[Inbox] Add rich-content editor to Conversations

[seth]

As a user, I would like to be able to use the rich-content editor to compose messages in the Conversations inbox. This would enable me to create Conversations that are on par, formatting- and content-wise, with Announcements. (Students seem to read Conversations messages more diligently than Announcements.)

transferred from the old Community

Originally posted by: Mia Nolan

Special thanks for contributions by: Stefanie Sanders

[michelli]

Sorry to keep on and on about this, but it really is important! Does anyone happen to know any of the developers and can they please go and ... shake them ... and then explain kindly why this should have been put right at the first query?  It is not a feature: it is a basic expectation.

Meanwhile @VHDL2STA you are probably right about the different developers, but that ANY developer would not think to put RCE into an email (or grading!!!) component defies comprehension. We are not in the 1990s!

[VHDL2STA]

Michelli,

Let's hope that when word processing capability is finally added to the Canvas mail utility the word processing "improvement" does not follow the history of word processors.

I remember WordPerfect with all of its cryptic keyboard commands. Hopefully when the Canvas mail utility is enhanced with word processing capabilities its programmer will bypass WordPerfect cryptic keyboard commands and go directly to an icon-driven WYSIWYG Rich Content Editor capability. 😊

[michelli]

@VHDL2STA - I'd be glad if they'd just put in the rich text editing capacity we have for making pages and assignments, and announcements. Can it really be that difficult?

I think we need to skip this going-nowhere process. The Chief Product officer for Canvas is Mitch Benson and the CEO as of last year is Steve Daly. Both have LinkedIn profiles according to Instructure's "Leadership" page: https://www.instructure.com/about/leadership.

Perhaps it is time to message them directly.

[kikimax]

@michelli et all,

The persons I recommend reaching out to would be Steve Townsend, the SVP of Engineering (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenptownsend/) , the other being Roshan Popal, the CIO (https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshanpopal/) They are the ones involved and supervising the internal development efforts. This, most likely, would be a better bet, to reach out to the people who supervise the tech rather than going to the CEO/COO. Just my 2 centavos. Still, no matter what, and I am agreeing with you, it may be the time to start complaining all way up to the "gods" since the "angels" do not seem to care. 😖

[michelli]

@kikimax thank you!

I'll take your advice on this. I'm going to write to them both. I do suggest, though, that all of us write individually to these two. We should stick to the same topic (the rich text editor in email and grading comments). If we all do this, we might get their attention. Then, when we've got this, we can encourage them to deal with some other stuff that should be basic!

Best to all

[judd_curran]

I think the first time I created the post about the rich content editor in email, and some other obvious improvements was in 2018.  Think about the incredible waste of time since then of everyone having to use this failed system to try and beg someone to pay attention with no results, and the negative impact all the while of less-effective means of communicating with our students. 

I'm done using this facade of improvement.  I suggest faculty in California Higher Ed. start passing Academic Senate resolutions to recommend to the state chancellors office and ASCCC major reform in our ability to get quick fixes on obvious deficiencies.  California higher ed. is a BIG Instructure/Canvas account, with lots of leverage.  I recommend that we stop wasting our time here.

[michelli]

@judd_curran -- Oh YES!  Let's all do that! Wisconsin is a big client of instructure too. I haven't written anything to anyone yet, owing to the massive time-waste imposed by this clunky system and my hundred-plus students with needs. So we could strategize.

What about this:

1. Use this thread to compile a list of basic things we should never have had to ask for
2. All of us use this list to write to our Academic Senates and (I still feel) Instructure
3. All of us check at the end of our semesters to see if anything at all has happened at either Senate level or Instructure level.
4. Then if nothing has been done, let's all of us write to them again.
5. And report results (or no results) back to this thread, so we keep on moving forward
6. And do it all again at the beginning and end of each semester till something happens!

I seem to have more than two cents' worth - but, oh, let's do this!

Thanks Judd Curran. Great idea you had!

[danac1]

I would like to have the option to add memes, images to the Canvas email.

[chesnutj]

My faculty would love to have the rich text editor enable in the compose a message of the inbox. the ability to add an image would improve communication with students.