The colorization function for compact messages is fantastic. It feels much more like IRC and highly optimized text messaging systems now - which is a very good thing.
One problem I have noticed is that it can, however, lead to confusion when colorization is not sufficiently contrasty between users. We have noticed that users tend to be colored similar all too often. This leads to difficult differentiation and has caused some communicative mistakes and mis-assigning trains of thought.
It would be helpful to perhaps do a few things:
- allow users to create their own color palettes or assignments for users.
- allow holistic server colorization assignments.
- allow users to assign their preferred color.
- implement an algorithm in Mattermost to choose, by default higher contrast differentiation in channel palettes so as to maximized differentiation insomuch as is possible until there are simply too many users to perform such.
I personally would like to see an organization-based colorization so that all members of certain organizations could be colorized in a similar fashion. This would, however, introduce a new variable/value for profiles that would be “organization” or some such associative element for users. I don’t think team-based association is enough since many same-org folks are in the same teams… BUT having an organization assignment could resolve that for this need.
Having an organizational association in a profile could also open Mattermost up to other interesting features such as viewing messages in a search or other such flat-file listing that is not now really possible, but could show different views into data and perspectives, etc…
Anyway, I do think some level of color control would be very helpful and I appreciate the effort to move down this more concise road!