The Movie Database Support
Support → General
Alert symbol and notification
posted by write2topcatSTAFFMOD on Februari 8, 2020 at 6:46 PM
Travis
I notice sometimes that the little red symbol on the left hand column doesn't appear even though someone has posted in the discussion. I only see their post after I post something else. Not sure what the issue is on that. I frequently watch the same shows as a friend over in Wales and we discuss them back and forth. I didn't know if there might be a delay going through some overseas server or if there is some other bug or something. Do you know why there would be a delay, or why I sometimes don't see the red symbol?
Also, I wanted to see if something would be possible. When I have several browser tabs open, I can see at a glance looking at the email tab when there are unread emails there. I wondered if you could easily include that feature on this site so that when someone comments on a discussion I am in, I can see it by glancing at the tab. So when I am working on another site I can get a quick visual notice that a new post is up.
Thanks.
Reply by PT 100
on Februari 9, 2020 at 7:09 PM
I'm not sure there's a problem. Note that you will receive an alert for the FIRST reply to your post, but not for later replies. Are you sure that's not what's happening?
Reply by Banana
on Februari 9, 2020 at 8:37 PM
I'm not paying very close attention to how the notifications system works, but I've been caught off guard by "unnotified replies" a couple of times. If I'm responding to a discussion and there's a new reply on the same discussion (from any user) should I be notified ASAP? Or, if I end up leaving the discussion without seeing the new replies (refreshing the page), will I be notified at all?
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 9, 2020 at 8:45 PM
No, I receive alerts to all replies in the discussion, not just the first one. But I don't always receive the alerts. I am not sure why that is.
Also, I trade comments with a friend from Wales frequently, and sometimes it seems her comments are late showing up over here, not always, but sometimes. I don't know about how that all works, the transmission between here and Europe. Maybe there are delays sometimes. I have tried refreshing the page and sometimes that works.
I like the site fine and have been a user since the beginning right after IMDB shut down.
Reply by genplant29
on Februari 9, 2020 at 8:47 PM
@write2topcat, I'm pretty sure that what you've experienced (since it definitely does happen) is that if you're composing a lengthy comment, the red bell, that indicates someone has added a new comment to the same discussion thread as you're typing on, won't turn red til first you finish typing and posting what you've been writing. I gather that means that the other person (or persons) didn't begin typing their new comment(s) until subsequent to when you clicked on Reply and began typing your comment.
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 10, 2020 at 12:23 AM
Maybe that's it
Reply by PT 100
on Februari 15, 2020 at 4:52 PM
I'm not sure we're talking about the same "first" thing. E.g., today I got a single notification of a new post in an old thread. It notified me only about the first of three new posts that occurred today.
Reply by genplant29
on Februari 15, 2020 at 5:11 PM
PT, if you're referring to the WoZ thread, I received 3 individual notification e-mails, one for each new response that was added to it today. If I'm not mistaken, you mentioned in the past that you Watch threads, but don't Subscribe to them. If you Subscribe to a thread, a separate notification e-mail will arrive for each new comment that gets added.
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 15, 2020 at 6:50 PM
I had two alerts just now, one for your post and another for a post in a different discussion. But I notice there is another comment after yours, and there is no alert for that one. So I guess that is what you're talking about.
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 15, 2020 at 6:51 PM
OK, that is how you get separate alerts for each comment in a discussion. But I don't know how to subscribe to a discussion. I just comment and then when someone else comments, I get the alert; usually.
Reply by genplant29
on Februari 15, 2020 at 7:27 PM
Hi, write2.
It sounds like your TMDb account isn't set to automatically subscribe you to threads you create or reply to. It's easy to adjust your setting. Do the following steps:
Click on your avatar and select Settings from the drop-down list that will appear. On the page that then will open, select Notification Settings (which you'll find in the left-side column). Make sure, on the screen that then will open, that the following two items have a check mark added in front of them:
Email me about new replies for threads that I am watching? [this subscribes you]
Automatically watch threads I create or reply to?
You'll be all set.
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 15, 2020 at 7:30 PM
hey genplant, yes I have those checked already. Thanks though.
Reply by genplant29
on Februari 15, 2020 at 7:45 PM
write2, for this thread, in the left-side column, do you see the word "Unsubscribe" appearing immediately below the (in bolder white) words "Email Notifications"? Any thread you see the Unsubscribe option on, it means you're currently subscribed to that thread.
Reply by write2topcat
on Februari 15, 2020 at 8:06 PM
OK, I see Unsubscribe there. I had to scroll down to see it but it is there. So I guess I am automatically subscribed.
Reply by PT 100
on Februari 15, 2020 at 11:54 PM
Yes, there is a difference between subscribing and watching. I got so tired of getting endless notifications, so now I only watch, not subscribe. That way I will get a notification of the first new post after I was last there, and I can read it, and any that follow, while I'm there, but I need to clear only one notification, not more. It just saves me extra, unnecessary work.