Introducing Whisper Feature

Posted by Joe Vandal
October 22, 2006

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We have launched a new feature on IdahoFallz.com called “Whisper”.

This feature enables registered site users to leave comments for specific other registered site users, and prevents the general population from reading those comments. Hence, one user may “whisper” to another user without anyone else reading it.


Users may whisper to each other by leaving a comment on any article, selecting the checkbox labeled “Whisper this privately?”, selecting the appropriate username from the dropdown list, writing your private message in the normal comment box, and hitting the normal submit button.

This feature was implemented to foster more communication and connections between local residents (which is one of the site goals). Oftentimes users engage in conversations via comments or the chatbox, and wish to take their conversations offline. Those users are understandably reluctant to share their email addresses in the chatbox for all to see, and so they either ask me to share their email addresses (which I never do without express permission) or they abandon their plans.

The whisper function does cause “New Unread Comments” to be marked for everyone regardless if they were the recipient, and I’m working to customize that script. The function will likely be used less rather than more, because we don’t want a site full of private conversations. Whispering is a tool for users to occasionally share contact information between themselves. The whispered messages will be deleted after one week.

Finally, as site administrator I have to see the messages to make sure nobody is plotting murder or mayhem via IdahoFallz.com, so please don’t strike up salacious conversations because you think they are completely private.

*** UPDATE: ***


I removed the whisper script within days of introducing it. The problem was that private whispers showed up as new comments to every visitor. When they clicked to look at the new comment, they would see a “private message” instead of a real comment they could read. This quickly proved frustrating for all, so I removed it.

I would like to re-introduce this feature in the future only if it can be tied to the ‘new comments’ script in that it only shows a new comment if the whispered message is for you.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

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