Messaging
Messaging (Mentors and Mentees)
Section titled “Messaging (Mentors and Mentees)”Async communication between mentors and mentees outside scheduled meetings. Ships with mentorship (post–v1 core), but architecture is decided now.
Decision: in-app messaging (no SMS bill)
Section titled “Decision: in-app messaging (no SMS bill)”| Channel | Use | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-app messages | Primary thread per mentorship | No per-message fee |
| Mobile push | Alert when app backgrounded | FCM/APNs (free tiers) |
| Optional digest / “you have a message” | Provider cost only; can defer digests | |
| SMS / RCS / iMessage | Not built-in | Per-SMS fees or platform lock-in |
Do not rely on sms:, mailto:, or carrier RCS as the product channel—they are poor audit trails, bypass moderation, and do not work uniformly across devices.
Native iMessage/RCS cannot be sent from your server without the user’s phone; there is no zero-cost server-to-iMessage API for third-party apps.
Behavior
Section titled “Behavior”- One conversation per mentor–mentee pair (or per assignment context if needed later).
- Messages are plain text in v1; attachments when Files and Uploads ships.
- Real-time: WebSocket / GraphQL subscription when online; persist all messages server-side.
- Offline (mobile): read cache + outbox for sent messages (standard queue, not CRDT—one author per message).
- Mentors still see only aggregates for private study notes; messages are intentionally shared in the thread (Identity and Access).
Notifications (zero/low cost)
Section titled “Notifications (zero/low cost)”- In-app badge and notification center.
- Push on mobile (already planned).
- Email notification: opt-in, batched (e.g. daily) to limit cost.
Moderation and safety
Section titled “Moderation and safety”- Report message; block user (platform policy).
- Optional AI tone check before send when AI moderation exists (AI Guidelines).
- Audit log for privileged access (Security and Privacy).
Minors
Section titled “Minors”When the mentee (or either party) is a minor (Identity and Access):
- No thread until a linked guardian has approved the mentor assignment (church proposals stay pending).
- No new conversations with users a guardian has not allowed.
- Full impersonation (child use): minor-facing UI must not expose exit paths that drop impersonation without guardian authorization.
- Partial impersonation (guardian oversight): guardian stays themselves; does not affect guardian streaks or similar login-triggered mechanics.
Not in scope
Section titled “Not in scope”- SMS gateway (Twilio, etc.) unless explicitly funded later.
- WhatsApp/Telegram bots (third-party dependency and policy risk).
Geolocation
Section titled “Geolocation”Unrelated to messaging. Group discovery uses invites only for now; geolocation may be added later as opt-in (Product Scope).