Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

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FrankSMS
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Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by FrankSMS »

How often have we opened our browser to read the message we got notified about via email only to find it was wasn't helpful? What most forums do is either show the whole message or a few lines of the message posted to the forum in the email notification. This way unhelpful messages can be avoided. Is this possible with this forum somehow? Can we control what is sent?
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Grumpus
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by Grumpus »

Probably help to ask moving this to the Mozillazine Site Discussion forum since it's a site related question.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by DanRaisch »

Grumpus wrote:Probably help to ask moving this to the Mozillazine Site Discussion forum since it's a site related question.
Done.
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makaiguy
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by makaiguy »

I don't know how it is here, but on an old vBulletin installation I used to work on the notification emails were sent from the board admin address. By default the notifications included the text of the new posts. All too often the recipients would try to reply to the new POST by entering a reply to the EMAIL, which of course was emailed to the admin address and not posted to the forum. And this was despite prominent boilerplate text at the top of the notification emails telling them NOT to reply to the email but to enter any reply to the board. We then had to email them back, telling them their reply did not go where they intended and that they'd need to return to the board and post their reply there.

After putting up with this for far too long, we finally reconfigured the notifications to just inform that there were new posts but not include the text of the posts. And even that didn't eliminate the problem completely. There actually were a few cases where the recipient read the notification of the new post, went to the board to read it, and still returned to the email and entered their reply there.
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FrankSMS
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by FrankSMS »

Just have a "There is no reply from this email address" sent back to them with instructions on what went wrong and how to reply back to a post through the website. Simple. That's what most sites do.

Seeing the message in your email is a very logical feature. Having to open your browser, sign in, read the message....what a waste of time.
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DanRaisch
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by DanRaisch »

Seeing the message in your email is a very logical feature. Having to open your browser, sign in, read the message....what a waste of time.
I'd see receiving the text in the email notice of reply as a waste of time. For one thing, you're assuming that there has been just one reply to the thread regarding which one is notified. Suppose there have been several since your last visit to the topic. How much more difficult to follow the thread via separate emails compared to using the browser and being able to read the successive posts. Also, in those cases where the reply would call for a response, you'd still have to use a browser to compose and post that reply.
FrankSMS
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by FrankSMS »

> For one thing, you're assuming that there has been just one reply to the thread regarding which one is notified.

I get an email for each reply there is in anything I'm subscribed to I think. I know that some forums post just one notification but I think Mozillazine sends a notification for each reply on a subscribed thread.

> in those cases where the reply would call for a response, you'd still have to use a browser to compose and post that reply.

Well obviously, of course. But realize that most of us only reply to a few of the responses. So the less you click, click, click, the better.

My point stands. It should at least be an option. This is a forum convention. Message clips are sent because it saves time and increases efficiency. Some of us follow many, many threads. Imagine clicking for thousands of messages a day. Imagine what a waste of time that would be if most are not relevant to you!

Personally I find forums the best unbiased source of info we have online. They are invaluable for learning. Very few people realize this or use ever use them. But once they do their capabilities are obvious. Especially after being lied to all day long through slimy advertisers and others pushing garbage for us to acquire.

Another thing: Companies that offer forums on their own products and services are respected much more by their existing and prospective customers because they are opening themselves up to a lot of criticism for the purpose of improving their products. Its very courageous and admirable.
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James
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by James »

I agree with makaiguy that it is much better for people to just get pointed to the thread when it has new replies(s) vs making less experienced people think they can reply to the thread by responding to the automated email.

Mozilla with their own support.mozilla.org forum does have the reply in the email for any individual threads or threads in sections you are subscribed to. Not a fan of that.

I encounter less experienced forum users at sumo much more often compared to here. Many think the threads are instant chat or direct contact with Mozilla. I have seen many times over the years where these sort of users stated along lines of "I responded to the email sent but got no response so I came back to reply here (thread)".
FrankSMS
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Re: Email notifications: Can we get the whole post?

Post by FrankSMS »

> "I responded to the email sent but got no response so I came back to rely here (thread)"

Unbelievable. Do they live in a cave? Still in the 1990's? Bizarre.
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