XF 2.0 Alerts for new thread in watched forum - Ignoring "Mark Read"?

[limboclub]

Having many users missing out on alerts for new threads in forums they watch.

The rules for watches seem opaque to me, but I would have thought marking an entire forum as read would see alerts for new threads kick back in? If not new responses to watched threads?

Or do you have to physically click on the alert for all of the new threads to keep receiving alerts? In v1.5 I don't think Watch Forum alerts stopped if you didn't click a link to a new thread alert.

 

[Mike]

When it comes to new threads, there aren't really any restrictions on sending notifications for forum watchers. Alerts should be sent for every new thread. (Replies to threads follow the same rules as when watching a thread, and marking a forum read does also "reset" that.) The behavior here matches the 1.x behavior. I don't really any other reports indicating it isn't working as expected.

Can you reproduce this?

 

[limboclub]

When it comes to new threads, there aren't really any restrictions on sending notifications for forum watchers. Alerts should be sent for every new thread. (Replies to threads follow the same rules as when watching a thread, and marking a forum read does also "reset" that.) The behavior here matches the 1.x behavior. I don't really any other reports indicating it isn't working as expected.

Can you reproduce this?

I thought I had - but I retested just then and it worked. I dunno.

 

[limboclub]

Thanks for your help @Mike, always appreciated. But it seems to actually work a bit differently, according to @Chris D here:

As designed - No notifications for new threads/messages if option unchecked.

Having the option "Receive an alert when someone… Replies to a watched thread " unchecked will make it so you don't get notifications from forums or subforums for new threads or new replies in those forums, even if the forum settings for New Threads or New Replies are checked.

xenforo.com

"there is no distinction in the alert system between a new post being inserted into an existing thread or a new post being inserted as a new thread. With that in mind, if you opt out of those alerts you will not get watched thread or watched forum alerts. "

So we need to hack it a bit to help our users understand what they are getting themselves into.

With that I suggest to all forum admins that they edit the phrase: alert_opt_out.post_insert
From: Replies to a watched thread
To: Replies to a watched thread/starts a thread in a watched forum

A better option would also be a clear warning when the user watches a forum or thread and selects "Send notifications via: Alerts". If they have alerts switched off in their Alert Preferences, the warning should make sure they know that they are not going to get alerts for this Watch even if they ask for them.

I am going to hazard a guess that there is an Email opt out somewhere that will stop all emails, so the "Send notifications via: Emails" won't work when they watch a thread or forum? Anyone?