# "Next Message" feature - similar to TechCrunch Implementation?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [August 16, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172 "2015-08-16T06:15:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BCHK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BCHK)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172/1 "2015-08-16T06:15:42Z")
As you scroll down to the bottom of a TechCrunch story, a window opens up on the right hand side that slowly becomes more prominent as you scroll down.
I wonder if this could be used to a positive impact to increase people’s reading / participation in other similar, or highly valued topics in Discourse. It catches my attention - and I certainly click more on those stories provided, and it seems that a similar approach might be helpful in keeping people engaged in multiple conversations on your discourse forum.
Check out what I mean by clicking on the story below and scrolling to the bottom:
> **[Navigating The New Waters Of Fundraising | TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2015/08/15/navigating-the-new-waters-of-fundraising/)**
>
> As a VC that has been in the industry for 15 years, I have watched many trends come and go. For the first few years of my career, my colleagues and I spent most of our time sourcing these trends and then incubating new innovation right here in...
---
### Author:  [@strager](https://meta.discourse.org/u/strager)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172/2 "2015-08-16T06:50:44Z")
My concern here is that it could block important content.
Take CNN’s implementation for example: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/politics/lil-b-based-god-black-lives-matter-clinton-sanders/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/politics/lil-b-based-god-black-lives-matter-clinton-sanders/index.html)
The buttons block pictures, text, and other content here.
If done right I could see this being a great feature (as long as it could be turned off) on many communities. Maybe do it a little smarter - instead of just a “next” story use data like recent search history, categories viewed, etc. to provide a “Smart” topic that would be more likely to get a click from the user.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172/3 "2015-08-16T07:10:03Z")
We had this in very, very early versions of Discourse and dropped it because we found it annoying – and that was also before we added Suggested Topics which performs the same function.
The basic idea is that you want to give people _agency_, and that means a choice among reasonably likely things at the end of the current reading stream, rather than bugging them about one thing they may or may not like in a sliding pop-up.
---
### Author:  [@omfg](https://meta.discourse.org/u/omfg)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2015, 7:44am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172/4 "2015-08-16T07:44:15Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> rather than bugging them about one thing they may or may not like in a sliding pop-up.
I freaking hate those sites who not only do that, but reword the “feature” (what was “You may want …” became “Read this next”…). Because computers know better than people what you _should_ read.
---
### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2025, 11:36am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/next-message-feature-similar-to-techcrunch-implementation/32172/5 "2025-12-04T11:36:55Z")