# Better terms for watching (and tracking?)

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-terms-for-watching-and-tracking/61038
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [15 Abril, 2017 17:17 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-terms-for-watching-and-tracking/61038 "2017-04-15T17:17:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 21

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### Author: ![tophee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/tophee/32/73406_2.png) [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [17 Abril, 2017 21:57 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-terms-for-watching-and-tracking/61038/21 "2017-04-17T21:57:01Z")

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> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> mute → ZERO notifications, off  
> normal → the default  
> track → “more” notifications  
> watch → MAXIMUM notifications

Looks simple, but the problem is that it’s not clear what counts as a notification:

> [@Actual difference between "tracked" and "watching first post"](https://meta.discourse.org/t/actual-difference-between-tracked-and-watching-first-post/61036/19):
>
> It says what tracking means right there  
> A count of new posts will appear next to the topic.
> 
> So the new post count counts as a notification? Because at the end of a tracked topic it also says

If everything is a notification, then your formula is just hiding the complexity under the term “notification”. If new post counts are not notifications then your formula is missing part of what watching/tracking is about.

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