Worklogs is a basic chat app featuring a few powerfull features to organize 📥 , delegate 🙋♂️ and supervise 👮 work messages into usefull conversations.
It is very easy to get started using the basic chat messages (single thread conversations), but if you want to take full advantage of what Worklogs has to offer it is important to learn a few key concepts, starting with a very powerfull one: threads.
In this article we will focus on the threads. How threads help you work faster through the additional context they help create. But also how to manage the added complexity and keep them under your control.
Threaded conversations?
When someone reach out to you with a question, you will spend some time assessing your understanding of the situation. The older the project, the more time spent putting together all pieces allowing you to make a decision. With threaded asynchronous (async) conversation, you have all the pieces you need right above the message you are reading. May the question be about a conversation that happened a minute ago or ten years ago.
There are a few challenges to make this work well. First you need to understand what are threads to understand how to use them to your advantage (see below), then you will need a tool like worklogs to help keep them organized and displayed to you in a way you can interact with them easily.
What are threads?
A thread is nothing more than a message replying to another. Meaning that instead of posting a standalone message in the main chat, you will create a reply to a specific message, which will ‘link’ your message to another, hence creating a thread. Your message is not alone anymore 👬.
Why using threads?
The main reason for using threads is that in a basic chat, many message can be received before you have a chance to post a reply. So if/when you post your repli(es), at the end of the chat, it will be hard to understand to which message you are replying to. You could quote other messages but after a few back and forth it gets really hard to get to the root of the discussion and your message are not building the larger picture you can obtain when connecting all your messages together.
Examples:
- NON-THREADED CHAT
- can you open the door?
- did you throw out the thrash?
- mom can I can a bag of chip?
- is it raining?
- YOUR REPLY HERE…
- THREADED CHAT
- can you open the door?
- Ok it’s done.
- did you throw out the thrash?
- Yes it’s in the back alley.
- mom can I can a bag of chip?
- not before homework please comfirm.
- is it raining?
- I don’t know, I’ll ask mom.
- can you open the door?
- THREADED CHAT in real life… gets even more complicated
- can you open the door
- Ok it’s done
- did you throw out the thrash
- Yes it’s in the back alley
- Please add the carton box inthe blue bin
- Ok that’s done
- Please add the carton box inthe blue bin
- Yes it’s in the back alley
- mom can I can a bag of chip
- not before homework please comfirm
- I am done with home work
- ok then check the pantry for the open blue chips
- got them.
- ok then check the pantry for the open blue chips
- I am done with home work
- not before homework please comfirm
- is it raining?
- I don’t know, I’ll ask mom.
- I have another question please come to meeting room.
- …. more and more messages to come while the situationabove is still unfolding…
- can you open the door
Creating threads will allow to regroup messages within contextual conversations 🌎 , thus allowing faster understanding of the context and formulating a better and faster response even when reviving very old conversations.
Thread challenges…How to manage updates?
Threads are great but they allow messages to be added not only at the bottom of the chat windows, but also anywhere within other threads and sub-threads. That is the reason why you will have to do a little more work than just check your latest chat screen to stay up to date.
Thanksfully, Worklogs will show you all the latest message on the ‘latest udpates’ page:
- Latest updates (most effective method): The screen will show you all latest messages regrouped by folder. Click on a message and a window will open the message inside its thread, allowing you to quickly understand context and take action.
‘Latest updates’ are available on the homepage but can be narrowed down to any folder to narrow your focus on specific projects.
You can also get an idea of the latest updated by following the blue dot 🔵 / background in the user interface: - Folder highlight (hunt for updates in folders): A blue dot appear next to each folder with new messages, allowing you to navigate to updated folders. From there you can find the latest messages, which are not always at the end of the chat, but we do have some helping tool to jump to them.
- Threads:
- Sorted by creation date: That view will show you all the threads, inside the currently selected folder, in the order they were created. A blue background will signal new messages. Recommended view for projects with a limited number of threads.
- Sorter by latest activity: Thread now appear with the latest updated thread on top. It is a bit harder to keep track of time there but some people like it. (coming in 2025).
Threads into folders
While threads allow long winded conversation to stay in context, it happens that a thread gain so much important that converting the thread into a folder makes more sense.
To convert any thread into a folder, inside a thread, scroll down to the bottom until you see the ‘convert to folder’ button 
Folder have more flexibility when it comes to moving them around into other folder, while threads are more difficult to move.