Note Conversation

I’ve been holding a few things in my back pocket the last few weeks, as I was working on fixing the site performance (which is now running better than ever).  I felt like programming today – the house is quiet, there’s a nice breeze coming in the window, I got very little sleep last night – a good setup for writing some code.  So, I pulled one of those half-finished projects out today and finished it.

This is something that was talked about over on the Site Suggestions board, where several people were enthusiastic about an option like this.  The idea is that it would be nice to be able to click to a screen from your notes, and that screen would show you all the notes that have gone back and forth between you and a particular person.  This way, when somebody replies to something you said (RYN), and you don’t remember what it was you said in the first place (which happens to me, a lot), you could see what they were talking about without having to comb through entries to find the original note.

I’ve added this as a new screen, which we will call "Note Conversation".  You will see a new little icon in your notes, in between the "reply to note" and "delete note" icons, that looks like two wee heads.  If you click that in the note, it will take you to the Note Conversation screen for you and that person.

Please note this screen can only be seen by you – nobody else can look at the note conversations from your diary (except that the one person that is the other side of the conversation could see it from their diary and one of your notes).  It is not possible to see the conversation of two people when you’re not one of them (hope that makes sense).

Also note that the screen will show you only the most recent one hundred notes that have gone back and forth between you and the other person.  Including more would require too much processing, and I think this is going to be most relevant to people when looking at recent notes.  If there are less than one hundred notes between you and the other person, then they will all be shown.

Anyway, enjoy – and if you have any suggestions for improvement, pop over to the Suggestions board through the link above.

Thanks!

The DiaryMaster

Not much to say over here today – I’ve been coding all day, and a bit burned out.  It’s funny though, I do notice that when I do a lot of programming, and then write, my writing gets filled with parenthetical statements (see to your left).  I wonder what coding triggers in my brain that makes that happen.

I’ve worked on some pretty large coding projects in my time (not the least of which is OD!).  There were a few stretches back when I was a contractor where I would be generating hundreds or thousands of lines of code a day, for many 14-18 hour days on end.  I would always know when I was truly getting close to flaming out when I would start to think in IF…ELSE…ENDIF statements.

As in, IF I drop my keys in the sewer grate, I can’t drive my car ELSE I hold on to them tighter so that doesn’t happen ENDIF.  Of course, it would only get really freaky when CASE statements got involved.

Sorry for the geekiness.

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X
September 4, 2009

Ultra cool! 🙂

September 4, 2009

Awesome! that’s a great feature!

X
September 4, 2009

LOL @ the IF/CASE’s 😛 I like it when the IFs get really nested. It usually means I totally should have written it another way, but it looks really pretty! 🙂

Nicely done!

September 4, 2009

Oh cool! I saw the suggestion but didn’t expect it to happen so soon! Yay =]

Is this a public or OD+ feature? I ask because I know note history is a + feature. This kind of seems to take the place of that, in a way.

September 4, 2009

I love the idea and concept- thank you for taking the time to implement such a wonderful feature that I know everyone will get so much out of–including me!! 🙂

September 4, 2009

I have to admit, that’s a pretty sweet idea!

X
September 4, 2009

RYN: I’ve never heard of that, but then I appreciate you’ve been in the business longer than me 🙂 I just always assumed any compiler/executor would ignore spacing, although either way with todays computers I can’t think it’ll have much impact 🙂

September 4, 2009

that’s great, I can’t even count how many times I had to go read my notes to remember what I said XD Thank you for this 🙂

September 4, 2009

That is uber cool! Must try it. Thank you! Love the geeky sidebar. 🙂

I just noticed this feature. Thanks!

September 4, 2009

Great idea! Good work.

This is such an excellent feature; thanks, DM !

“that looks like two wee heads.” made me giggle, sounded verrrrrry Scottish ;o)

September 4, 2009

Your programming language is showing… if I ever do a similar thing, I think in if () {} else {}. 😉 Love this idea!–

September 4, 2009

That is awesome!! 🙂

September 4, 2009

Is that why I got logged out about an hour ago? It just seems weirdly wrong when I click the Write an Entry menu and OD just sits and spins for minutes, (and eventually takes me to that ugly login message) but if I realize what’s going on and go to the odplus.asp page, I am magically logged back in. Why can’t the ugly login message page (system error something) log me in automatically like the odplus.asp page does?

September 4, 2009

Almost like a shout box. Great idea!!! Now how about under Notes, a selection for all the notes you wrote, not just the ones that someone else wrote too? I accidently deleted a friend after leaving a note, and I had to search for that friend again by trying to find the last note she left for me; instead of my note to her.

September 4, 2009

I LOVE that idea. Thanks so much for implementing it so soon! Have a great weekend!

September 4, 2009

Yay! I’m loving the sound of the new notes conversation option! Hey! I can see my entire note off of my blackberry in your diary!! I wonder if you’ve some how fixed that error also! I hope so!! That would be great!

September 4, 2009

What a great feature. Thank you for adding it 🙂 Have a great day.

Handy feature have. x] I’m sure I’ll be using it. – James.

Veddy veddy clever!

Sweet! Thank you! I love half-finished projects that turn into finished ones! =]

September 4, 2009

Awesome, I’m gonna go test it on my iphone

September 4, 2009

Could this be implemented on the mobile site too?

September 4, 2009

OH How awesome!!!! I cant tell you how many times I have forgotten what I wrote. Thank you so very much!

September 4, 2009

far out….. you go, geekboy.

September 4, 2009

That’s awesome! Now if only we could have the option to get a notification when someone sends a note, especially with PDA’s. 🙂

September 4, 2009

Wow! Nice feature! Thanks 🙂

September 4, 2009

Best thing ever. Thanks so much!

September 4, 2009

RYN: thanks!

September 4, 2009

Sounds like fun…..and fun is what you need. When did you last take a day off. 🙂

September 4, 2009

You implemented note conversation? BLESS you! I’m putting you in my will! I’m establishing a foundation in your name! Well, at least I’m thanking you.

I’ve just tried it out; it’s great! Thank you.

September 4, 2009

That is great!

September 4, 2009

woohoo AWESOME! love it

September 4, 2009

YAY. :o)

September 4, 2009

NEVER be sorry for geekiness

September 4, 2009

ultra geekiness is funny

September 4, 2009

Cool, this has potential!

September 4, 2009

I think that’s an awesome addition DM. With my memory this is going to be a real asset.

September 4, 2009

Great idea! Thanks!

September 4, 2009

awesome!

September 4, 2009

Well…that’s definitely something new and interesting, for OD notes! 🙂 Be glad to use it!

September 4, 2009

LOL at the geekspeak 🙂

September 4, 2009

I don’t even have the delete a note or reply to note showing any more. I have to click on that person’s name and go the long way to leave a note. ??????

September 4, 2009

It’s so cool!

September 4, 2009

that’s perfect 😀

September 4, 2009

What an awesome feature!! This will help me remember what I said to someone else too. 🙂 Thanks!

thats very nice.

September 4, 2009

fabulous idea! x

BRILLIANT!!!!!

Tux
September 4, 2009

Thanks for the feature, great addition! I use a lot of parentheses in my writing too. Perhaps the use of parentheses to expound on parallel but slightly different ideas comes from the mode of thinking you have when you code. For instance, when you write a long program, you might have a series of main steps to accomplish, but with a few conditions. If that variable == 1 then run some other subroutine too and then resume the main program. We bracket the subroutine as we bracket the aside, related idea, or explanation in the sentence. To programmers parentheses (okay, more frequently curly brackets!) are the language equivalent of a subroutine.

September 4, 2009

All the parentheses make sense if you program in LISP. We called it Lots of Insipid and Silly Parentheses Not even sure if they still LISP.

That’s a great idea! I’m going to go check it out.

very cool new feature! handy.

September 4, 2009

That is VERY nifty, and will be useful for me and my flickery brain too – thanks!

Wow!!!!!! Thank you. okay, I just read the right-hand box, and perhaps, cuz I drank a couple of beers, I can’t focus on that, or picture it, LOL!!!! I KNOW you do very good stuff for us here, and I sincerely appreciate it all!!!!! BigHugz.

September 4, 2009

I’m a teacher, and we always do Shakespeare at the end of the year. Rather than programming codes like you, I start speaking in Shakespearean English, totally not meaning to, and not because I think it’s a cool little thing to do in front of the kids – because it’s really not. The last couple of years I’ve been able to control myself, and only THINK in Shakespearean, rather than verbalizingmy nerdiness as well.

September 4, 2009

Very nice! Thanks.

September 4, 2009

Awesome! Yay! Thanks so much!

September 4, 2009

I am sure I will like this

September 4, 2009

Excellent feature, thanks! I had to laugh at “two wee heads” though. Don’t ask me why, it just cracked me up!

September 4, 2009

Great idea, oh masterful one! Does this also include private notes back and forth? I’m assuming it will. Thanks for all you do!

Excellent idea. Thanks!

September 4, 2009

LOVE it. Thanks:-)

September 4, 2009

COOL idea! *high fives*! Thank goodness for boredness/genuis! haha! *hugs* 🙂

September 4, 2009

wow, pretty cool! thanks!

Whoot! Wonderful, I just had to look up a note I wrote today!

September 4, 2009

That is wicked sweet!

Love that geekiness. I once sent my husband to the grocery store with a list (I thought). He looked so confused that I took it back. It was a flowchart of grocery shopping – proving once again that no one really uses a flowchart.

September 4, 2009

uber cool, dude! thank you!!!

Awesome, DM! This site just keeps getting better and better! Thanks so much for your hard work in all of this. I’m surprised that you haven’t gone cross-eyed over all that coding! LOL!

September 4, 2009

Huh. I’m going to go try it!

I thank you for this. I have just checked it out and well I will just say …CONVENIENT! THANK YOU SO MUCH.

That’s a pretty cool idea! Thanks! 🙂

September 4, 2009

wow just wow!

September 5, 2009

That’s awesome!! 🙂 xoxo

September 5, 2009

Loving this feature, thank you!

YAY!! ^^

September 5, 2009

What a great idea. Thanks

September 5, 2009

ooooh yay! 🙂

Thanks, DM!

September 5, 2009

Awesome!!

September 5, 2009

Good idea!!

September 5, 2009

I like the fact you’ve done it like this and not nested in the note list of the entry in question. A lot easier to use.

September 5, 2009

Hey, that’s a cool idea. I like it!

September 5, 2009

Great! Thanks! I just tried it out and it worked like magic.

Awesome idea! 🙂

September 5, 2009

very cool! x

September 5, 2009

hahaha i have trouble with that to. im sure a lot of us do. nice addition,thanks!

COOL!

Sounds like a good idea to me!

September 5, 2009

awesome!!

September 5, 2009

Every time I have to log myself back in again, I know it’s because something has changed and everyone’s been moofed. It reminds me of the “Deja vu” phenomenon from ‘The Matrix’ series, as a warning sign that something has been altered. So, whenever I come to the front page and notice I’ve been logged out I think, “There’s a glitch in the Matrix!”.

September 5, 2009
September 5, 2009

cool!

September 5, 2009

Oooh. I approve of this :).

September 5, 2009

Thank you for the note about my theme entry.

September 5, 2009

Thank you!

September 5, 2009

Wow, really helpful, thanks 🙂

September 5, 2009

wow that’s cool! =)

September 5, 2009

I have been waiting for this feature for a LONG time. Thanks for adding it, although on “digitalexpressions.nu” it allows your friends to also read the conversations between you and the other person, which I like better, because hey – sometimes it’s fun to read other people’s conversations. But the fact that you did something even CLOSE to this is really nice. Thanks.

coolness prevails in the hottest summer code on record. interdependence is a hip thing no doubt. i am no code compiler myself but this new feature adds to the user-friendliness as well as functional interactivity of all OD users. right now, i am listening to Yo La Tengo’s “Popular Songs”. how bout a feature where u can post what u are listening to or what web sites u troll? does that make sense?

September 5, 2009

Thanks for the awesome new feature! Theres this tiny issue I’ve been having with OD. Sometimes, when I am on the site, I hear this really random music. Sometimes it only lasts for about 2 seconds, sometimes less than that. I know it’s not a music player on someone’s personal diary, because I even heard it while I was on the front page. It doesn’t happen every time, and it’s not a huge…

September 5, 2009

..issue, only a minor inconvenience. It ONLY happens while I’m on this site, I can assure you it didn’t come from my other tabs, or my music player. Just thought you should know 🙂

September 6, 2009

that. is. the. best. EVER!

that’s an awesome feature! Thanks bunches!

I really like this because it seems like a natural evolvotion of the notes part of our diaries. It’s spooky that I was literally just hoping for such a thing the other day when to reply to a note I had to have two windows open so I could refer back to what I was replying to. I’m sure it’s a hard slog putting in all that code but you really should have the biggest smile on your face on completion knowing how grateful thousands and thousands of people are fot the hard work you put in. Since day one (about 9 years ago now), OD has always been my favourite site. Cheers mate indeed. Drink are on me if you ever get out to the UK!

i really like this new feature 🙂 && im loving the dailies 😀 x

September 6, 2009

wow thats great!!

September 6, 2009

Ooo! That’s nifty!

September 7, 2009

What a great idea. heading over to check it out now.

September 7, 2009

Love this new feature!!!

September 8, 2009

Sounds like a great option, and for another one to consider; could the 400 character limit on notes be lifted? Those of us from MDD tend to write at length with each other, and this is leading to four notes at a time to get a thought out……just something to consider? Anyway, thanks for being here when our MDD went away….Michael

Love the note conversation idea 😀 thanks! Yes cockatiels are amazing birds, so fun to watch when there’s more than 1 🙂

September 8, 2009

Thanks for the welcome! I am an MDD survivor, referred by friends from there. I have music posted on Myspace under johnmarshallfee that is original, if poorly recorded. I like the site so far, and I’ve already met up with a few of my old MDD friends, so thanks for being here!

September 8, 2009

ryn; yeah, man, despite your competition with other blogs, this is and has always been home to me. thanks for keeping the site around for all these years. 😀

September 8, 2009

This is a fantastic upgrade. Very much liking it. Thanks!

September 8, 2009

RYN: Thank you! If there is anything I have learned as a parent it is things rarely go as planned.

September 8, 2009

great idea…i can’t tell you how many times i have forgotten what i had written..lol

September 9, 2009

Thanks for the welcome note 🙂 I appreciate that this place is still going strong from the TOD days. Good work 🙂

EWS
September 9, 2009

This is a FANTASTIC feature! Very nice job. 🙂 Eric

September 9, 2009

Thank you! Great idea!! You are sooo gooood!!! Even the geekiness. giggles GBY&Y Smiles Hugs Love

Thanks!

September 9, 2009

YAY 😀 So when do we get to backdate entries??? That is the ONLY thing LJ has on OD…(but I stopped posting on LJ becuase OD IS WAY WAY WAY COOLER!)

September 10, 2009

I really don’t like the new ads that drop down over the menu bar when I’m trying to navigate from place to place. It’s really frustrating.

September 10, 2009

Thank you so much for your comment. ^_^

September 10, 2009

NICE! 🙂

September 10, 2009

That is a fabulous idea…. love it!

September 10, 2009

The feature is awesome. But these Invisalign ads are expanding whenever I try to move my mouse over the bookmarks tab in the top menu bar. Though I realize that going Plus would eliminate ads, the ones on the site should not make its use impossible… Any way we could get rid of these ads? I’m sure I’m not the only one with this issue!

September 10, 2009

Dear DM, thanks for the note, I will cherish it always. Love,

Interesting new feature. Thanks! —

Hi DM, I’m not sure how else to get you this message, so – a bit of feedback. For those of us still living in the stone age (free OD), the ads above the menu bar, that drop down when the cursor is over them, detract greatly from the OD experience. Not a tragedy, but not fun either. Just today, I came across an ad that AUTOMATICALLY drops down if the cursor is anywhere near it. (continued…)

(cont’d) I cannot access my menu bar at all (other than Logout) unless I reload the page to get a different ad above the menu bar. I completely understand the need for advertising to fund free OD, and support that the free option is still available, but I think this new automatic drop-down ad is a detriment to your site in its disrespect of the user’s choice to click on ads (or not).

Thanks for the note and the welcome. It means a lot.

September 11, 2009

RYN: I deffinatly will!! Thank you so much! 🙂 I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! 🙂

September 11, 2009

This entry: http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=C102314&entry=23718, needs to be your editor’s choice. She is such a powerful writer.

oh with all innovative things I just feel great to be here.

September 27, 2009

Great! Our friendships on the diary will be greatly enhanced by this feature. Speaking of friendships, recently someone left me a note saying that all of her best friends are on the open diary…and she misses not being closer to them as they live in states far away. (I’d mentioned a friendship here at home.) I think this speaks well for the gift of friendship over the years that the OD offers its writers. Just wanted to share that.