Going back on topic.
There have to be other solutions, we're bloody building a whole community system with 71617 registered users!
What about setting messages as "read",
or just setting the whole profile book as "read".
So when you've got a new message (or much more), it just says in the login module: "You have new messages in your profile book!" (unread="1") and when you click it, it dissapears or becomes "You have no new messages in your profile book." (unread=0). A button in the profile book would be nice too. You don't really need to know the exact number of unread messages you've got, just as long you can see you've got some.
Everytime someone posts a message in your profile book it needs to set if "unread=0", "unread=1". And on pressing the button in the login module which says you've got new messages in your profile book and/or a button in the profile book that says something like reset, unread becomes 0 again.
If you really want to have a good time you can make the following happen when someone posts a message: "unread+1". This way you can even count the unread messages. (Note you might wanna create a limit and display "You have many unread messages in your profile book!" as not to break your template.)
I've been thinking about implementing this for a while but I just didn't have the time. If someone wants to do this, your very very very welcome to do so ^^.
EDIT:
I forgot the reason why this would be a great feature:
Some people use the profile books as a sort of private forum feature. The only time when they can respond quickly is when:
a. their F5 button is stuck
b. they're logged on to Windows Live Messenger or Outlook or something that gives a message when you receive a new email.
It would greatly increase the usability and the feeling that you're actually on a COMMUNITY site where there are also other people online at thát very moment.
After some market research (no really I'm not kidding I've done market research about community sites with a group of people with way too smart psychology students) I've found that there are 3 groups of people on community sites:
-The "Private Messagers", that use the PM system as a sort of email thing.
-The "Latest Topics Messagers" that react in every active topic. (Refresh once and 5 new messages appear every so and so seconds).
-The "Guest Book Messagers" or the profile book in this case. Most of these people have never even set foot in the forums, but just use the profile book.
I'll tell more later but now I've really got to go feed the creatures in the sewers. ^^
Post edited by: ysva, at: 2007/08/30 10:35
