XF 2.0 watch forum threads or messages confusion

[Mr Lucky]

I was recently asked by a member to explain the forum watch options , ie notifications for new threads vs new messages. To be honest I wasn't quite sure.

I have always just ticked new threads.

This is what I assumed:

Watch forum New Threads:

• You will get an alert/email for a new thread.
• If you don't post in the thread, you will still get alerts for subsequent messages in that thread provided you follow the link in any alert/email to the thread. If you ignore the alerts/emails you won't get notified for subsequent new messages
• But depending your your user preferences you will get notifications of replies if you then post in the thread

Watch Forum new messages:

• You will get notifications of new threads as above, but in addition you will get alerts for every new message whether or not you follow the link in the alert/email (Hmmm this is where I get confused between the difference, because maybe it means you won't get alerts for new threads)

Can someone please explain, thanks

 

[Paul B]

New threads = new thread first post only

New messages = any post, including the first post of new threads

 

[Mr Lucky]

OK, so effectively (with Watch Forum new messages ticked) all threads in that forum behave as watched threads, even though they don't say so on the thread.

ie if I get notification and don't read the message, then there will be no more notifications of that thread.

But if I do read the message (on the forum) then I will continue to get notifications of that thread, as if I had clicked "Watch," until such time as I stop reading the messages that I am notified of.

 

[Mr Lucky]

OK, so effectively (with Watch Forum new messages ticked) all threads in that forum behave as watched threads, even though they don't say so on the thread.

ie if I get notification and don't read the message, then there will be no more notifications of that thread.

But if I do read the message (on the forum) then I will continue to get notifications of that thread, as if I had clicked "Watch," until such time as I stop reading the messages that I am notified of.

Sorry, I meant this as a question not just an assumption, can anyone tell me if what I am saying above is correct? Thanks

 

[Mike]

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

It’s also foolish in my opinion. We used the Forum Watch add-on in XF 1.x. When you watched a forum, you’d get email notices on ALL posts in a watched thread. My moderators could keep tabs on the forum without having to constantly visit.

Members would be encouraged to participate.

But with your alien logic requiring members to return to the forum to continue to receive notices, our participation has nosedived. I return to my forum finding messages I missed.

This is no good and needs to be fixed if nobody is going to update that add-on.

 

[Mr Lucky]

But with your alien logic requiring members to return to the forum to continue to receive notices, our participation has nosedived. I return to my forum finding messages I missed.

I can see why you'd call it alien Logic - but there is some logic to it. It is assumed if you don't go to the thread you have lost interest in it.

On one of my forums I don't have the post text in the notification in order to avoid people just reading the notification instead of the thread. These are old people some of whom have only just got the hang of emails. In this case if they want to be engaged in the discussion , even just reading it, they must go to the thread.

I tried doing this on another (mostly younger forum) and they went ballistic - they wanted the post quoted.

I would really like the option maybe to have an excerpt in the notification.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

The assumption is wrong in my experience. People need an incentive to visit a forum and participate. If they receive an email notice of something to which they want to reply, they will return.

People are busy and it’s clear that our members need to know when a relevant post appears. Otherwise they assume nothing has been posted and they are less apt to return.

At least give forum admins the option to send notices on ALL posts in a watched forum.

In my case, it’s an emergency. We need to restore the traffic we lost after moving to XF 2.x. XF’s alien logic doesn’t work for us.

 

[Mr Lucky]

In my case, it’s an emergency. We need to restore the traffic we lost after moving to XF 2.x. XF’s alien logic doesn’t work for us.

Persistent Alerts

This add-on enables you to keep alerting users of responses to threads regardless of the last time they viewed the thread. By default XenForo alerts users of a new reply to a thread they're watching only if they've viewed the thread since the...

xenforo.com

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Aha. Thanks.