Messages panel is a features that alow registered users and admins to communicate to each other using messages.
For visitors and editors this system provides friendship features so that only invited users can send/receive messages.
If logged user is admin or EZG admin he/she can sends messages to every activated and confirmed user.
The 'Messages' can be transformed to private admin communication system if admin disable this future for ordinary users.
Another useful features is that every message can be sent to email.
For simplicity, in this tutorial every visitor, editor or user with access on page level will be called User.
There is no extra setting in EZG to enable "Messages" panel.
However "Messages" panel for users can be disabled by admins in
online admin page 'Messages'->settings and check "DISABLE MESSAGES FOR USERS".
So to visit you received/sent messages users need to be logged in and to go to their admin page -> 'Messages' panel.
Using this feature is intuitive. You can recognize it in many email systems.
There are four button (tabs). For admin there are three:
- received messages (#new messages) - table of all received messages; #new messages is number of not read messages;
- sent messages - table of all sent messages;
- friends - table of all friend users (this tab is optional only if admin has enabled "ENABLE FRIENDSHIP" in messages settings tab); admins don't have this tab; Here users can send/confirm/block friend requests to/from other users;
- settings - this tab is different for users and for admins. Admin has full control over messages settings, while users have only one for now ( HIDE BLOCKED USERS, which will hide blocked by himself friend users)
Composing (Sending) new message can be done in three places:
- in received messages: using compose message button; when hover on username in received message table; when hover on subject using reply or forward link;
- in sent messages: using compose message button; when hover on username in sent message table; when hover on subject using forward link;
- in friend tab (if it is enabled) when hover over username in friends table
Users can't send messages to users which are blocked friends, not confirmed friends, not active or not confirmed users.
Users can send messages to all ordinary users (confirmed and active) if "ENABLE FRIENDSHIP" is not checked in admin messages settings tab.
Users can send to admins if "USERS CAN SEND MESSAGES TO ADMINS" is enabled by admins of the site.
Users can receive messages from all admins (admin users or EZG admin).
Message can be send to multiple users/admins when hold Ctrl key in drop-down with available users in Compose message form.
