Any way to change policy about visiting on each new post to stay subscribed?

[calexand]

Is there any way to change the requirement to visit a forum (thread) in order to keep getting notifications of new posts to it? I often am subscribed to something, and can read right in the email that someone has said something simple like that they are coming too, so really don't need to now go to the thread and reread that message there.

But I find I have to in order to hear about future updates, such as the setting of the final date and time of the event. I would love to be able to say "subscribe, and keep me subscribed even if I don't visit on every new post, since I have seen them in email already".

Perhaps this could be set as a site-wide preference, or settable by thread when you subscribe...

Chip

 

[NSX Prime]

I haven't really experienced that, but I don't use the subscription feature that way. Maybe someone else can share their experience.

I don't know of any configuration options to change the way subscriptions work, so I think the way it works is just how it is for this version of the software.

 

[calexand]

Is http://forums.mint.com/index.php built with the same software? It looks and behaves pretty similarly, so I think it might be. But on it, I can subscribe to threads, get quoted reply notifications similarly, and not have to keep visiting to get further notifications.

Chip

 

[steveny]

I know exactly what you are talking about and it also drives me nuts. If you get an email and read from the email instead of going to the thread you won't get further updates, but then if I go to the thread later I will get further update BUT everytime I use the new email as the way to get to the thread...it will open the thread at the original post that I choose not to read first. I don't know if this make sense or not?

As an example on the the stock market thread someone says "great" and that is their only reply. I won't go there to read great. Then someone posts again and I try to click through from the email, it brings me to the "great" post.

 

[NSX Prime]

As I said I don't use the thread subscription feature so I didn't even realize it was working that way. I intermittently subscribe to this forum (when I will have e-mail but don't plan to be browsing the site for a while, such as when on vacation) but not to individual threads.

I just double checked all the configuration options I could find related to subscriptions and do not see any setting that sounds even remotely relevant.

Yes, Chip, that mint.com forum uses the same vBulletin software, though a they are on a slightly more recent revision (3.8.4 versus the 3.8.3 I'm running). Version 3.8.4 was released August 11, 2009. If the feature only started working without needing people to re-visit the thread to continue receiving notifications on that site after August 11 then maybe it is version related. Otherwise I'm open to any input from other vBulletin administrators as to why it may work one way here and another way there.

 

[CDX_NSX]

I'm running 3.8.4 PL1. I don't use the subscription function either, so I can't say from experience how it's working, but a look at my function_newpost.php file does appear to retain the condition that requires the user to visit the thread before further notifications are sent. I think that this was meant to minimize load on the email server.

I'll test it on my forum to see how it works and will update here.

 

[calexand]

Thanks for the followup on this issues, guys. :smile:

 

[CDX_NSX]

A quick update:

It does appear as though vBulletin is setup to send one email notification of thread updates until after the user revisits the forum (not necessary to visit the thread).

Modification to the code is required in order to force it to send an email with every response. The software does not have a "switch" per se that can alter that function.

 

[NSX Prime]

A quick update:

It does appear as though vBulletin is setup to send one email notification of thread updates until after the user revisits the forum (not necessary to visit the thread).

Modification to the code is required in order to force it to send an email with every response. The software does not have a "switch" per se that can alter that function.

Ahh, thanks for the research! I am glad to know it is at least working properly even if not the way some people would prefer.

Just FYI (for everyone else - I'm sure CDX_NSX and other vB admins already know) --- vBulletin just released a major new version of the software (4.0). It is substantially different, and can also be purchased with an integrated content management system. I am sure we will end up on the new version at some point, but I need to figure out what will be involved and how to keep major add-ons working (iTrader, Photopost, wiki integration, etc.) which may mean waiting until some of those folks update their software to work with vB 4.0 as well.

 

[CDX_NSX]

No problem, Lud. I'm in the same boat as you with regard to the move to 4.0; gotta make sure that the plug-ins work.