at. My test users don't see any of those issues when I send messages between them no matter if I log out or not. Hmmm

 

[PeterSt]

All the links in the Message Area do this, except new message.

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

OK I'm really lost now. Can you attach a screenshot?

 

[PeterSt]

Haha, what do you want ? two times a screen shot of the same ? IOW, I wouldn't know how to capture that. But it is about all the links you see in the attachment, including the sort links (but EXcluding the message links themselves). Also the links "Messages" to get you here does it.

 

Chris, I just lost a post because the system at first thought I was logged in while I was not. The post was just about that, and explained things I have ready for you in 10 or so screen shots.

This summarized : I know exactly what you mean (the chacheing stuff, Ajax) but there is more going on.

 

I'll post this in 2 hours, so I know you will be sleeping. In the mean time I hope that not too many people loose there post, or at least make a ctrl-c of it, which I usually do, but just now did not.

 

Have a good night !

Peter

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

HA! I feel like I'm reading a foreign language :~) I'm totally lost trying to figure out what problems you are actually experiencing. Honestly I think we may both be laughing at each other right now because it seems both of us are so certain of what is or is not happening!

 

I've never seen anything happen where you would lose a post because it thought you were logged in. I'll even venture to say that's impossible*

 

* or as close to impossible as one can get :~)

 

Your right peter. It's 4:35 AM over here and I'll be sleeping in no time. Have a wonderful day!

 

[bordin]

Chris, thanks for your hard work making CA very friendly.

 

I wonder you could make the attached photos as clickable thumbnails as head-fi's.

 

[PeterSt]

Ok here goes :

 

Chris, as per your previous post, half of it is known to you (I know now), but let it be about the applied sequence.

 

Ok. First take 100% care that you are out of "that state". I'm not sure how to do that (yet), but it can be done.

 

Ask for the CA sire per the URL in your browser. You should be normally logged in. Also, there should be a message waiting for you, which I feel is related. Anyway, I have that in this sequence.

 

PM12

Click My Account.

 

PM13

Click Logout

 

PM14

Nothing seems to happen

Notice that in the normal situation at least I am logged out immediately. Not now, which must be related to the PM12 above.

 

PM15

Again click My Account

 

PM16

The real status shows (not logged in afterall).

 

PM17

Ask for the CA site by means of the URL. I am still logged in as it seems.

 

PM18

Click My Account.

 

PM19

So, no, I am not logged in afterall.

 

PM20

Login.

 

At this stage it is really getting confusing, because nothing seems to be wrong with this, but it is. Now, whether I used an older bwowser instance or this one, nothing shows wrong BUT I created a post (which I obviously could do) and after pressing Save I received an Access Denied because, well, I wasn't logged in. No screen copies about this, but you wil believe me (see before post too).

 

I will add some prove of a normal logout sequence a little later.

... which I just did.

 

PM22

After posting the above, click logout.

 

PM23

Done in one go. This is just what I am used to (although indeed I don't log out that often).

 

Edit :

 

PM24

Browsing the site, including posting another message, I thought to at last view my waiting message to clear that all up, and logout again. The screen came back to me as not being logged out, so I again clicked logout, and only then it worked. Well, as it seemed, and the Access Denied tells I actually was logged out already. However ...

 

PM25

Click Home.

 

PM26

Hello ! back again !

Now I clicked one of the thread links at the right. But :

 

PM27

Logged out. Hmm ... Also not the access denied.

 

PM28

Tried to log in, but received Access Denied (this is not PM27 !). After the second attempt (just typing userid/password again and click Login) the access denied disappered (this is what PM28 shows). However, still not logged in.

 

PM29

Third attempt. All shows right now.

 

Hope this helps.

Peter

 

[cfmsp]

 

Allow me to go on record to say that I don't automatically assume that a Private Message option is a good thing.

 

Inevitably, questions asked & answered (via PM) will not be available to others.

 

Indeed, I rarely turn on the PM optionon forums, and usually only on sites which allow sales between members.

 

In any event, we have the email option for that.

 

 

Just a thought, I'm sure many/most may disagree.

 

clay

 

[BobH]

I have to admit to also feeling a little uneasy about this. Still, we shall see.