David - follow up Message No. wanted

Submitted: Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 05:40
ThreadID: 41874 Views:2805 Replies:4 FollowUps:3
This Thread has been Archived
When someone replies to a message (etc.) that one puts up on the site, you get a message back which quotes, amongst other things, a Follow Up ID number and an Answer ID number. I would find it most helpful if we also got an Original Message ID number, so that one can easily go back to that message and pick up the thread. Or am I missing something? Does anyone else have this problem, or a solution to it?
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Reply By: Oz Travellers - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 07:17

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 07:17
Ummm maybe I am just being blonde but this is at the top of your post

David - follow up Message No. wanted PostID: 41874

and on the left side where I clicked to read the messages the same number 41874

Carolyn
AnswerID: 219148

Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 07:27

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 07:27
Arkay,

I assume that you are reading this reply as a email that has been sent to you.

At the very top is the POST ID, in this case 41874.

If you then go to the part just before the start of the reply from me you will see "Response On line". Click here and the thread will appear.

I hope this helps.

Wayne
AnswerID: 219149

Reply By: Robin - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 09:13

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 09:13
Have had similar issue Arkay , when look at my email list summary . It shows a number of posts but without reference to the message number.

E.G. this is what appears under hotmail -->

" ExplorOz Forum FollowupID: 479582 to AnswerID: 218975 fr... Feb 1 5KB "

(the above contains two fields "from and subject")

Whilst you can open each email in turn and it will display message number its not the most efficent approach, when you have a number of replies.

There are compromizes to appreciate in each of these things and its good to ask the question ->

What is the user trying to get out of his email summary ? And what is less important and can be left to when the actual email is opened.

I believe knowing which message the email refers to should have highest priority.

But whats constitutes "knowing" ?

The current system makes a direct connection to your previous posting(message or answer) however that connection is effectivily often devalued because know one would remember there last answer ID number anyway, so little real information is conveyed.

You could apply this logic to the actual message number as well and while the connection with a message number (post id in this forum) is limited, it is remembered more than an answer ID number, particularly as the more replies you get will re-inforce its memory.

You could then say , why not display the message title, as this would enable most to clearly identify the message . Issue here is that the limited text spaces as per my above example gives little room for more than a few words.

So in summary for this post I think following would convey more useful information to the user and takes up the same number of character spaces

Current way
---------------
FollowupID: 479582 to AnswerID: 218975 fr

Alternative way
------------------
Message 41784 " David - follow up Messa ...............


The value of the alternative way is devalued also as a message becomes longer with many replies and further as a message breaks off into another subect , however what it is being compared with is a number which if it is an answer ID number has almost no connections .

Robin Miller
AnswerID: 219163

Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - David - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 18:40

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 18:40
Robin,

Well though out response. I see what you are saying. Basically put up the main PostID and the topic regardless of whether it is a reply or followup. Just always maintain the same elements in the Subject field. Is this correct - I can this simply let me know also see my response to Arkay below.
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Currently Mapping in the Field Across Australia Fulltime in 2023 - 2025

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0
FollowupID: 479828

Follow Up By: Robin - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 20:43

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 20:43
Yes David Just ID the then subject.

The essential reason being because it conveys useful information.

In looking down a long list of emails , you can see the replies relevant to any given topic, whereas the Follow up and Answer Id's have a much looser relationship, and in fact can't be related easily to each other if you follow up to, two replies in any given post.

The followup and Answer ID should however been in the email that is then opened.

I would like to see Akay's input about the two different ways.

Robin Miller
0
FollowupID: 479862

Reply By: ExplorOz Team - David - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 12:18

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 12:18
Arkay,

I understand what you are saying maybe I could simply add the main PostID at the beginning of the subject so somthing along the line of:

PostID: XXXXXX - FollowupID: 479720 to AnswerID: 219188.

Would that solve it for you. Then you could sort on subject and the system should put the element of the system together. Let me know - I can make this change easliy.
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
---------------------------------
Currently Mapping in the Field Across Australia Fulltime in 2023 - 2025

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message
Moderator

AnswerID: 219199

Follow Up By: Member - Arkay (SA) - Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 19:59

Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 19:59
This last solution would be beaut. Would help dumb lazy bunnies like me... Post ID, Followup ID, Answer ID. But don't spend precious hours on it if there is not much demand. Thanks for bothering to answer.
0
FollowupID: 479847

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