I’ve just implemented two new features to the eHealth Forum which have become available recently. I hope that they will improve the navigability of the site, whilst making it more robust.
Chat
In contrast to most social media or messaging apps, the eHealth Forum is designed for multiple asynchronous and persistent conversations which can develop and evolve over time. In other words, ‘slow talk’.
While this is brilliant for complex discussion, there is still a need for faster ephemeral communication (fast talk) - especially between individuals and subgroups. If this is done in the Forum, it rapidly fills up with junk, which is highly undesirable.
The Chat feature (accessed via the speech bubble top right) is to make this stuff easy, and allow us to keep it within the Forum. Simply click on the on a person’s profile to initiate one. Here is how a chat looks:
There are also pre-configured channels for group communication which are connected to existing categories. These will only be visible if you have access to them.
:align_to_left: The new sidebar
This is an improved version of the sidebar we’ve been running with until now. As it is part of the core Discourse code, it is both more feature rich and more stable / reliable. It also accomodates chat very nicely.
Some useful links are a little buried under the More... button in the COMMUNITY section. You can customise the category list on your sidebar using the icon if you wish. MESSAGES give you easy access to your personal messages.
Feedback
These are still a little rough around the edges (both are ‘Beta’) so are likely to improve a little over the next wee while. I’m contributing to the feedback process with Discourse, and they are extremely responsive to this.
Please share your thoughts on what you think of these changes, and any suggestions to improve them.
Hmmm - it seems it is. The link in the sidebar goes there by default (a bit too clever for itself). I've already asked the Discourse team to address it as it has been causing other problems too:
I've also noticed that it depends on the context. If there are 'new' topics it will take you to them. If there aren't, it will take you to 'latest' which is what we are used to.
I’m delighted to report that the wonderful Discourse team listened (why does this take so long in health?) and the sidebar now takes us to the configured view (rather than /New or /Unread). This means that you’ll see all the topics in the relevant Category when you click on it now.
While chat has been some fun to play with over the last few months, I’m not sure it is what the eHealth Forum needs right now.
The upside of chat
It gives a great place for informal chatter which stays open while reading / interacting with topics. The emoji reactions are nice, and it is easy to use.
The downside of chat
The notifications aren’t quite there yet, and are unlikely to be much good until iOS adds support for PWAs next year sometime.
The UX of the core site is busier due to chat, the sidebar in particular. It does scroll down to the bottom, so that isn’t a massive deal.
Confusion between personal messages and Chat is significant. Unfortunately, much of Discourse’s stuff is still PM based so they can’t be turned off.
Also, chat isn’t searchable at all.
In conclusion
I’m going to turn chat off for now. If anyone misses it terribly, or has some suggestions and the like then please let me know as a reply in this thread.
After a pretty successful use of Chat in the recent C3.0 hybrid conference, I’ve decided to switch it back on for everyone.
It is pretty nice, and is well suited for ephemoral, real-time chat. For anything asynchronous or persistant, the Forum proper is the place to be (or via Personal Messages)
Chat
on a person’s profile to initiate one. Here is how a chat looks:
icon if you wish. MESSAGES give you easy access to your personal messages.
