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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-12T05:27:31+00:00

I have a scenario that looks like this: User A is a registered user.

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I have a scenario that looks like this:

  1. User A is a registered user.
  2. User B is just a visitor (not registered).
  3. User B needs to send a message to User A (without having to register).
  4. User A needs to reply to User B.
  5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 ad infinitum.

So basically I’ve implemented this simple table structure:

id
id_message (= 0 on first contact or = id on replies) 
from
to
message
date_created

The idea is that each message where id_message equals to 0 would have it’s on public URL so that both parties could access it and see the threaded conversation. For User A I just need to store his user id. for User B, since he is not registered I would need to store his name, phone/mobile number and email address (serialized of course). Each time a new message is posted the other party receives a warning email regarding the update.

However I see some problems with this approach:

  • Serialization of User B details doesn’t seem “right”.
  • User B needs to enter the same details each time a reply is needed.
  • I can’t think of anything else right now, but I’m sure there are other problems that come up with this approach.

Basically, what I’m looking for is the best solution for a complete stranger to engage in a conversation with a registered user while keeping the ease of use for both parties. What do you guys think, should I take this approach? Are there any other clever alternatives to solve similar problems?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    You could use use an effectively random value in the URL, similar to a session ID, for user B such that he has to have/know this URL in order to get back to the conversation. Of course, you would probably want to e-mail (?) this URL to User B, so he would still have to give you some contact information. If you simply gave him a link or told him to bookmark the page, it would be too easy to “lose” the conversation and be unable to continue it.

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