Idea for a plugin to provide anonymous feedback

This idea started at Support.SID-02462.

Needs: A way for registered users to provide feedback anonymously using a form. The submitted feedback should only be accessible by a limited audience, such as TWikiAdminGroup members.

This is currently not a option because:

• the plugin checks for write permission when posting to a topic (as it should)
• comments are recorded in topics under version control, e.g. you know who submitted the feedback

The app would:

• create a new topic per form submit
• each topic is access restricted to the person submitting the form
• the person submitting feedback can see his/her submitted feedback
• feedback is not anonymous, TWikiAdminGroup members can see who submitted it (which might or might not be a problem)

This new plugin would:

• support multiple feedback topics with a feedback ID
• allow a limited audience to view feedback

Implementation:

• store the feedback in the plugin's working directory as a file, where filename is based on feedback ID
• submit action uses a TWiki::Func::getWorkArea(), TWiki::Func::readFile(), append, TWiki::Func::saveFile() sequence
  • side note: a new TWiki::Func::appendToFile() would come in handy
• plugin handles a %ANONYMOUSFEEDBACK{}% variable to:
  • show a feedback form, such as:
    %ANONYMOUSFEEDBACK{
  "BikeShedPoll"
  action="form"
  header="Bike Shed Feedback"
  q1="material, Material?, radio, wood:Wood, metal:Metal"
  q2="color, Color?, radio, red:Red, blue:Blue, grey:Grey"
  q3="comment, Comment? text, 40" submit="Send feedback"
}%
    resulting in this form:

    Bike Shed Poll
    Material?	Wood Metal
    Color?	Red Blue Grey
    Comment?
    	Send feedback

  • show the result to members of <feedback ID>Group (such as BikeShedPollGroup) if exists, else to TWikiAdminGroup members, such as:
    %ANONYMOUSFEEDBACK{ "BikeShedPoll" action="result" }%
    resulting in this table:

    Bike Shed Poll Result
    Date	Material?	Color?	Comment?
    2020-12-01 14:22	metal	blue
    2020-12-02 15:14	wood	grey	Is this bikeshedding?
    2020-12-03 16:42	metal	red	Want covered walkway to building
    2020-12-04 17:39	metal	grey

-- Peter Thoeny - 2020-12-20