In a bug discussion titled “Send me an email when someone messages me”, Flominator questions whether the notification setting labeled “never” disables all emails—including replies to watched topics—and whether the phrasing “someone messages me” is misleading, since it actually refers only to private messages. cocococosti clarifies that “messages” means private messages, while “topic” refers to public interactions, and suggests customizing the text via the admin panel. Flominator follows up, asking if the “topic” setting also covers watched categories even without direct mentions, which Jonathan5 confirms and proposes clearer wording. JammyDodger suggests simplifying the options to “Email me when I receive notifications” and “Email me only when someone messages me”, but Jonathan5 notes that this would require emailing for “like” notifications, which may not be popular. JammyDodger explores notification types via Data Explorer, identifying 30 types, while Jonathan5 explains they’re grouped into categories like Responses, Likes, Mentions, and Edits—most of which don’t trigger emails. JammyDodger confirms wiki edits trigger notifications but not emails. Jonathan5 humorously notes the complexity of mapping notification preferences to email outcomes. mattdm links to a prior discussion on confusing wording, and Eve1563 expresses confusion over the purpose of emailing at all.
as far as I got it, the “never” option behind this line in client.en.yml deactivates all email notifications, also new posts and replies from subscribed categories.
The other one, “Send me an email when someone quotes me, replies to my post, mentions my @username, or invites me to a topic”, can deactivate also everything that is explicitly directed to me.
Is that correct?
If yes, the first one I think could have a more explicit text. “someone messages me” implies that the message was explicitly directed to me, like the ones from the second option, where in fact it means “do not send anything except personal messages”. Is there any chance to changing this text or using a new one (which is probably easier for the translation process)?
I see how it could be confusing, although there is a distinction:
“Send me an email when someone quotes me, replies to my post, mentions my @username, or invites me to a topic”
It says topic, while in:
“Send me an email when someone messages me”
It says message. In Discourse, message implies private message, while a topic is shared with a wider audience.
I’m not sure if this is something we could change in Discourse at the moment, as it would require updating all the translations, and I don’t think many users have had an issue. But something you could do in your community is changing that text in the customize section of your admin page. You’ll have to consider how translations will be affected, though.
Yes, as far as I am aware it applies to watched things (categories, tags and topics) as well as the things listed in the official sentence. Here is a potential wording:
Send me an email when someone quotes me, replies to my post, mentions my @username, or invites me to a topic, and also regarding categories, tags and topics I’m watching.
I’m not 100% sure but I think “Edits” applies to admin edits of your own normal posts, and any edits of wiki posts, and neither notification get emailed. I think quotations count as “Responses”.
You will qualify for a PhD when you work out what leads to forum notifications and/or counts from which notification choices (watching first post, tracking, watching, normal) for which events (responses, likes, mentions, edits etc) based on which notification preferences, and which email preferences lead to email notifications of which forum notifications. Professorship when you can explain it!
Are there any others?
There seems to be 30 of them.