Config and Account Settings

Phase 1 (Backend Infrastructure)

Server Configs

Add to the config file, but not the system console UI:

`ThreadAutoFollow`: `true` : Enables the thread backend, including the “threads” table, auto-following of threads when a user is mentioned or participates in a thread, and unread tracking for followed threads.

• Config setting syntax: `ThreadAutoFollow`: `true` with options true and false. Config defaults:

  • New servers: true

  • Existing servers: true

  • Cloud servers: true

• We will add a note to the important upgrade notes and changelog about this setting regarding potential performance implications for high user count servers.

Account Settings

Not needed in this release phase

Phase 2 (Web/Desktop Beta)

Server Configs

Add to the System Console > Experimental section (below the “experimental sidebar features” setting):

Enable collapsed reply threads (beta) [ Disabled v ]

• Help text: When enabled (default on), this setting enables collapsed reply threads for all users on this server. Users can disable the feature in Account Settings > Display > Collapsed Reply Threads (Beta). When enabled (default off), users must enable collapsed reply threads in Account Settings. When disabled, users cannot access collapsed reply threads. [Learn more about collapsed reply threads](XXXX).

• Dropdown options:

  • Disabled

  • Enabled (Default On)

  • Enabled (Default Off)

  • Always On

• Config setting syntax: `CollapsedReplyThreads`: off with options off, default_on , default_off and always_on.

  • Config defaults:

    • New servers: off

    • Existing servers: off (we can use in-product notices to promote the beta feature to server admins)

    • Cloud servers: default_on

  • We also need to track in the database whether the `CollapsedReplyThreads` setting has been edited (so that when we release in GA in Phase 4 we can migrate those servers that never edited this config to default_on)

For servers that did not upgrade to Phase 1 and skipped directly to Phase 2, we need to do a data migration before they can enable `CollapsedReplyThreads`

• Automatic migration: For servers with under `xyz` posts, the migration will happen when the server starts after being upgraded to this release version.

• Manual migration: For servers with over `xyz` posts, the migration will not happen automatically because we don’t want to overload the server. Instead, we will build a migration command and provide important upgrade notes, doc page, changelog notes about the process required.

Account Settings

In Account Settings > Display, add:

Collapsed Reply Threads (Beta) On/Off

• Help text: When enabled, reply messages are not shown in the channel view. Users can read and reply to their threads using a new “Threads” item in the channel sidebar.

• When enabled, it enables the entire thread user interface, including:

  • Collapsed threads in channels 

  • Ability to follow/unfollow threads and messages

  • Thread inbox view for all your followed threads accessible from the sidebar 

Updated Account Settings UI

If the revamped UI for account settings is complete when implementing this, then see the below UI. See figma design for the New Account Settings Modal

Otherwise, no new account setting UI is needed aside from adding the setting in Account Settings > Display.

Open

Feature Flag

Feature Flag should be wrapped around the front-end only: if the feature flag is enabled and the feature is enabled at the user level, then show the new UI.

Phase 3 (Mobile Beta)

No config or account setting changes needed for this release phase since we are just introducing the threading UI on mobile based on the config and account settings configured in Phase 2.

Phase 4 (GA)

Server Configs

Add to the System Console > Posts section (at the bottom):

Enable collapsed reply threads [ Enabled (Default On) v ]

• Help text: When enabled (default on), Enables collapsed reply threads (beta) for all users on this server. Users can disable the feature in Account Settings > Advanced > Collapsed Reply Threads (Beta). When enabled (default off), users must enable collapsed reply threads in Account Settings. When disabled, users cannot access the collapsed reply threads. Learn more about collapsed reply threads.

• Dropdown options:

  • Disabled

  • Enabled (Default On)

  • Enabled (Default Off)

• Config setting syntax: `CollapsedReplyThreads`: default_on with options off, default_on and default_off.

  • New servers: default_on

  • Existing servers: When we release collapsed threads in GA, we will use a migration to update the config variable value for this setting depending on if the setting was edited during the beta stage:

    • Servers that have edited the CollapsedReplyThreads config: don’t change the config value (we can use in-product notices to promote the feature to these server admins)

    • Servers that have not ever edited the CollapsedReplyThreads config: migrate to default_on

  • Cloud servers: default_on
    
    

Account Settings

No changes needed from Phase 2 except we rename the Account Setting to Collapsed Reply Threads