Yesterday we pushed a change that tidied up the email subjects used for notifications. This change came from looking at how simpler email clients create threads of notification messages. However not everyone was happy with the new format.
Ed Johnson commented, "I'd like to see two categories of subject lines. One that combines posts and comments into one easily identifiable subject line and another that combines page creations and edits."
A good idea that we've already done. But the lesson here is that any significant change to Wikidot need to be measured twice and cut once. That is to say, discussed publicly before we start changing code.
On this blog I started, some months ago, a "designs section" for such discussions. Initially it was for new modules, other building blocks. We'll start using it more systematically for all important changes, so that our process becomes:
- We see demand for a certain major new feature or change
- We propose a design sketch ('we' usually being myself)
- We get feedback from the Community and use this to improve the design
- When comments have settled down, we move to implement the design
- The design becomes, ideally, the documentation for the new feature.
We've used this successfully in a few major new features. The advantages are clear: instead of fixing design problems in the product, deliver a close-to-perfect design first time.
May I suggest another little tweak to the email notifications, please?
Since our email clients can determine that the email is sent from moc.todikiw|gnihctaw#moc.todikiw|gnihctaw would it suffice to put [site] xxx in the subject, instead of [site.wikidot.com] xxx? This would allow more of the actual subject to be displayed.
Sue
Good idea, Sue. I won't repeat myself here, but for mostly selfish reasons, the change today still misses the mark by a wee bit (for me and my Blackberry).
-Ed
Community Admin
I think the recent change to notifications broke the email notifications on private messages. I don't get many PM's but I did not get an email notification for the last 2 sent to me (one yesterday around 14:00 GMT and one today about an hour ago).
-Ed
Community Admin
If you are online and get a popup while working on a site… I don't think it's sent as an email…?
I could be wrong on that, of course.
~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
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Highly unlikely, we just changed existing texts. It's as Shane says, when you see the notification on your screen, you don't get the email.
Portfolio
OK, that makes sense. Like I said, I don't receive a lot of PMs and have never noticed the lack of email notifications when I get the pop-up one. I guess I was over-sensitive since I was paying so much attention to email notifications the last couple of days.
-Ed
Community Admin