VetSurgeon new feature: notifications

RE: VetSurgeon new feature: notifications

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:24:35 GMT

Let's give this a little trial before I make any decisions, but my first reaction is that this is a better way of being notified of new content, but it needs some polishing.

First things first, there are now three types of notification:

a) Email .. which is not ideal for forum regulars / busy threads where you get an email each time someone posts.

b) Live alert - the bell at the top of the page. That works for me. Not intrusive. Quick at a glance idea of what's going on.

c) NEW push notifications - which work through your computer / android operating system and push the same live alert as in b) to appear on your device screen briefly. But the difference is that you don't have to be on the website to see a push alert.

My suggestion for the best setup is as follows:

Visit: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/user/settings and click the notifications tab.

I would suggest that you can untick all the email ones except 'Posts are added to blogs I'm subscribed to' (unless you want to subscribe to the news by email).

Then keep live alerts and push alerts for the others (there are quite a few unused ones there, such as a calendar we do not use currently).

Then, when you create a forum post, make sure you subscribe to the thread, because now you will get reasonably transient alerts, and not emails for posts.

At the moment, you subscribe to forum threads using the 'turn notifications on' link at the top of the right margin. But I am getting the developers to integrated it within the reply box.

Also the default when you reply is to be UNSUBSCRIBEd because the system was sending too many emails. So to activate the notifications currently, you need to reply. Refresh the page, then resubscribe. We'll get that fixed shortly.

RE: VetSurgeon new feature: notifications

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 13:05:27 GMT

Incidentally, this works on desktop computers and android devices. It does not work on Apple mobile devices, because Apple is restrictive.

I'd be really interested to see whether those of you on desktop devices or android mobile devices like this new feature. If you do, there may be a case for creating an apple app.

RE: VetSurgeon new feature: notifications

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 13:00:20 GMT

I think I've cracked it. Now, when you visit the site, you should see this appear on your screen:

Press allow and you will get system notifications. In your account settings, you can specify more precisely what you get notified about (eg replies to your forum threads)

And the clever thing is that it is does this regardless of whether you are on the site or not.

Described as 'experimental' by developers at this stage, but it looks to me like it works OK.

Also, that pop up box, please DO 'Allow', you can always cancel it later if you don't like it. But if this works, it could be a really nice addition.

RE: VetSurgeon new feature: notifications

An On MRCVS — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:47:52 GMT

don't worry, just indulging my schizophrenic tendencies and talking to myself (to see whether I get a notification).