Today’s build focused on turning the No Signal Media message system from a working feature into something that feels like a real product.
The message system now supports true read and unread state. Messages save as unread by default, then switch to read when a user opens the related conversation. The inbox can now show an unread count, making the system feel more alive and useful.
We also cleaned up the code structure. Instead of continuing to grow functions.php into one large file, the message system was moved into its own included file:
/inc/nsm-messages.php
That keeps the theme core stable while allowing the message system to evolve separately.
The biggest UX improvement was the conversation view. Messages now behave more like a familiar chat interface:
- Incoming messages align left
- Outgoing messages align right
- Replies stay inside the same conversation card
- The reply box is attached directly beneath the thread
- The interface no longer feels like starting a brand-new message every time
This makes the private member system feel more like a real private media house, not just a collection of WordPress pages.
CURRENT STATE:
- Message CPT working
- Signal Feed working
- My Room message preview working
- Messages page working
- Conversation view working
- Send/reply form working
- Read/unread state working
- Unread count working
- Chat-style conversation UI working
- Message system isolated in /inc/nsm-messages.php
NEXT:
The next likely messaging improvement is inbox thread grouping, so multiple messages from the same person collapse into a single conversation preview instead of showing every message as a separate card.