Lack of interest Conversation avatars

[Robert9]

For me it makes absolutely no sense to see my own avatar at the left side of a message in conversation_list.
Which information should give me this? "Hey, you have a conversation and you have started it?"

The real important info is to the right of that avatar, but with small letters: "myname, the other name"

The avatar at the left must be always the avatar of the other person i talk to!

Do you want to watch on your WhatsApp and see your own picture? No, never in hundred years! It has to be the picture of the other person!

So why we dont have this here in XF? The more i think about the more i dont understand why it is like it is.

As mentioned one or two times before. A forum does compete maybe with other forums, but also to WhatsApp, Television, Sports, whatever.
So why we dont give the kids what they are used to have all three minutes, when they watch on their mobile for the next useless message?!

There is one problem with this, when we have more than one other user here.
But no problem. One user we show in M and x users we show smaller and/or only five of them.

One more time! Please watch your whatsapp and then try to find an answer, why we need to see our own avatar for a message in our own postbox as the large avatar on the left side of a message in the list.

 

[Robert9]

Very nice, thank you.
But this doesnt solve the real problem?
The problem ist not conv_view. The problem is conv_list!

conv_list = list of conversations = (like list of threads)
conv_view = one conversation with list of conv_posts (like one thread)


Whats App list with chats <=> conv_list

Sabrina's picture = chat with Sabrina and you
Peter's picture = chat with Peter and you


but xenforo

Sabrina's picture (if she starts the chat), but your picture, (if you started the chat)

or with conv_essentials
Sabrina's picture (if she did the last message), your picture, (if you did the last message)


xenforo conv_list must be changed to:

Sabrina's picture = chat with Sabrina and you (it doesn't matter who starts the conv or who have answered the last time)
Peter's picture = chat with Peter and you (it doesn't matter who starts the conv or who have answered the last time)


The conv_list is done like a thread! It shows the thread_starter, but this is wrong!
A thread is "x persons write a thread", we get the info who startet the thread, we get the info if you are a part of that, and the info who has postet last.

But a conv is always something with YOU and SOMEONE ELSE; so the most important information is:
WHO IS THIS OTHER PERSON?!


Just as in Whats App list of chats; imagine WhatsApp where you startet 50 chats with 50 persons looking like Xenforo Conv!

It will look like this

[ picture of you ] Text
[ picture of you ] Text
[ picture of you ] Text
[ picture of you ] Text
[ picture of you ] Text
[ picture of you ] Text
...

but it looks ALWAYS

[ picture of other1] Text
[ picture of other2] Text
[ picture of other3] Text
[ picture of other4] Text
[ picture of other5] Text
[ picture of other6] Text



One more time in words:
Nobody has seen all these years that a conversation isn't a thread!
A conversation is something between you and me!
To recognize a conversation i need you picture in the list of chats!

Think about, how much better it is to see just with one look to who you talk especially when people have avatars!


Think about a xenforo for you and your family!
Xenforo now:

1. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your mother, depends, who started the thread.
2. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your father, depends, who started the thread.
3. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your sister, depends, who started the thread.


but WhatsAPp

1. Picture of your mother
2. Picture of your father
3. Picture of your sister

with one view you do know the other person in chat!

 

[Mouth]

The avatar at the left must be always the avatar of the other person i talk to!

The avatar is of the last person whom authored a message in the conversation.

 

[Robert9]

I know how it is, @Mouth
And it is wrong! Chats are no threads! The important info is: who is the other one!
Who has startet a chat is not important.

A thread you select by the titel (but normally not by the thread starter)
A chat you select by the person you want to talk to, not by the starter

This is also a reason why people goes to the profile and start a new conversation instead of choosing the old one and go on (if they have more than x conversations. With more than x conversations it is hard work to find the one with your grandmother. You have to look close or do a search.
Can you imagine WhatsApp where you have to search for someone?
I have normally around 20 chats open in WhatsApp, i never search, i just scroll and see your picture, then i write you.

A chat is not a thread!
A chat is not a thread!
A chat is not a thread!
A chat is not a thread!
A chat is not a thread!

 

[Robert9]

This is WhatsApp

 

[Robert9]

This is how WhatsApp could look like

• if done like xenforo conversations and
• if you have startet all chats:

Can you imagine such a WhatsApp? I dont think so!
But for many years millions of people have used xenforo like this.

 

[Robert9]

Another difference is that Xenforo shows a title, not the name of the adress_book
but the avatar should be the one of your chat-partner, never the chat-starter.

 

[kelle67]

Oh men, really?

What's app is what's app and xenforo is xenforo.
My messenger show me the same like xenforo.

But for many years millions of people have used xenforo like this.

Yes and nobody of this people cares about that.
I think you are the one and only the have a problem with that.

If you really mean that's terrible try to solve your problem.

 

[securedme]

This is how WhatsApp could look like

• if done like xenforo conversations and
• if you have startet all chats:

View attachment 249461

Can you imagine such a WhatsApp? I dont think so!
But for many years millions of people have used xenforo like this.

Conversations in XF is topic based. You PM someone for one particular topic which usually won't last forever and change to some other topics in the same dialogue. We always start a new conversation for different topics even for the same user. So we can leave/close/ignore/delete/archive/mute, etc. the old conversations.

Whatsapp dialog is user based. You only have one long winded conversation for each user.

 

[Robert9]

Anyway. To have a new option doesn't mean to change the old style.
So, calm down!
I dont like the style we have now, so i will find a solution.


And this example about the picture you see, is in anyway a bad solution now. I need to know with who i am talking and not only who has started the discussion. The information that i am a part of the conversation is just not necessary.

1. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your mother, depends, who started the thread.
2. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your father, depends, who started the thread.
3. Picture from:
Maybe you, maybe your sister, depends, who started the thread.

 

[Mr Lucky]

The avatar should show the conversation starter, this makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[Robert9]

You have this?
So why do you mention it?

The best would be to see the people you talk to with a picture, there is no argument to beat this visual help as the best you can have;
and the thread_starter you can see in the list like Robert9, Mr Lucky or Mr Lucky, Robert9

or better way:

show the other people you talk to and the thread_starter has a sign to show him as the thread_starter.

Maybe some brains can remember names better than pictures, but most people remember pictures better than names.

I would throw away my telephone if WhatsApp would show me

Andreas1
Andreas_H
AndreasH2
Andreas London
Andreas London3

instead of pictures from these people.

 

[Kruzya]

I don’t read all thread content, but disagree. In XF, conversations can contain more one people with who you talk. Who avatar is should be displayed in this case?

 

[Robert9]

Obviously all all of them.
Maybe you should read more to understand the idea. The idea is to see with who you talk.

But maybe you all have other forums to care for than me.
Maybe you do support and dont care to who you talk.
Maybe you have less people at all to talk.
Maybe you are superbrainers, remembering 100 people just with the name.

For people with recurring single chats with more than 50 other people with real pictures (makes more than 50 chats if you allow only one chat or much more chats) the visual help of viewing your chatpartners is a real, real plus in life.

If you dont have such a situation this thread is not made for you, just then your opionion own needs have no value for this discussion.

 

[Robert9]

BTW: Just go to Tinder and imagine that your chats there would have no pictures, only names.
Without that feature nobody would use Tinder.

As long the "private conversations" are a "forum thing", people will use their messanger to talk, because it is just much more better, because you can see pictures in the list of conversations.

If you have a forum, where people meet (for singles, marriage, whatever) you need such a feature to make people feel good at your page
Here at XF i dont need such a feature, because the list of people i talk to, is small. Somewhere else the list has around 80 recurring chats, they are sorted with labels, they are bookmarked, and to see their avatars instead of mine would help also a lot to make my life easier. And there is just nothing to disagree, because i know the time we loose because such small things.

 

[Paul B]

If you dont have such a situation this thread is not made for you, just then your opionion own needs have no value for this discussion.

To respond to this particular point, everyone is entitled to comment on suggestion threads, based on their particular needs and wants.

In an ideal world, downvoting would be possible, but as it isn't, the only way to counter an upvote and express dislike for a suggestion is by posting.

 

[Robert9]

Yes, sure - on one side and by your rules.
On the other side - it makes less sense if people without needs disagree to things other people need;

=> hey i have no resource manager - so i am against everything connected with the RM.


but maybe i should discuss this in a another subforum or change my text to something like:

i suggest an option for all that people who like to see with who they have a conversation.

Reason: The use of private conversations is a really poor thing now in many scenarios where people have the need to see with who they talk instead of seeing only a name. Example: Tinder, WhatsApp; it doesnt matter if you have one or more chats with a person, it is much easier to recognize/find a conversation if you can see their faces/avatars.

So i suggest:
option: show the participents of a chat (till 5 users) with their avatar (the rest could be shown by a click), yes/no
added or 2. option: show the thread_starter with a sign to regognize him easily or add it to the first position, yes/no

me, user1, user2 (if i am the TS)
user2, user1, me (if user2 is the TS)


Everyone who has more than x recucurring chats with people will understand and miss this feature.
It will greatly enlarge the value of private conversations for all active writers.

 

[Kruzya]

The idea is to see with who you talk.

I didn't say it was bad. I talk about another thing:

In XF, conversations can contain more one people with who you talk. Who avatar is should be displayed in this case?

It is difficult now to imagine how it should look so as not to overcomplicate the template itself.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Reason: The use of private conversations is a really poor thing now in many scenarios where people have the need to see with who they talk instead of seeing only a name.

I'm a bit confused now. So are you saying there should be an actual photo of the person? Like a second Avatar that has to be a photo of your face as opposed to a logo or a piccachu? For me the problem with avatars is they are often not as useful as a name. But I can't see people going for having to have a photo of their face, that must be a privacy issue.

 

[Robert9]

I guess there was an addon for xf1, if i remember right.
Or maybe my own tries some time ago to show avatars instead of names.
I will care for that later ...

If there is no place for five avatars, then it would be still better to have one than none (If i am the CS) and you still have the text.
There is no need for another upload from my view. You will remember any type of graphic better than a name normally. And yes, if everyone has the same picture of a cat, there is no effect.

I guess it is just a question how someone uses his conversations. For some people it doesnt matter, for others it would be a great advantage.
Anyway i see that from a point of competition. A forum competes to a lot of other things from netflix to blogs and many things more.
If i can push or pull people to use my "conversations" like any other messanger, they stay here.