follow a topic

[astroguy]

Hi-

I'd like to know how it is possible to follow the posts in a topic, *without* the need that it is necessarily a reply to my posts. Currently, if I reply a post (or post one topic), I receive the new post, but, assuming I do not give another post, I do not get the following from others.

It is strange since it is written at the top that I watch this forum!

Thanks

 

[reefrunner69]

OK if your watching the forum, you only receive an email when a new topic is posted, unless you subscribe to the topic itself. This can be done by replying to the topic, or by clicking the link at the bottom of the thread (left side on most styles) to "watch this topic for replies". From that point you will receive 1 email when the topic is replied to, until you actually come to the site and vist the specific topic in question, then you will receive another email whan there is another reply.

I hope that answers your question, if not, let me know and I'll try and answer it again.

 

[astroguy]

OK, that's the behaviour I know of. I find it a pity not to be able all posts in the topic after clicking on "watch this topic" if one does not go to the website. It essentially breaks the continuity of a discussion, since if I do not click to put myself another post, I will not see what the others will say after my own post. Just a pity.
I strongly suggest to modify the preference that if one "watches" the topic, one gets e-mail for *every* post in the topic.

 

[astroguy]

"... a pity not to be able to read all posts..."

 

[reefrunner69]

That is not an option. You will continue to receive emails, once you visit the topic. but the site will only email you once until you go visit the topic. I have over 9000 posts and I subscribe to alot of threads I don't reply to, my emails come in like clock work, but if I received and email for each and every reply to all the threads I'm subscribed to...my mailbox would contain a thousand emails per day. I like that it only emails you once until you visit (not reply again, just click the link and read the thread), then you get an email for the next reply to that thread.

 

[astroguy]

Apparently a matter of taste. Why don't you leave the option to either see the replies, or watch the whole topic. Understandably you are the administrator and thus receive thousands of posts. However *most* users on this site are *not* administrators and thus could be interested. I am member of another board with thus such option and I see not big difficulties, honestly.

 

[reefrunner69]

ause the software is not designed to give the option. It can't be done. I't's not a matter of unwillingness to do it, it's a matter of possibility.

 

[astroguy]

ah, ok, I misunderstood that, sorry.

 

[fishfreek]

Not sure if your really aware of the volume of messages we sent out already with the current functionality anyway. The system sends out a couple thousand e-mails a month as it is.

Not even the popular VBulliten software has this functionality or at least im not aware nor have ever seen it in use on any site I frequent.

After all we are first and formost a website forum vs an e-mail mailing list.

 

[fishfreek]

I am member of another board with thus such option and I see not big difficulties, honestly.

Whats the site please... Just curoius as I want to see what they are running and how large they are.

 

[astroguy]

Badman

 

[astroguy]

see, you posted two posts in a row. Had I not checked again, I would not have seen your question.

 

[fishfreek]

Badman

Excuse me?

Do you really want a couple hundred e-mails in your mailbox per day from us. Cause that is exactly what would happen.

 

[astroguy]

Badman

Excuse me?

Not you, the site http://badmanstropicalfish.com/

Do you really want a couple hundred e-mails in your mailbox per day from us. Cause that is exactly what would happen.

If I decide to watch a topic, why not? I'd like to receive each New Topic, but only receive future posts in this topic if I decide to "Watch this topic"

 

[fishfreek]

A quick search of all posts that have been made in the last 24 hours tuns up over 430 posts.

Now obvously you probably would not be watching every single forum. But some of us do. So lets say you only watch the FW forums as I see you post in the FW area. Lets say you get 1/3ed of the daily posts in those forums so that would still be over 100 messages a day just from this site about new posts.

We have bad enough problem with folks having e-mail accounts over their quota and bouncing messages back to us that if we made such a change we would end up with god knows how many more bounced messages due to over quota accounts, incorrect e-mail addresses, anoying spam filters asking to click some dumb link so e-mail can flow into the mailbox or even worse those really annoying away messages.

"Sally will be out of the office on vacation till Friday. If this is an emergency please e-mail such and such".

 

[fishfreek]

Thanks for the link. I had not heard of that site before therefor didnt know whom you was refering to.

A quick look at that site shows that its running the following software.

This discussion forum is an implementation of the Discus Pro discussion board program developed by DiscusWare, LLC.

We are not using that software so just like a different make and model car it has different features.

I also did a search of posts in the last 1 day over there and found.

Your search found 83 posts

So the total volume of posts is much greater making it much easier to acutally keep track of every single post.

 

[alrmc4]

i belong to an msn forum with that format and it is not good for me i am always getting max storage warnings in the mailbox i use for that forum so please if you are thinking of changing that give us the ability to opt out 8O

 

[astroguy]

OK, no problem. Btw, there was not a lot of posts on the other site yesterday. I usually have about >100 days within a night. But I have no problem if you do not want to change. I suggested, you declined! I acknowledge that you have specific reasons for that.

Btw, one other suggestion, and take it if you want. Currently, in the e-mail, the link to the topic is at the top. The suggestion I have is to add the link at the end of the post as well, e.g., above the "watch or unwatch this topic" link. The reason is simple: I first read the post, and if I would like to post, I have to go again up the e-mail to click. It would be nice if I could simply click the link after the post. I happen to forget every time and click on the "watch the topic" link. Call me lazy, probably I am!

Also one remark, although you may not be able to do anything against it: I use mozilla to read the e-mails. Unfortunately, due to the long subject of the AA e-mails, I cannot see the subject of the post.
Do you think that this is normal? Or maybe one could put the subject at the top of the e-mail too?

 

[astroguy]

i belong to an msn forum with that format and it is not good for me i am always getting max storage warnings in the mailbox i use for that forum so please if you are thinking of changing that give us the ability to opt out 8O

alrmc4: my suggestion being not followed, you will not face this problem. I agree that I tend to forget about usual e-mail users that have MSN (or other) e-mails and do not check their e-mails often.

 

[fishfreek]

Mozillia must truncate subject lines.

Ill make a few tweaks to the e-mail template and see how it goes. Hopefully we wont confuse to many people.

I dont want to point anyone out but the feature of having the text in the message (you have to admit thats awsome) is not a standard feature and alot of people are not used to it. And regretfully they hit the reply button on their e-mail account a bit to quick sometimes.