I'll be honest, this one has been a thorn in my side since I started using XF way back in the early days.
This never has worked the way I expected it to. It is maddening to me. Because it has always been missing the ability to search for conversations with a specific participant. Honestly that's all I have ever really wanted to filter for.
Additionally, and more maddening, is that "Received by" does not operate logically.
These are the filtering options.
"Started by" only includes convos that someone initiated - that means, the first message in the convo is from them to you. This can also be messages that YOU started (if you enter yourself). But you can't filter by the recipient of a convo you started. That's fine though.
"Received by" includes any convo where YOU sent someone a message (e.g. they received it). This can be a convo that you started with someone else, or a convo which contains a message where you replied to them (including one that they started and you replied to). When you use this one, you get both 1) convos you started with someone else, and 2) any other convo in which they received a reply from you. That's not what I want or expect. If "Received by" is supposed to be the opposite of "Started by" (that's the implication made by having those 2 options), then "Received by" should only return convos that were started by the target user.
The way this currently and always has worked, quite honestly, trips my logic OCD circuit breaker so incredibly hard whenever I have to use it.
My problem is that sometimes, I cannot recall who started the convo and if they replied. But I remember there was one. So, I have to try both ways. Too many clicks, backs, drop down, radio button, type the name again, click filter. And then, the unexpected results. I swear...every time, I go mad. It took me writing this to really work out the logic, and I had to sit here and monkey with it to verify that it indeed does work like described above, and I am not absolutely insane.
So, that's the #1 item. Is it a bug? No, it's a design flaw (in my opinion). It works as designed. So that is part 1 of my suggestion - change "Received by" to be limited to only convos initiated to another user. Note that I said "to another user" and not "by you, to another user". This is perhaps another layer to consider, but for example, if someone else starts a convo with you and 4 other users, technically, that convo that you got included on was also received by the target user (but you didn't start it). Yet another potential unintended result.
Item #2: However all I really came here to request (after all of that....) was this: the ability to filter by any convo with a specific participant, whether or not they replied. So, I just want another radio button option for "With Participant"
These to changes to the core function will make my life complete. Ok maybe not but it will certainly take me one step closer, by preventing the constant logic OCD circuit breaker tripping.
Thank you for reading. I feel better getting this all out.
This never has worked the way I expected it to. It is maddening to me. Because it has always been missing the ability to search for conversations with a specific participant. Honestly that's all I have ever really wanted to filter for.
Additionally, and more maddening, is that "Received by" does not operate logically.
These are the filtering options.
"Started by" only includes convos that someone initiated - that means, the first message in the convo is from them to you. This can also be messages that YOU started (if you enter yourself). But you can't filter by the recipient of a convo you started. That's fine though.
"Received by" includes any convo where YOU sent someone a message (e.g. they received it). This can be a convo that you started with someone else, or a convo which contains a message where you replied to them (including one that they started and you replied to). When you use this one, you get both 1) convos you started with someone else, and 2) any other convo in which they received a reply from you. That's not what I want or expect. If "Received by" is supposed to be the opposite of "Started by" (that's the implication made by having those 2 options), then "Received by" should only return convos that were started by the target user.
The way this currently and always has worked, quite honestly, trips my logic OCD circuit breaker so incredibly hard whenever I have to use it.
My problem is that sometimes, I cannot recall who started the convo and if they replied. But I remember there was one. So, I have to try both ways. Too many clicks, backs, drop down, radio button, type the name again, click filter. And then, the unexpected results. I swear...every time, I go mad. It took me writing this to really work out the logic, and I had to sit here and monkey with it to verify that it indeed does work like described above, and I am not absolutely insane.
So, that's the #1 item. Is it a bug? No, it's a design flaw (in my opinion). It works as designed. So that is part 1 of my suggestion - change "Received by" to be limited to only convos initiated to another user. Note that I said "to another user" and not "by you, to another user". This is perhaps another layer to consider, but for example, if someone else starts a convo with you and 4 other users, technically, that convo that you got included on was also received by the target user (but you didn't start it). Yet another potential unintended result.
Item #2: However all I really came here to request (after all of that....) was this: the ability to filter by any convo with a specific participant, whether or not they replied. So, I just want another radio button option for "With Participant"
These to changes to the core function will make my life complete. Ok maybe not but it will certainly take me one step closer, by preventing the constant logic OCD circuit breaker tripping.
Thank you for reading. I feel better getting this all out.
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