'Notify me upon replies by default' set to YES by default?

therainbowrepublic · Post by **therainbowrepublic** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:27 am

Oyabun1 wrote:
therainbowrepublic wrote:You have the option of not receiving emails on subscribed topics. I believe thats what the notify_user colum in the topics_watch table is for.
No. In phpBB users are only notified of the first unread post since their last visit to the topic, that field is to track that.

In phpBB the sole purpose of subscribing to a topic or forum is to be notified of other posts, therefore, setting the "Notify me upon replies by default" option achieves the same thing, for those topics, as automatically subscribing a user to a topic they have posted in.

There is no option to subscribe to a topic but not receive notifications. However, to make note of a topic, but not receive notification of new posts you bookmark it, you don't subscribe to it.

Also, the topic icon indicates whether you have posted in a topic whether you have bookmarked or subscribed to it or not, so you don't need to make a separate listing to achieve that.

Oui, I understand now. Thank you!

therainbowrepublic · Post by **therainbowrepublic** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:37 am

Ok, summary for anyone else with this problem:

I was wrong, "Notify me on replies" does in fact subscribe you to topics, but only on NEW posts. If you want this to be default behavior, you must change it in functions.php. To change the default setting for all existing users, you must run a query. To subscribe existing users to past topics, run Pony99CA's query.

In my defense, "Notify me on new replies", "subscribe", and "watch" should probably have a common terminology if they all mean the same thing! It's confusing to me, and my users. I'm going to update the language file to "Automatically subscribe me to topics I post on".

Thanks guys for explaining and not being mean lol

Edit: the email notifications on subscribed topics are a problem. Is there a way to turn that off? No one seems to believe me when I say that many forums subscribe members to topics they post in, but they don't send emails. I swear, it's the truth. =/

Edit: Smh. Every time I Google about this issue, I see people asking the same question, but getting shut down with the same response that "the only reason to subscribe is to receive emails". Clearly, it is not the only reason, if people keep asking how to subscribe without the emails. And I know that there are even more people than the ones that made threads on phpbb.com, because I was one of them, googling for an answer, until I saw Pony99CA's post and registered to reply on this thread.

Oyabun1 · Post by **Oyabun1** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 11:59 am

therainbowrepublic wrote:Edit: the email notifications on subscribed topics are a problem. Is there a way to turn that off?

Oyabun1 wrote:There is no option to subscribe to a topic but not receive notifications. However, to make note of a topic, but not receive notification of new posts you bookmark it, you don't subscribe to it.

therainbowrepublic · Post by **therainbowrepublic** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:22 pm

Oyabun1 wrote:
therainbowrepublic wrote:Edit: the email notifications on subscribed topics are a problem. Is there a way to turn that off?
Oyabun1 wrote:There is no option to subscribe to a topic but not receive notifications. However, to make note of a topic, but not receive notification of new posts you bookmark it, you don't subscribe to it.

I have to say, it doesn't make sense to duplicate subscriptions snd create an entirely new feature just to subscribe without email notifications. A simple setting to disable emails would be more useful. =/ In my opinion, of course.

I'm still looking for a way to disable email notifications while keeping users subscribed, because many of my users have low-speed network, and rely on Tapatalk, which uses phpbb's subscriptions.

Before you say it's a Tapatalk issue, you just admitted that users need to track topics without receiving emails or there wouldn't be a "bookmark" feature.

Edit:

I've taken my hunt to the MOD REQUEST forum: http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... #p13751081

Pony99CA · Post by **Pony99CA** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:33 am

therainbowrepublic wrote:I have to say, it doesn't make sense to duplicate subscriptions snd create an entirely new feature just to subscribe without email notifications. A simple setting to disable emails would be more useful. =/ In my opinion, of course.

As I said, phpBB 3.1 will have the option to only get notifications in the notification area (go to Area 51 to see how that works).

I still fail to understand what the point of subscribing to a topic would be if you don't want to be notified about new posts. By definition a subscription sends you things (like a magazine every month or a newspaper every day). As Oyabun said, if you want to track topics without notifications, you can bookmark them. If you want to track all topics that you've posted to, use the View your posts link.

therainbowrepublic wrote: I'm still looking for a way to disable email notifications while keeping users subscribed, because many of my users have low-speed network, and rely on Tapatalk, which uses phpbb's subscriptions.

Now you've finally explained the real issue -- you're using Tapatalk. Why didn't you mention that in the first place.

So how exactly does Tapatalk "use" phpBB subscriptions? What feature does it provide using that information? If you can explain that, maybe we can help more.

UPDATE: I just read the Disable Subscription Emails topic (which is locked for some reason and your post doesn't appear there). It appears that Tapatalk uses phpBB subscriptions to enable "push notifications" (for example, on an Android device, maybe it displays an icon in the notification area that you have a reply).

At least it makes some sense now why you want the E-mail turned off, but see below....

therainbowrepublic wrote:Before you say it's a Tapatalk issue, you just admitted that users need to track topics without receiving emails or there wouldn't be a "bookmark" feature.

Don't try to engage in that sophistry here.

Bookmarks and Subscriptions are different functions, and that doesn't imply that your "problem" is not a Tapatalk issue. Nobody not using Tapatalk (apparently) has asked to subscribe to a topic without notifications (as far as I'm aware, at least).

It sounds like Tapatalk could be doing things "wrong" for phpBB. If Tapatalk piggybacks on phpBB subscriptions, that's a Tapatalk issue. If Tapatalk modifies phpBB code, then Tapatalk could check to see if the user is using Tapatalk and only send notifications if the user isn't. Or Tapatalk could add a feature to the UCP that allowed choosing E-mail, Jabber and/or Tapatalk push notifications and the user could select any combination that he wanted.

Or, if your users don't want notification E-mails, they could simply change their phpBB E-mail address to an E-mail account that's not linked to their mobile device. That doesn't require any phpBB or Tapatalk changes at all.

Steve

mynamebw · Post by **mynamebw** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:02 am

First, yes, obviously, "Notify me when a reply is posted" should always be set to ON by DEFAULT. That's the only sensible way any discussion forum should work. When posting to a thread, of course, you should be notified by email.... by default..... unless you un-check that box.

It makes no sense to try to have a dialog with people who are never notified of responses..... and thus post only once and never return again.... What a silly waste of time a discussion forum would be.... if participants are not notified of replies.... :-/

Now, it's been nearly 2 years since the last post on this thread. My question: I just installed the latest version of phpbb. Is this code alteration still the best way to alter the default setting for all new users.... even on the newest version of phpBB 3.1 ......?

Or is there an even simpler Mod or Extension that does it by now?

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 4:09 pm

well your opinion about how a web based bulletin board/discussion board should work seems to be in the minority.

in many( if not most ) places around the world, opt in is preferred rather than opt out. opt out means that you get emails that you did not specifically request and that is considered spam by most and illegal in many places.

the whole point of a web based bulletin board is to visit the website to post and read the replies.

why would anyone post to a board and then sit and wait for an email to let them know when someone replied?

that seems a little crazy to me.

if you make a post to a board somewhere then you should expect to have to visit again to see if anyone found your post interesting enough to reply. then you can reply, etc. etc.
all from the website , not via email. email discussions were pretty much replaced by web based discussions many years ago.

luck,
robert

mynamebw · Post by **mynamebw** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:08 pm

We're not talking about any sort of "email discussions". We're talking about *notifications*. There is no sensible reason NOT to get notified when someone replies to you.

Does your email program, or SMS app, notify you as soon as a new reply comes in? Or do you have to manually go there and check it every day..... or every hour..... or every minute. That's ridiculous.

Also, there is an enormous blue checkmark there as I am posting any message.... which tells me that I will be notified as soon as a reply is posted. Obviously, I can chose to leave it checked.... or un-check it.

This is how everything on the web works, by default.... ( except pbpBB, of course ).

Yes, if I only visited one forum every day.... then it might be acceptable... if not ideal.... to have to check the site every day. But even that would limit the interaction flow to.... *one* per *day*.

However, in today's world, it is much more typical that users are a member of hundreds and hundreds of forums on the internet..... and they often will only post one single question on one particular forum. If they don't specifically make a point to go back and keep checking that forum for replies.... then they will never even see the reply.... which is a ridiculous waste. We have the technology to *notify* people when they receive a new message. It's insane not to use it.

Also, a *requested* notification of a new message to you.... from a site that you signed up for... is not considered "spam" by anyone's definition..... anywhere.

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:00 pm

correct, requesting to be notified is not considered spam. however, getting any kind of email that you did not specifically request is. that is why most things that send you emails are set to opt in, not opt out.

do some research.

we are talking about email , not notifications.

on your "smart" phone device , you get a notification, not an email.

in phpbb 3.1 there is a notification system. it allows you to opt in to get notifications , you can choose board notifications or email or both.

in phpbb 3.0 there was no notification system other than email and therefore to keep from spamming people, the board did not send emails that were not requested.

when you subscribe to a topic/forum that is your request to get notified of replies to the topic, not to your post, but to the topic/forum. sometimes , that will be to your post of course.

none of this is to say that you can't do whatever you want with your board. do the edit to make it default if that is what you wish.
request an extension for 3.1 to do it , if that is what you wish.

I have just been trying to explain the reasoning behind the choice of phpbb ( and probably most other web based programs) to not make opt out the default.
luck,
robert

mynamebw · Post by **mynamebw** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:11 pm

I respectfully disagree with pretty much everything you just said. All of the *largest* most successful web properties ( think Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Apple, Instagram, you name it )..... where they have any sort of a discussion group, or a social network, they all send Notifications via email By Default. They are opt out. That probably has a lot to do with their success and their popularity.

When a new user Registers on a phpBB forum.... he immediately receives a verification email. That is an email he didn't explicitly request. So that's spam already.

In any case, if many users and administrators *want* this default to be ON.... as many obviously do..... then it should be a simple On/Off setting in the ACP... so the admin could set it to ON ( for all new users to have their default notify by email set to ON by default. )

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:34 pm

well, there ya go. we can agree to disagree.

however, the bottom line is that phpbb does not and probably will not ( my guess ) do it this way.

therefore, your choice ( and any other's choice ) is to do the code edits manually and/or request an extension for the 3.1 verson since there are no more MOD requests being accepted for 3.0.

luck,
robert

mynamebw · Post by **mynamebw** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 2:36 am

I see that Sitesplat is developing a new extensible extension for 3.1 which will include this feature. It will be called BBtools Extension. It will include this mod and many other very popular mods..... all optional.... all within one extension. See http://www.sitesplat.com/phpBB3/viewtop ... 9795#p9795

I'll be on him to release it soon.... if I have to pay him to do it.

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