Enable colored chat messages as a client configuration option

[GoogleCodeExporter]

it would be valuable to be able to enable colored chat messages in the BBB 
client as a configuration option.  there are collaborative events where 
localizing the comments of a specific participant is important and the 
capability for that user's chat messaged to be a different color than others 
enhances the system in these situations.  

Original issue reported on code.google.com by kdavidbo...@gmail.com on 3 Nov 2013 at 5:58

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for your feedback!  

There are three use cases that we examine for each version of BigBlueButton
   - one-to-one collaboration (virtual office hours, coaching, tutoring, etc.)
   - small group collaboration (usually under 10 people, all sharing webcams, all unmuted)
   - one-to-many teaching (usually under 25 people, one person talking and sharing webcams)

Can you be more specific on your use case.  

To understand how we prioritize features for each release, see

  https://code.google.com/p/bigbluebutton/wiki/FAQ#When_will_feature_X_be_implemented

Original comment by ffdixon@gmail.com on 3 Nov 2013 at 9:55

• Added labels: Component-Chat, Priority-Low, Type-Enhancement, Usability
• Removed labels: Priority-Medium, Type-Defect

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by ffdixon@gmail.com on 3 Nov 2013 at 9:59

• Changed title: Enable colored chat messages as a client configuration option

[GoogleCodeExporter]

thanks for the response.  the short answer is small group collaboration.  the 
longer answer, i think, speaks to the mission of BigBlueButton.

the nursing program at Western Wyoming Community College provides didactic 
education using a paradigm called "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL).  central to 
the method is small group (8 students and one faculty) collaboration to 
determine learning needs while solving a shared problem.  also central is NO 
LECTURE.  instead, a faculty member provides facilitation in the form of 
questions and examples of critical thinking.  

a couple years back (as faculty, not IT) i was charged with porting the 
Problem-Based Learning paradigm from bricks-and-mortar classrooms to an online 
environment.  as i searched for a means to provide the necessarily synchronous 
parts, i found BBB.  our institutional option at the time was elluminate, the 
problems with which i won't trouble you here.  BBB was THE ANSWER.  so i was 
granted computer resources with the stipulation that i could not impose upon 
the IT department -- i had to provide support on my own.  

as a PBL group matures, the facilitator recedes from directive interaction in 
the group.  problem-solving happens over two to three hour sessions, and self- 
and group-evaluation concludes every session.  the facilitator is charged with 
providing feedback for individuals and the group.  

although the majority of group interactions were voice and video based, public 
"sidebar" chat conversations were also predictably part of the mix.  students 
provided each other links and other tidbits in realtime+written comments.  
colored chat gave me the facility to scroll back through hour-long blocks of 
interaction to rather quickly find specific examples for student feedback.  it 
also gave students the ability to find each others public realtime postings 
before signing off.  

i certainly support the push toward simplicity of the interface.  in fact, 
that's one of the primary reasons i put together BBB for this purpose.  in this 
case, though, it would be VERY valuable to be able to turn colored chat back on 
for both students and facilitators.  

thanks for the consideration,
david

Original comment by kdavidbo...@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2013 at 2:44

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for the feedback David!

Original comment by ffdixon@gmail.com on 4 Nov 2013 at 3:30

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I have to admit, that it is surprising how important personification is for 
users. We discovered this just after upgrading to 8.1RC - since then the main 
request from our users has been to re-enable custom text colors in chat.
It was possible to set the text color in chat (public and private) in 0.8 - 
could it be re-enable for 0.81?

Original comment by marko.pu...@gmail.com on 11 Nov 2013 at 4:13

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hi Marko,

We released 0.81 (after two beta releases and five release candidates) last 
Friday.  

Don't worry, there will be plenty of releases of BigBlueButton in the future 
and we'll look at re-enabling the text color.  

Original comment by ffdixon@gmail.com on 11 Nov 2013 at 5:09

[GoogleCodeExporter]

[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for the quick answer. Hope to see an update on this soon :)

Original comment by marko.pu...@gmail.com on 13 Nov 2013 at 2:23

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Any update on this?
Thanks

Original comment by jean.vie...@gmail.com on 21 Nov 2013 at 1:16

[GoogleCodeExporter]

You'll see updates posted to this issue.  

Make sure you have [x] Send email checked so you don't need to ask for updates; 
you'll get them automatically.

Original comment by ffdixon@gmail.com on 21 Nov 2013 at 4:00

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by capil...@gmail.com on 30 Jan 2014 at 7:17

• Changed state: Started

[GoogleCodeExporter]

[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Fix was pushed to git on Jan 30th. In order to enable color option, you need to 
set colorPickerIsVisible="true" in Chat module in config.xml.

Original comment by stanisla...@gmail.com on 4 Feb 2014 at 3:23

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by stanisla...@gmail.com on 4 Feb 2014 at 4:12

• Changed state: Fixed