Topic: Forwarding Messages · BuddyPress.org

Forwarding Messages

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago
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Fanart.tv

I am unable to figure out how to forward a message. I’ve searched Google and this site for some information unsuccessfully. I did find some people asking to have this added as a feature, or ask how to do it, but there have been no answers.

From what I read here:
```
"Private Messages

Private Messaging works like an internal site email. Members can message people on their friends list as well as forward and reply to received messages. Each member will have their own individual Inbox and Sent messages folders as well as a Compose message screen. Members will be notified of new messages by a new message count in own Messages tab, in notification circle in Admin toolbar, as well as receive email notifications of the private message, if enabled."
```
It is clearly stated that this is a feature that is already there, but on our site we have no button for forwarding messages. Only replies.

Could someone clear this up or help troubleshoot the problem?

I would also like to know if there is a way to disable the “feature” that only allows you to message people on your friends list? Instead, I’d like everyone to have the ability to start typing a name in the “TO” field and have the the auto-matching feature enabled so you can select from the list.

Viewing 21 replies - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

I thought I followed protocol.
Is there any possibility of an answer?

Henry Wright
Moderator

@henrywright

9 years, 8 months ago

Hi @akovia

There’s only really a need to supply your environment info if you’re troubleshooting a problem (if something is broken). Regarding the forwarding of messages, I’m not sure that is possible by default, actually. May I ask where abouts you read about it?

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

9 years, 8 months ago

@henrywright @akovia
Just to confirm Henry’s reply that there is nothing to facilitate forwarding a message by default but it does sound like an idea for a plugin.

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

Thank you for the replies.

I read it here:

Am I overlooking something?

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

I swore I added the link in the first post and just did again but it doesn’t seem to show up if I use the link button to paste a link.

Hopefully the raw link will show.
https://codex.buddypress.org/buddypress-components-and-features/messages/

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

9 years, 8 months ago

@akovia
Maybe it is a misunderstanding but I don’t see anything in the link you provided that would lead you to believe that there is a way to forward messages by default.

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

I must be seeing things then. (Certainly a possibility)

Private Messages

Private Messaging works like an internal site email. Members can message people on their friends list as well as forward and reply to received messages. Each member will have their own individual Inbox and Sent messages folders as well as a Compose message screen. Members will be notified of new messages by a new message count in own Messages tab, in notification circle in Admin toolbar, as well as receive email notifications of the private message, if enabled.

Henry Wright
Moderator

@henrywright

9 years, 8 months ago

Private Messaging works like an internal site email. Members can message people on their friends list as well as forward and reply to received messages

@bphelp I see the reference to forwarding in that article but am not certain forwarding functionality is available. Perhaps @djpaul can confirm?

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

9 years, 8 months ago

@henrywright
Ahh I see now the reference in that article and it does mention forwarding received messages from friends. Sorry for the overlook @akovia what I don’t see though on my dev site is a way to facilitate forwarding a message even if you are friends with another user. If this is not a default feature with messages then it would probably be best to update that article as not to confuse folks.

danbp
Moderator

@danbp

9 years, 8 months ago

Hi @akovia,

each logged in user has access to his profile settings. Eg. on the top right user menu (howdy…)
or on the buddybar under the profile header.

/membres/xxxx/settings/notifications/

Settings > Email
Once on this setting page, each user can decide for what he want to receive an alert.

But it is an emailed notice he will receive, not the complete message.

This messaging system is intended to work internally. This means the content of the message stays on the site. BP eventually sends only a reference to the content. Eg. xxx send you a private message (site url), not the full message.

Screenshot:

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

@bp_help
I fear that this may be a typo as well which is a terrible shame. As an admin on our site, I am left with tons of unnecessary work when I need to forward messages to my mods from a user. We have resorted to just taking screencaps when we can get away with it, as pasting text from a message is never properly formatted.

On top of that, even as an admin I can’t message my mods or even users directly unless they are on my friends list. Both of these things make messaging within buddypress a huge hassle and disappointment. It was most certainly not designed with efficiency on mind. 🙁

@danbp
I am aware of all that but I fail to see what it has to do with forwarding messages. Forwarding messages would be internal like all other messaging.

Paul Wong-Gibbs
Keymaster

@djpaul

9 years, 8 months ago

Hmm. I don’t think (might be wrong) that BP has ever supported forwarding in its Messages component. It sounds like something that was on the original feature list, but perhaps never implemented.

danbp
Moderator

@danbp

9 years, 8 months ago

oh I see: you are very picky ! 😉
The only way to be notified is this setting page (under the condition you activate BP’s private message component). And as you can see, there is no possibility to forward message.
On front or on back end.

As an admin on our site, I am left with tons of unnecessary work when I need to forward messages to my mods from a user.

I’m a little stuned why you receive user messages if they want to contact a mod in fact. If you do unnecessary work, i would suggest you find a better handling method first. But i maybe wrong and this point is more subtle as i understand it here.

Anyway, this is your really specific BP usage. And so far i know, it is not a very common usage. BP cannot respond to absoulte any user usage. No software can do so.

As site admin, i never encountered any problem to contact the site members. And i never needed to create a friendship first to contact any of them. This action is only used when you want to invite members to join a private group.

So if you think you’re right, you’re free to ask for an enhancement on the Trac. If the devs will consider your demand as justified, you can begin to hope to receive satisfaction one day.
If not, or if you don’t want to wait, you’re free to develop your own solution.

Of course i disagree with this opinion:
It was most certainly not designed with efficiency on mind.

IMHO it’s better as nothing. Imagine one second that BP had no messaging system… The actual maybe rustical, incomplete or not responding exactly to your need, but would you be efficient enough to find another free and so powerfull software as BP is ? 😉

Henry Wright
Moderator

@henrywright

9 years, 8 months ago

Thanks Paul. Shame the feature never got implemented, maybe one day 🙂

@akovia, I’ve updated the article to remove the reference to forwarding messages. Apologies for the confusion with this.

cc @danbp and @bphelp

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

9 years, 8 months ago

@henrywright @danbp @akovia
Maybe this would be handled better by a plugin to extend the Messages component?

Henry Wright
Moderator

@henrywright

9 years, 8 months ago

@bphelp sounds like you have your next project idea right there? 😉

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

@danbp
Just Wow!
If forwarding a message in a “Messaging” app is considered picky, then guilty as charged.

That fact that you are stunned that that we use the internal messaging system to communicate with our users is a little lost on me. I really thought that was what messaging was for.

As for composing a message to users not on your friends list, it indeed can be done, but only if you can remember exactly what the user name is. Auto-complete is unavailable unless they are on your friends list. If you can remember every single user on your site with names like rad_dude87155, then I guess you wouldn’t need that feature. I understand why it designed that way, but it really should be optional, and most definitely available to admins. Just have a look here and tell me this is an unreasonable request.

https://buddypress.org/support/tag/autocomplete/

It certainly seems you don’t set a very high bar for a messaging app which is why you keep pointing me away from this one. Indeed I may have to find a better solution, and maybe all of the other people who posted with similar problems should be steered away as well and you won’t have to deal with anyone who expects what was stated in the documentation, let alone suggesting maybe improving the app.

Thank you everyone that actually tried to help and worked to fix the bad documentation. If I hit a nerve for expecting a common sense feature for a messaging app, then I apologize. I guess I should take danbp’s advice and look elsewhere.

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

define( ‘BP_MESSAGES_AUTOCOMPLETE_ALL’, true );

danbp
Moderator

@danbp

9 years, 8 months ago

@bphelp +1 for your proposal !

@akovia,
calm down please !
It’s not me who just arrived on this forum 2 days ago and posted words like “terrible shame” or “huge hassle and disappointment” and claimed for a “possibility” of an answer just because you filled a questionnaire. Mainly before a long week-end and hollidays season ! I understand your nervousness, as things don’t go as you want or need, but do not abuse.

Also, i’s not because something was written in the documentation that you’re able to require their existence. The BP Codex is written by volunteers and on the other side, has intrinsically a short life time.

You received clear answers to your initial demand from @djpaul and @henrywright about the why and the how.

Rather than wasting time debating fairly negative, you can publish a codex page on how to use messages or a similar subject as you’re good informed on how it works. And as already suggested, you can also open an enhancement ticket.

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

9 years, 8 months ago

@akovia
I will try to do this plugin within my spare time without any guarantee of delivery time so it really depends on if I have the spare time and inspiration so unless another developer wants to overtake this project then you will have to be patient because it won’t be an overnight project at least for me right now.

akovia
Participant

@akovia

9 years, 8 months ago

Just wanted to drop by and apologize.
I am not usually so easily provoked, but I was frustrated that no one seemed to notice what I was talking about. I was being honest when stating I was disappointed, and that some functions were a hassle, but I didn’t think I came off as mean or combative. I admit that I should not have said this wasn’t designed with efficiency in mind though. That was out of pure frustration and was uncalled for.

It went south from there and I can’t take it back, so I hope you will accept my apology.

Reagrds,
akovia