Implemented Alert notifications - unread alerts being marked as read

[optrex]

I notice that if I read one notification, the others automatically become read. If I have many, I get lost as to where I am and miss a topic that requires attention.

For instance, in Facebook if I had 17 alerts and read one, the other 16 would be shaded darker until I'd clicked through (on a current visit) although the marker number disappears.

Is it possible to leave unread notifications with a different background please (on a current visit)?

 

[Amaury]

In cases like these, you can always use the Watched Threads page.

 

[optrex]

In cases like these, you can always use the Watched Threads page.

How does that help if someones tagged me or quoted/replied to a thread I'm not watching or moved a thread?

 

[Amaury]

How does that help if someones tagged me or quoted/replied to a thread I'm not watching or moved a thread?

You can also use the main alerts page: https://xenforo.com/community/account/alerts

I also always take note of the dates and times, and that helps a lot.

 

[optrex]

Same as the alerts tab though, the unread ones aren't marked, it's just a historical list. Whilst you and I know our forums inside out, my suggestion is to try to make this easier for my users.

 

[Robust]

This is kinda the opposite to how email works. It's not viewing the subject that marks it as read, it's viewing the actual thread. I'm not really sure what I'd prefer. It's a nice feature, yet can be annoying at the same time.

 

[Martok]

There's a yellow star next to the date of newly received alerts even if they are marked as read.

 

[mjda]

I'd agree with this behavior, but only if there was a "Mark all Read" option like there is on Facebook as well. It'd bug the heck out of me having unread alerts and knowing the only way to make them go away was to click on them. For instance "so and so liked your post". Well, I don't want to go read my own post again just because someone liked it.

 

[Kintaro]

With Xenforo 2.1 maybe something can be done about it. (in XF 2.1.x or 2.2.x maybe?)

While now it's possible to do this... how to do another cool thing?
How about set as read notifications in the dropdown menu only if the content is read like Facebook do?

Example:

• I have 2 new notifications and I can see the #2 "balloon" above the notifications bell.
• I click on the bell and the #2 is gone (it's ok), I see the 2 notifications with the "darker" background (unread).
• I would like that the background became white only if I read the notification's linked content.
• Plus a link with set as read al the notifications.

Do I need to do a separate suggestion?

Problem: Not every alert is tied to a specific type of content that can be read such as a post. What if you want to keep alerts from posts unread until you read the post, but get rid of all the alerts about people liking your posts?

You can't mark them all as read, as that gets rid of the post too. Do I need to click through all of them?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just bringing something up you might want to have a think about before posting the suggestion so that your idea is even more watertight


Fillip

Like alerts (and the other “not content alerts) will be set as read after some seconds after the alert dropdown menu was open. And maybe at a specific threashold grouped in single alerts. Example: “Mark and other 4 users liked/reacted to your post etc... etc...”

Thank you @Chris D I’m going to better scan suggestions’ node.

@Chris D I found the original suggestion, how about to move it out from "lack of interest" as with IMHO with XF 2.1 this behavior will interest more people?

 

[Kintaro]

I found an example from a forum software that can do what the suggestion suggests, the forum script is nodebb

NodeBB Community

A community to talk about development and ask questions about NodeBB modern forum software

community.nodebb.org

a production example:

thirty bees forum

forum.thirtybees.com

 

[Kirby]

We've recently migrated on of our forums from WoltLab to XenForo and got some complaints about alerts:
WoltLab kept them unread until clicked while XenForo does mark all alerts read immediately when the popup does get opened.

I can see pros & cons for either behaviour, so I'd like to suggest smth. in between that might work for many usecases:
It would be great if there was an option (either admin or maybe even a user option) to configure if alerts should be automatically marked as read (this is how it does currently work) or not.
If set to not, specific content-based alerts (like post/insert, post/quote, etc.) should only be marked as read when the content is actually read while others (like alerts for trophies, report feedback, reactions, etc.) should still be marked read automatically.

If we wanted to go completely crazy, could allow users to select which content-based alerts they would like to be sticky until content is read (again).

 

[Digital Doctor]

Is it possible to leave unread notifications with a different background please (on a current visit)?

How's this ?

 

[Paul B]

This is essentially implemented in 2.x due to the unread indicator.

 

[optrex]

Yeah baby
patience is a virtue

 

[Paul B]

 

[Gsk8]

My "unread" indicators don't show up in alerts or discussions. Is there a place I can go to in admin to fix this? Currently, there is no way to distinguish the difference between "read" and "unread" unless I go to the whole page.