Dump telegrams for phpBB messages?

[Linux and the X]

Considering that there have been several proposals to give the telegram system an out box (one proposal even pointing out the similarity to phpBB), why don't we just use the private message function in phpBB instead? It already has formatting, an out box, more storage space, and many of the features people want. All it would require (that I know of) from the admins is:

• Enable private messaging on phpBB
• Transfer stored telegrams to phpBB (it shouldn't be too hard to write such a script)
• Change the telegram form on nation pages to either submit to phpBB or just be link
• Change the sidebar link

Yes, it would take some admin effort, but that effort can be taken away from overhauling the telegram system -- because we have a perfectly good one already!

[Unibot]

The admins are working on a complete reboot of the telegram system. It sounded pretty awesome.

viewtopic.php?p=571694#p571694
viewtopic.php?p=575718#p575718

[Timberwolf1211]

I like having Telegrams,

what's going to be new about them

[Coldran]

Considering that there have been several proposals to give the telegram system an out box (one proposal even pointing out the similarity to phpBB), why don't we just use the private message function in phpBB instead? It already has formatting, an out box, more storage space, and many of the features people want. All it would require (that I know of) from the admins is:

• Enable private messaging on phpBB
• Transfer stored telegrams to phpBB (it shouldn't be too hard to write such a script)
• Change the telegram form on nation pages to either submit to phpBB or just be link
• Change the sidebar link

Yes, it would take some admin effort, but that effort can be taken away from overhauling the telegram system -- because we have a perfectly good one already!

Hmm, sounds intresting. How would that work, exactly? Also, would I have to do anything more to be allowed to use the private messaging that what I've already done to join NationStates?

[Glen-Rhodes]

phpBB private messages are stored on the same database as all the other information in the forums. Depending on the volume of messages sent, it could cause a significant spike in resource usage.

(For all intents and purpose, private messages are the same thing as threads-- just that only certain people can view them. So, imagine taking all of the telegrams sent on a daily basis and convert those into new forum posts.)

[Glen-Rhodes]

As apposed to completely re-writing flat nation files with every TG, I find it an awesome idea that will lower the resource requirement.

Databases are faster and more efficient than flat files, but didn't we have load issues when this forum was first set up? Adding more information to the database might not be the best idea, if the load issues were because of the usage volume.

[Northern Bavungria]

this sounds like a good idea but the admins will fix it

[Linux and the X]

As apposed to completely re-writing flat nation files with every TG, I find it an awesome idea that will lower the resource requirement.

Databases are faster and more efficient than flat files, but didn't we have load issues when this forum was first set up? Adding more information to the database might not be the best idea, if the load issues were because of the usage volume.

That was, IIRC, because the search was incredibly inefficient (about as efficient as the current TG system, in fact). If we moved the flat-file TG system to a database, we would be adding more load to the database, but also removing load from the flat files.

[Glen-Rhodes]

If we moved the flat-file TG system to a database, we would be adding more load to the database, but also removing load from the flat files.

Would need Pyth or [violet] to comment on that. I don't know much about the site infrastructure.

I would personally prefer sticking with an updated telegram system, so that you don't have to hack the phpBB PM system so that we can send somebody a PM from their nation page.

[Linux and the X]

I would personally prefer sticking with an updated telegram system, so that you don't have to hack the phpBB PM system so that we can send somebody a PM from their nation page.

It wouldn't really be hacking the PM system. It would just change the telegram form from

Code: Select all

<form method="post" action="nation=[i]nation[/i]#s">
  <p><textarea name="message" /></p>
  <input type="submit" name="send" value="Send!" />
</form>


to something along the lines of

Code: Select all

<form action="http://forum.nationstates.net/ucp.php?i=pm&amp;mode=compose&amp;action=post" method="post" name="postform">
  <input type="hidden" name="username_list" value="[i]nation[/i]">
  <p><textarea name="message" /></p>
  <input type="submit" name="post" value="Send!" />
</form>


(I simplified the code for both; that is not the exact code used.)

[Linux and the X]

Sorry to bump, but could we get an admin opinion on this? I really don't think it would be difficult to implement (and certainly easier than writing a new telegram system from scratch), but I would like to know if there would be problems that I'm currently unaware of.

[Bears Armed]

i don't know anything about the technical side of matters, so I have to ask: Would that change still leave the Mods with the ability to read people's in-boxes, so that they could check on the validity of any complaints about insulting (or otherwise inappropriate) messages?

[Linux and the X]

i don't know anything about the technical side of matters, so I have to ask: Would that change still leave the Mods with the ability to read people's in-boxes, so that they could check on the validity of any complaints about insulting (or otherwise inappropriate) messages?

By default, no, but a phpBB extension exists to allow exactly that. It also allows the mods to view the entire conversation (so they know the context).

[Winnipeg]

Biggest problem you would have forcing telegrams into the Forum PM system is Players under the age of 13 would not be able to use it as they can't agree to the terms of use for the Forum portion of the site (same reason they are banned from the forum, but not the game if they're found out to be underage.)

[Unibot]

Biggest problem you would have forcing telegrams into the Forum PM system is Players under the age of 13 would not be able to use it as they can't agree to the terms of use for the Forum portion of the site (same reason they are banned from the forum, but not the game if they're found out to be underage.)

Good catch.

[Linux and the X]

Biggest problem you would have forcing telegrams into the Forum PM system is Players under the age of 13 would not be able to use it as they can't agree to the terms of use for the Forum portion of the site (same reason they are banned from the forum, but not the game if they're found out to be underage.)

I suppose we could differentiate between using the telegram feature, which happens to be powered by the forums software, and the forums themselves.

[Unibot]

This has been added to the Big List.