How can I tell who is online when looking at their avatar?

[Dean]

When viewing a thread, I see no difference between people online vs offline.

Clicking on the avatar does not seem to indicate that either.

What am I over looking?

?

 

[Peggy]

ugh details, details...........

 

[Kier]

It doesn't really work like that.

 

[Dean]

Could always just follow us, and check back at your leisure looking through your news feed?

Yes I could indeed follow you and see if you had made any posts recently. Not quite the same as knowing if you are online, is it? You may be online but not have made a post in the last few hours.

You may have missed my earlier posts, but I was trying to explain why I thought it would be a good idea to have some type of indication when people are online when viewing threads (because it promotes more posts being made).

 

[Enigma]

I would personally like to have either an "online" indicator or "last activity" indicator. It wouldn't have to be in the postbit, in the membership card would be fine with me. Profiles already have a "last activity" indicator, why not add that to the membership card? To make it fit, you could remove the "View user profile" link in the membership card, since that duplicates the functionality of clicking the user's username or avatar in the membership card.

 

[Floris]

Is it really that generally useful? I never really thought it was important even to want to be able to glance at it, plus it tends to be inaccurate for at least 15 minutes.

No it is not, but yes it is .. I want to converse with my friends, and follow their topics; part of this is knowing they're online to talk to in public or private. It results in coming back to the site to see where they are, what they're doing online and via their profile or private msgs I can be in active content with them.

Clicking on the avatar where it goes overlay popup, it could say $title (and online) [when the user is online]. Example: (click avatar > popup

Floris
Active Member (and currently online)

 

[Kier]

I'll add it to the todo list.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Is it really that generally useful? I never really thought it was important even to want to be able to glance at it, plus it tends to be inaccurate for at least 15 minutes.

Yes this is important. People engaged in trading in our classifieds need to know if a member is online because offers made to one individual need to be accepted within a certain time period before they can be thrown open to everyone. Also someone wanting to exchange private messages with a trader will find it a great benefit to know whether they are online and potentially ignoring their messages. Also moderators need to know if certain individuals are online for a number of reasons.

 

[Shelley]

Perhaps a green dot by the username in the postbit. Obviously, one for invisible and offline. The image only needs to be small. I personally like to know myself. I understand keeping bloat to a minimum but a lot of people like to know. Not a deal breaker for me, but all the same knowing when people are online is something alot of members want.

 

[Floris]

Personally I think it is old fashioned and developer-ish to want to use all the data available from the database.
It should be [nothing] where logical, and exception [online].

So if a user is offline, or invisible, it doesn't matter, it only matters with an exception if the user is online.
This way you know the status of the user. If they are either online, or not (or choose not to disclose).

 

[Shelley]

Personally I think it is old fashioned and developer-ish to want to use all the data available from the database.
It should be [nothing] where logical, and exception [online].

So if a user is offline, or invisible, it doesn't matter, it only matters with an exception if the user is online.
This way you know the status of the user. If they are either online, or not (or choose not to disclose).

True. Never thought of it like that. In that case just an online (png) icon would suffice. That way you keep the bloat down and still know if a particular member is online. Bare in mind, there are some features (located in postbit) people still need. I don't see this has old fashioned, just something that members would like to know if they choose to PM that person without reverting back to the index page to check.

Edit: I think it looks okay and isn't cluttering the postbit. Quick design/mockup. (below)

 

[Floris]

A random example: (two different spots, with just plain text)

Above another example, now a tiny icon with soft green color there where it says (online.png) might do the trick

 

[Shelley]

Here's my example:

I'd prefer to see it in postbit or plain text.

 

[Floris]

Yeah, but names with spaces or long ones will push it to a new line, etc.
The name is small and subtle in the post itself already, and a bit softer green bullet is then there for those who're trying to figure out who's online or not.
But that's perhaps just personal flavor.

 

[Shelley]

Yeah, but names with spaces or long ones will push it to a new line, etc.
The name is small and subtle in the post itself already, and a bit softer green bullet is then there for those who're trying to figure out who's online or not.
But that's perhaps just personal flavor.

That where a little creativity on the devs part comes in for these scenarios. I don't believe it can't be done, I wouldn't accept that. If it won't be done then that is fair enough that is something I can accept. I personally feel this should be explored and a solution met. this is a 50/50 feature people want to see in postbit without reverting to other pages. I'm almost sure with the devs talents some kind of solution can be found.

 

[Floris]

No doubt!

 

[RickM]

Maybe I'm just not 'up with the times' But I really like the classic post layout. With postcounts, rep, location, age etc...sure its not information that is REQUIRED to read a post, but it encourages people in the community to get to know each other.

 

[Paul B]

I t could be put in the top right corner of the avatar as there is space there.

Or, even better, just change the background colour of the avatar to a soft green.

No icons or additional text required then.

 

[vB Style]

Also you can add a title or an opacity effect to the avatar.

 

[Rob]

I agree that a postbit indicator will just be unneeded bloat - perhaps the OP would be happy, as I would be, with an indicator in a persons profile only
For a comprehensive list of online members, there is of course the existing whose online page.

Hope this helps,

Rob

 

[Floris]

The green background for all online users does not have my vote. Nor does avatar opacity.