Let's say we have a Discussion interface on our website. I was wondering whether or not we should auto-scroll whenever:
- The user sends a message
- Someone else sends a message in the same thread
More context: We also have permalinks (the link that takes the user directly to the message - similar to "Copy Link" in Slack) implemented for our messages so that a user may be high up in the thread, and the latest set of messages may not even be loaded in the UI.
Is there any "standard" or list of things to keep in mind while making this decision?
Here are some things to ponder on:
- Persist context for the user even after sending a message v/s Making it easier to view the latest chat for sending more message
- Show an indication of a new message v/s take the user to the new message to increase its visibility
It's not clear what "permalinks" means here. Presumably the text-entry field is locked in place at the bottom of the UI.
If the user can scroll the thread up, auto-scrolling it on every new message would be very annoying, and prevent the user from referring to something from up in the thread while typing a new message.
So to me the answer is clear: no. But there should be a "go to bottom" button to quickly return to the latest exchange.