# Get notified of new topics, but not posts **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature\ **Created:** [2014年二月18日 15:18 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809 "2014-02-18T15:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sander78](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sander78/32/296615_2.png) [@Sander78](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sander78)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月18日 15:18 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/1 "2014-02-18T15:18:52Z")
People on my forum would like to get a mail when a new topic is made in a category. Then they can decide if they want to have a look. They don’t need notifications for _every_ new post in those topics (as is possible now). The digest doesn’t work for them, as it’s only sent once a day at minimum. ---
**Author:** ![eviltrout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/eviltrout/32/5275_2.png) [@eviltrout](https://meta.discourse.org/u/eviltrout)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月18日 15:19 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/2 "2014-02-18T15:19:34Z")
Is the digest too slow for this? They can ask for it daily in their settings. ---
**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:** [2014年二月18日 18:31 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/3 "2014-02-18T18:31:29Z")
For a specific category or all categories? ---
**Author:** ![mcwumbly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mcwumbly/32/103861_2.png) [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月18日 19:21 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/4 "2014-02-18T19:21:09Z")
I can see why this would be useful for forums being used to provide customer support. For instance, it can be useful to have more people see the initial description of the problem or request for help since its not obvious who will be best able to answer the question. People with something to contribute to the conversation can then pop on the site and add their thoughts. If they don’t participate they do not get more email notifications. If they do participate, then they do. If so, it’d be better if it could be enabled/disabled for specific categories. To really do what I’m talking about though, you’d also need a setting like “Automatically Watch Topics I Have Replied To” ---
**Author:** ![MaSe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mase/32/105393_2.png) [@MaSe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MaSe)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 13:33 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/5 "2014-02-19T13:33:16Z")
This is also useful for big forums with many new topics created daily as some people would like to track new discussions specifically not only updates to already existing ones. ---
**Author:** ![5an1ty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f14d63/32.png) [@5an1ty](https://meta.discourse.org/u/5an1ty)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 15:03 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/6 "2014-02-19T15:03:09Z")
I’m not sure, but a feature like this could easily become a nuisance for forum users. ---
**Author:** ![Sander78](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sander78/32/296615_2.png) [@Sander78](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sander78)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 16:16 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/7 "2014-02-19T16:16:03Z")
> [@eviltrout](#): > > Is the digest too slow for this? They can ask for it daily in their settings. Yes, the digest is too slow, as some topics need a reply within 24 hours. > [@codinghorror](#): > > For a specific category or all categories? A specific one. Just as the current option to _watch_ a topic, but without the replies. > [@MaSe](#): > > This is also useful for big forums with many new topics created daily as some people would like to track new discussions specifically not only updates to already existing ones. Exactly. I tried to _watch_ a category of Meta here and immediately got ‘spammed’ with all the replies on the new topics, while just the new topics would have been enough. It’s unusable even. > [@5an1ty](#): > > I’m not sure, but a feature like this could easily become a nuisance for forum users. Could you explain why you think it would become a nuisance? ---
**Author:** ![5an1ty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f14d63/32.png) [@5an1ty](https://meta.discourse.org/u/5an1ty)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 16:18 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/8 "2014-02-19T16:18:35Z")
> [@Sander78](#): > > Could you explain why you think it would become a nuisance? Because at the speed you would like to get notified, E-mail traffic would soon become very straining on the user and the mail server. I personally would not like to get an e-mail every 5 minutes telling me there is a new topic. ---
**Author:** ![Sander78](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sander78/32/296615_2.png) [@Sander78](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sander78)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 16:20 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/9 "2014-02-19T16:20:28Z")
Well, the option to watch a whole category (that is an option already) is even worse then: it not only mails every topic but also its replies. Besides, mailservers like Mandrill won’t even blink with these amounts. So mailservers shouldn’t be the culprit. > [@5an1ty](#): > > I personally would not like to get an e-mail every 5 minutes telling me there is a new topic. Neither would I, unless I specifically subscribe to a category. It’s the same as it is now with the watch option, just without the replies. ---
**Author:** ![5an1ty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f14d63/32.png) [@5an1ty](https://meta.discourse.org/u/5an1ty)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 16:25 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/10 "2014-02-19T16:25:34Z")
> [@Sander78](#): > > Neither would I, unless I specifically subscribe to a category. It’s the same as it is now with the watch option, just without the replies. Oh I didn’t even know that feature existed, yes I guess it’s fine when it’s optional on a per user basis. ---
**Author:** ![mcwumbly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mcwumbly/32/103861_2.png) [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 16:59 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/11 "2014-02-19T16:59:16Z")
> [@Sander78](#): > > Exactly. I tried to watch a category of Meta here and immediately got ‘spammed’ with all the replies on the new topics, while just the new topics would have been enough. It’s unusable even. I wonder if the existing option should just be changed to what you’re suggesting here. Does anyone use the current feature as implemented? ---
**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:** [2014年二月19日 22:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/12 "2014-02-19T22:37:58Z")
I think the better solution here is to let people opt into digests that are sent every 4 hours, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 23:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/13 "2014-02-19T23:00:49Z")
one pain point there is that you can not reply to digest. ---
**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:** [2014年二月19日 23:01 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/14 "2014-02-19T23:01:17Z")
I don’t know if you should reply to a topic, either, without seeing the other replies that may exist in the topic first.. ---
**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月19日 23:02 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/15 "2014-02-19T23:02:23Z")
True, good point, and they already have full mailing list support if they want that. ---
**Author:** ![Sander78](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sander78/32/296615_2.png) [@Sander78](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sander78)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月20日 08:14 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/16 "2014-02-20T08:14:12Z")
A more frequent digest could work as well I think. Although I still would rather get an immediate notification. We use our forum for client requests and then one of the team will pick it up. Before it’s picked up it will be discussed. Not everyone in the team is interested in every request. So they don’t need to know about the replies. But if they are interested, they should respond quickly, don’t want to keep the client waiting. I agree you should not reply to a topic before you see the replies, but like I said: for Meta the _watch category_ option is completely useless now. Way too many mails. > [@sam](#): > > True, good point, and they already have full mailing list support if they want that. One of the things I dislike about mailinglists is you either have a digest - which is slow - or you get _every_ single mail. Nothing in the middle. If Discourse is taking over the mailinglist concept, wouldn’t it be nice to make it ready for the next ten years as well? ---
**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月20日 11:30 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/17 "2014-02-20T11:30:13Z")
I am open to adding a site setting here to enable the feature. Our main objection here is about giving users too much choice and paralyzing them ---
**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:** [2014年二月20日 19:34 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/18 "2014-02-20T19:34:20Z")
Much easier to just add another range for digests to be sent: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/2X/d/dc86e32e350eb3f5affef84f9cc3602e2556b550.png) e.g. “every 4 hours” ---
**Author:** ![mcwumbly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mcwumbly/32/103861_2.png) [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月20日 20:03 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/19 "2014-02-20T20:03:56Z")
For the use case I’m considering, that doesn’t help too much. I want people to be notified almost immediately of new topics (aka ‘tickets’). And I would need to be able to limit it to specific categories. What about the idea of changing the definition of what it means to be ‘watching’ a category? Does anyone use it the way its currently implemented? ---
**Author:** ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)\ **Post date:** [2014年二月20日 21:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809/20 "2014-02-20T21:00:00Z")
I use it as currently implemented I understand this new use case, but its a new couple of options. [下一頁](https://meta.discourse.org/t/get-notified-of-new-topics-but-not-posts/12809.md?page=2)