Sent PM's should save in outbox by default

[Avan]

I think SMF has an option that allows this.
It would be really useful, since I always forget.

[Arbutus]

I'm guessing you mean in general, for all members, right? Hmm, we can certainly look into this. If it's possible, it'd just be a matter of changing a small setting or two.

Of course, automatically saving all PMs would take up a lot more space on the server, so it may or may not be worth it to do so.

In the meantime, though, anyone who wants their own individual messages to be saved can go to Profile > Personal Message Options and check "Save a copy of each Personal Message in my outbox by default."

[Avan]

 
Oh ok!
I never knew it existed for individual members!
XD thanks for telling me.

Though I must ask; how much space /would/ it take?

[Serra Belvoule]

Maybe not all of them but have a limit of 5? I mean, I also think the outbox should have some more use ^^

[Cimarron]

I agree... maybe have it save your last 5... I always forget if I replied to some of them... so I force myself to delete them as soon as I reply, and sometimes I end up deleting an address or phone number that I needed. 

[Arbutus]

Forgot about this thread, sorry! I can try to check into it later...

[Serra Belvoule]

Awesome! I will keep tabs on this thread :3

[Arbutus]

Okay! This thread has now become a poll.

Basically, we took a look into this and figured out how to make everyone's sent PMs save to their outbox by default. Now the question is, should we do it? Please look at the question at the top of the thread and vote according to your opinion. Feel free to post with your comments as well.

We'll try to go along with all your wishes on this... but if we can't guarantee that changing this setting won't screw up other aspects of the member accounts, we won't be able to do it anyway.

[Shim]

I voted yes..I think it'd be nice.

[Keydon]

As someone else who always forgets, I think it would be nice for it to be the default.

[redyoshi49q]

I think saving outgoing messages by default is a good idea, primarily since new forum users are unlikely to realize that they need to check a box to save a copy of their message.  Also, automatically saved messages in the outbox can be subsequently deleted, whereas a sent message that was not saved is unlikely to be salvaged.

[Landrav]

I'm not sure if the admins were considering the "rolling" saved messages or what, but I think that would cause trouble as old but wanted messages fall off the end of th conveyor belt, as it were. Just making sure that got out there. Our mods are pretty smart though

I am for this change, seeing as I was one of those who learned the hard way.

[Kobuk]

I guess I'm one of the few that thinks this is a bad idea. Sounds nice, but if the staff make this a permanent change, then how do we know it won't screw up some other function or feature of Furtopia?
Frankly, I feel members should decide for themselves how they want their PM system set up. Let each individual member decide for him or herself how they want to customise and configure their profile (Which the PM system is a part of.). It is not for the staff to decide or dictate that all of Furtopia's 6000+ members should accept a new change by default or for the staff to decide what is best for someone's profile/PM system. The only time the staff need to adjust someone's profile settings is if a rule is broken, name changes, password changes, etc. Otherwise, a member's profile/PM system is their own little private "sanctuary" so to speak and they can set it up however they want. All a member has to do is go into your Profile >>> Select "Personal Message Options" >>> then put check marks in the little white boxes of what you do or don't want. It's that simple! If those little white boxes were not there, then I could possibly see the staff making a mass change by default. But since they are there in each and every member's profile, then let each member make their own individual choice on how they want their profile/PM system set up.

[Yip]

I'm gonna agree with Kobuk on this. Although I have no problem with it being on by default, I worry about whether it'll change things for people who've already set that how they want. So unless this change only effect new accounts, I think it's a bad idea.  It's easy enough to change if you want. AND even if you don't change it to save by default, when you send a message, there is a checkbox under the messagebox to specify whether you want the sent message saved.

My main question is: Is it possible to set it as on by default for new members going forward without effecting current members?

[Arbutus]

My main question is: Is it possible to set it as on by default for new members going forward without effecting current members?

Actually, yes, this is completely possible. Hmm... I don't want to reset the poll or add an option after this many people have already voted, but if anyone wants to comment on this alternative, feel free.

I'm not sure if the admins were considering the "rolling" saved messages or what, but I think that would cause trouble as old but wanted messages fall off the end of th conveyor belt, as it were. Just making sure that got out there. Our mods are pretty smart though

This one, on the other hand, wouldn't be possible due to technical limitations.

[Yip]

I'm not sure if the admins were considering the "rolling" saved messages or what, but I think that would cause trouble as old but wanted messages fall off the end of th conveyor belt, as it were. Just making sure that got out there. Our mods are pretty smart though

This one, on the other hand, wouldn't be possible due to technical limitations.

I recall there being something on the old board back when I joined, where the number of messages you could have saved was related to your member level. I remember hitting the top level (5 stars) would allow unlimited.  I don't think it works like that any more though. (and I'm not specifically suggesting it should. This is just FYI)

[Serra Belvoule]

I voted on no for the default, since it's a change that some may not have requested and if this is something new being introduced, I think it'd be nicer to be able to opt in to this instead of having to pull out of something you didn't ask for.

[Blastdav]

I'm saying yes to it being the default for two reasons;
1.  I can't, at the moment, think of any logical reason why some one wouldn't want to have a copy of the message that they just wrote and sent, in their outbox.
2.  If you want to have a copy of the message put in your outbox and you don't have it set to do this as default, then you're kinda stuck if you forget to set it.  If however, for whatever reason, you don't want to have a copy sent to your outbox, then it doesn't take a second to go to your profile and untick this box here to remove the default setting.

Sounds nice, but if the staff make this a permanent change, then how do we know it won't screw up some other function or feature of Furtopia?

It won't because we know what we're doing o.o  Now...  Are we cutting the red wire or the blue wire? =D

Frankly, I feel members should decide for themselves how they want their PM system set up. Let each individual member decide for him or herself how they want to customise and configure their profile (Which the PM system is a part of.).

You are absolutely right, and members still can decide if they don't want this option automatically being chcked or not by going and unticking it again in their profiles.  I see no removal of choice here.

[Weisseman]

I guess I'm one of the few that thinks this is a bad idea. Sounds nice, but if the staff make this a permanent change, then how do we know it won't screw up some other function or feature of Furtopia?

Kobuk. I've edited the forums base code more than once. That has a much higher chance of screwing up functions and features than changing a setting. You're worrying over nothing there

[Arbutus]

You are absolutely right, and members still can decide if they don't want this option automatically being chcked or not by going and unticking it again in their profiles.  I see no removal of choice here.

I think this is a good point. Even if we make this change, everyone still gets the exact same level of choice, regardless. The default setting would just be different - and it would be different in a way that, honestly, makes more sense. (If we think of PMs as an internal email system, which is what it is, then what sort of email system doesn't automatically save its sent messages?)

Maybe this doesn't make a difference to tech-savvy users who have already gone poking around in their settings and checked the little box. But not everyone - and especially not newbies - is that familiar with how the forum works, and I think making the change would be the most useful option for all.


Also:

1.  I can't, at the moment, think of any logical reason why some one wouldn't want to have a copy of the message that they just wrote and sent, in their outbox.

This is my situation too. I guess I don't understand why anyone would choose not to enable this option if they knew it was there. It seems like even the people who have voted "no" in this poll have said that they already automatically save their messages, which suggests they find the feature useful.

If possible, I'd like to hear from someone who already knows they can have their sent messages saved automatically, but has chosen not to do so.

[Blastdav]

If possible, I'd like to hear from someone who already knows they can have their sent messages saved automatically, but has chosen not to do so.

Seconded o.o

[Serra Belvoule]

Honestly, I was thinking more about space issues, but bleh.

[Arbutus]

Does anyone else have thoughts or votes on this issue? The poll is at 6 to 4 right now, so pretty ambiguous. In the interest of coming to a decision, we'll probably only leave the poll open until the weekend - so this is kind of last call.

[Alsek]

It's really easy for people who want it to set the feature... for everyone else who might not care either way,  it's a waste of space to store every PM ever sent.

[Landrav]

I think the main point here is the ease of "recovery" from a mistake.  If the default is set to "save all" then a person who didn't want that setting can easily rectify the situation by deleting an unwanted saved message, and switching the save setting.  If the default is "don't save" then recovery is impossible because, brother, that message is gone for good.

If my experience with PM's is anywhere near average, storage space shouldn't be an issue for a few lines of text, and if it's not, then people probably want to save these big messages they've invested time and effort into.  Seriously, if the staff were truly worried about storage space, the word games section would be the first thing to go.  And if storing this information "breaks" the forum, then I'd say you'd better move to new forum software right quick.

(EDIT) I forgot to mention that while the setting is easy enough to change, it is not necessarily obvious that it needs to be changed.  Better to make it an easily-correctable mistake like I said in my first paragraph.

That's just my assessment of the facts, not trying to be confrontational.  Ask for an opinion and you get ten  I think it's pretty clear that the greater advantage for the community would be to change the default setting.