# Clearer wording for "reply-by-email" function to avoid mishaps **URL:** \ **Category:** UX\ **Created:** [2017年二月16日 21:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501 "2017-02-16T21:11:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisBeach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chrisbeach/32/214628_2.png) [@ChrisBeach](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ChrisBeach)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月16日 21:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/1 "2017-02-16T21:11:39Z")
In the last few days, two separate members of my forum have commented at their shock when their reply to a notification email was posted publicly on the forum. To them, it wasn’t at all clear this would happen - they thought they were replying to the person who wrote the post (and whom the email was “from”) To make things clearer I changed the wording of notification emails ( **Admin \> Customise \> Text Content** \> `user_notifications.reply_by_email`) # Before ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/8/f/8f75e2f8cdbfbd5d21e3cd9459e89446f506ff83.png) # After ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/c/5/c5e99e8071fbd4a0b79a0ffb77581bf3e3e2d0bc.png) I think it might be worth considering a change to the defaults here. The affected members really weren’t happy about the situation. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月16日 21:28 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/2 "2017-02-16T21:28:43Z")
You can edit that copy for your site in Admin, Customize, Text. ---
**Author:** ![jomaxro](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jomaxro/32/126216_2.png) [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月16日 21:29 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/3 "2017-02-16T21:29:27Z")
He did: > [@ChrisBeach](#): > > To make things clearer I changed the wording of notification emails (Admin \> Customise \> Text Content \> user\_notifications.reply\_by\_email) He’s suggesting the default should be changed: > [@ChrisBeach](#): > > I think it might be worth considering a change to the defaults here. The affected members really weren’t happy about the situation. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月16日 21:30 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/4 "2017-02-16T21:30:23Z")
Oh, no, I don’t agree with that. Unless you have a private forum in the first place, but even then, people should have an idea when they created their account that the site is behind a login wall. ---
**Author:** ![fefrei](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/fefrei/32/119538_2.png) [@fefrei](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fefrei)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月17日 08:12 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/5 "2017-02-17T08:12:34Z")
Maybe a good compromise would be something like _reply to this email to post a reply_? ---
**Author:** ![scombs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/scombs/32/48616_2.png) [@scombs](https://meta.discourse.org/u/scombs)\ **Post date:** [2017年二月17日 10:09 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/6 "2017-02-17T10:09:15Z")
I have had the same issue with replies for private categories with hundreds of people. A user sent his resume to the group saying he was looking to leave his current job when he thought he was just replying to the last poster. I have had committes refuse to use private categories or PMs because they had no idea who was getting the responses. The default original email looks like it comes from the user with an image even. You have to check the email address to know that the message isnt a personal email. The email is not visible on mobile The subject line is some help. Consider the following > **View Topic** \* or reply to this email. Your response will be published to the group. I also add a footer with a link to **reply privately** and other items. A key reason was to highlight: **Yo! This is not an email.** > [@Customize email notification footer with links to reply privately and see user profiles](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-notification-footer-with-links-for-reply-privately-sender-profile-and-user-profile/50305): > > To help transition listserv and email users to the online forum, I added the following footer to the reply-by-email notification. I thought I would share. The email footer View Thread or reply to this email. Your response will be posted to the site and emailed to the group. Reply to sender privately about this topic. Visit sender’s profile for more info. Update your profile and set your email preferences. View Email Tips for help on posting by email. How to implement Admin → Customize →… The same issue is present for group PMs. A better footer would help. > [@Email Notification recipients unclear when PM is sent to multiple users](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-notification-recipients-unclear-when-pm-is-sent-to-multiple-users/26934/13): > > I would prefer just adding the recipients to the bottom of the email (just like the web view): and keeping the “reply by email” functions the same. You could add messsaging: “Replies to this message will include all recipients.” If people want to remove users from the reply, they can start a new email or private message. Seems simpler and more consistent with the web user experience. I like that Discourse starts with basic text that can be customized but I think there are some pitfalls out there for admins and users. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2017年十一月25日 04:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/7 "2017-11-25T04:37:03Z")
Yes, part of this is on the 2.0 release roadmap now, for PMs specifically. ---
**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:** [2017年十一月25日 10:15 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/8 "2017-11-25T10:15:10Z")
> [@scombs](#): > > A user sent his resume to the group saying he was looking to leave his current job when he thought he was just replying to the last poster Yes, this happens a lot (not quite as embarrassing as this one but still), despite having changed the footer the way you suggested. People just don’t see it. I think you have pinpointed the core of the issue here: > [@scombs](#): > > The default original email looks like it comes from the user with an image even. You have to check the email address to know that the message isnt a personal email. I wonder if it might help to have a site setting that allows admins to change the sender name from the poster (user)name to the name of the forum (perhaps "on behalf of poster) or something. That way it should be quite clear in any email client that a reply to that email will go to the forum. We’d not be loosing much because the posters name (and avatar!) is still included in the email body. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBeach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chrisbeach/32/214628_2.png) [@ChrisBeach](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ChrisBeach)\ **Post date:** [2017年十一月25日 10:48 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/9 "2017-11-25T10:48:19Z")
> [@tophee](#): > > I wonder if it might help to have a site setting that allows admins to change the sender name from the poster (user)name to the name of the forum (perhaps "on behalf of poster) or something I would definitely change the sender name to my forum as opposed to individual members. It’s very confusing for email recipients as it stands. ---
**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:** [2017年十一月25日 12:31 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/clearer-wording-for-reply-by-email-function-to-avoid-mishaps/57501/10 "2017-11-25T12:31:37Z")
As I think about this a bit more, another possibility could be to make it a user setting rather than a site setting and have it default to sender = forum name so that users only get sender = poster name if they deliberately enable it. But then again, who knows what new confusions might result from that…