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Heads up - Improvements to watched threads coming

868 replies

BeccaMumsnet · 04/08/2015 12:52

Hullo everyone,

Just a heads-up: we wanted to let you know we've been working on some changes to improve the way our 'watched threads' option works, and we’re going to be releasing them today.

As you know, at the minute, if you want to receive an email notification when someone posts on a thread you yourself have posted on, you have to check the ‘watch this thread’ box when you post your message. From today, the box will be automatically checked.

Our thinking was that because, in the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, , it can be easy to miss replies to threads you’ve posted on, so it’d be useful to keep you updated as a matter of course.

Some crucial points:

  • Fear not: we absolutely won’t email every time someone posts after you have - and if you’re still looking at the thread, we won’t mail you at all.
  • You’ll only get ONE email after you’ve left the thread, to say it’s been updated.
  • If the idea of receiving any such emails makes you want to weep/tear out your hair/throw a toddler-style tantrum on the kitchen floor, DON’T PANIC: you can do a one-time-only opt out, by clicking on customise at the top of any thread, and unchecking ‘Auto-watch threads I start’ and/or ‘Auto-watch threads I post on’.
  • If you’d like to adopt a mix-and-match policy and be alerted to replies on some threads but not others, simply uncheck the auto-watch options in customise, and check the ‘watch this thread’ box underneath the message box on the thread you’re interested in.

Hope all of this makes sense, and sounds useful. Do shout if you've any questions (we know we can rely on you Wink)

Thank you all Flowers
MNHQ

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
usualsuspect333 · 04/08/2015 19:05

If you have posted on a thread why would you want to put it on your watch list? Confused

Sparklingbrook · 04/08/2015 19:02

I now hate Ferris Bueller too. Angry

FruSirkaOla · 04/08/2015 19:01

Angry Angry Angry

Colour highlighted posts were fine earlier on today - even after the damn fiddling started.

Now they've all blarsted disappeared. And the options have disappeared from Customise Angry

I'm fed up with this damn fiddling Angry

Nothing's been the same here since (original and Main) Tech left MN Angry

Sparklingbrook · 04/08/2015 18:50

.

Heads up - Improvements to watched threads coming
overthemill · 04/08/2015 18:48

All I care about is can you please keep the OP highlighted throughout the thread no matter what version you are using eg iPad app or desktop etc? And I want my posts highlighted too like they used to be. I don't care about being told if other people add stuff to a thread, if I'm interested I'd go back to look. And can you stop updating everything? I'm fed up with so called improvements- just make it work each and every time on each of the platforms

ShuShuFontana · 04/08/2015 18:39

oh so the adding all the threads you post on to your "watch list" is a helpful thing then, cos you know "threads I am on" was not?

ungrateful But I do still have my colours.

Sparklingbrook · 04/08/2015 18:37

my colours have now gone because I have turned off the watch thing in customise.

MrsDeVere · 04/08/2015 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GoooRooo · 04/08/2015 18:28

Cross post!

Poor new users, JessicaMumsnet. Wish I hadn't buggered around with anything now.

GoooRooo · 04/08/2015 18:27

I am so confused by this whole thing.

I'm not getting emails (good)

Colours have gone (v v bad)

Everything I've commented on is now appearing in Threads I'm Watching (bad) which I used to use just to follow interesting threads I wanted to read and not comment on. Do I now have to comment on everything just so I can keep a track on interesting stuff? There will be a lot of pointless posting going on if that happens Sad

RatOnnaStick · 04/08/2015 18:27

OK. Like Windows 10 vs 7 I'm sticking with the older version til the bugs are worked out.

JessicaMumsnet · 04/08/2015 18:27

Darkevilmoon - it shouldn't change your colours but we understand your reluctance! We'll keep you posted on updates from Tech.

GoooRooo - It is standard for new users and supposed not to have changed for existing users.

DarkEvilMoon · 04/08/2015 18:21

Darkevilmoon/Sparklingbrook you can also turn off the autowatch via customise

Not if I want to keep my colour options!

GoooRooo · 04/08/2015 18:13

Ack, the no colours for my posts and OPs' is so annoying. Please change it back? Pretty please? Even if you make it standard colours for everyone - green for OP and purple for your own posts or something.

addictedtosugar · 04/08/2015 18:08

Nnnnnoooooo please don't loose the colour options. OK, maybe me being able to have different colours for all my mates, but please, please please keep the possibility of a colour for the op, mnhq and myself. Or introduce tickers for us all so you can filter in some way or otherGrin

JessicaMumsnet · 04/08/2015 18:07

Hello,

Thanks for the updates and extra detail/screenshots, Tech will continue to look into any unwanted colour changing.

We do completely agree that the highlighting does make scanning threads easier and we didn't intend to force any colour changes for existing users so we'll investigate that more asap.

Part of our motivation for making this change is that it's very difficult for us to maintain lots of different options so we're trying to retire ones that are less well used - including multiple colour highlighting options and older styles.

On a separate note, you should only ever receive one email about a watched thread in your absence not every time someone posts and this can be opted out of completely if you don't want to hear from us.

Darkevilmoon/Sparklingbrook you can also turn off the autowatch via customise.

Thanks again all
Flowers

WorraLiberty · 04/08/2015 18:05

I'd leave it until it's sorted Rat

My pages look horrible and the only highlighted posts are from MNHQ Sad

RatOnnaStick · 04/08/2015 17:57

Ok. I don't want emails and I don't want my colours fucked up and I don't want every thread I post on in my Watching list. Isn't that what TIO is for?

So now I don't know whether to go and customise it or not Confused.

DarkEvilMoon · 04/08/2015 17:49

I don't want my colours to change, so if I don't update and opt out I can keep them?
Right I am just going to filter the emails using the identified as spam option instead. Might cause problems and highlight it as spammy sender if lots chose this route though...

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 04/08/2015 17:46

Actually all my colours have gone now.

I think you may need to change your thread title to remove the word "improvements" and replace with something like "we've buggered up all your settings. Sorry." but snappier.

HarlotOTara · 04/08/2015 17:44

My colours have gone too was pink for op and grey for me

ConcreteElephant · 04/08/2015 17:42

My colours are gone :-( OP is grey but only on the first post. MNHQ is blue and stays blue. But my posts (heather/ purple) are no longer highlighted...

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 04/08/2015 17:39

Ffs as well as getting annoying emails every time someone posts on a busy thread it's now buggered up my threads I'm on settings since I opted out. Instead of showing last 5 posts it's now showing all of them or something ridiculous Angry Angry

Why make it an opt out any way? Why not an opt in? I'd have thought if the auto opt in leads to lots of emails that would have some consequences regarding the data protection act? What with people not giving consent to the tides of spam emails.

Oh and some of the threads are now missing the highlighting but only the ones access via watch.

BertieBotts · 04/08/2015 17:35

OK it's not doing it on new threads. Must have been something to do with being on that thread earlier today.

As an aside, I have some really old threads in my watch list that I had no idea would stay there that long. See, now I've realised that, it seems as though it's a feature that I might actually use in the future. I never ever use watched threads normally. But I can't use it to keep a record of interesting threads I may want to refer back to if it keeps getting cluttered up with every thread I've ever made an offhand comment on.

BertieBotts · 04/08/2015 17:31

Have just checked the watch list and handwriting thread is on there. But since I posted on it earlier perhaps it added it then.

Will go test on a random thread, then I'm off for a bit.

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