Author Topic: ! Replying to PM notification emails !  (Read 3095 times)

Offline Caretaker

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! Replying to PM notification emails !
« on: 15.01. 2011 18:23 »
Am sometimes receiving emails from members who are thinking they are replying to a P(ersonal)M(essage), when in reality they are replying to the notification that a new message has arrived in their PM inbox on the forum.

From the notification email:
Quote
***** DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ***** - THIS IS ONLY A NOTIFICATION ABOUT A NEW PM -

REPLY TO THE PERSONAL MESSAGE HERE: http://www.a7a10.net/forum/..."

but some reply to the email instead of following the instructions to log in on the forum and reply by PM.

It creates extra work (notifying the sender) + am feeling uncomfortable getting content intended for another person. Remedy would be to disable the notification service, but ftm let's see how it goes.

Please, read all the content in the notification, and simply click the provided link to go to the forum PM inbox.

Also: ensure the email address in your forum profile is active and valid, if not valid, any PM notification email will bounce back to the forum admin email address.

Thanks


"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline edboy

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replying to pm notification emails
« Reply #1 on: 26.06. 2015 10:59 »
 hello administrator. i fail to see the point of this service. its confusing and because we use this site sporadically its restriction is easily forgotten. you state your uncomfortable with it , well so i am i as confidential information is not reaching its desired destination and do we really need up to date info that a message is waiting on a hobby website? thanks for pointing this problem out to me.
regards eddie

Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #2 on: 26.06. 2015 16:40 »
The email notification does 3 jobs:

1. Alerting a member that they have received a pm, it might be important.
2. Providing a practical direct link to the pm in the forum.
3. Providing a copy of the pm content, up to any member to just read it or, if it's important, log in and reply.

Now and then a few who does not read the following 3 things are sending a reply email to the forum outgoing email address:

1. The email sender (forum main email account)
2. The "IMPORTANT: Remember, this is just a notification. Please do not reply to this email"
3. The given link: "Reply to this Personal Message here: http://www.a7a10.net/forum/..."

Yes, in case of someone not reading all the above clear info and just hit reply, I am receiving the email sent by the member (whcih usually contains a copy of the notification etc) but am not reading any content of these emails, just replying with a note to read the notification and click the provided link to the forum pm. Then these emails are immediately deleted.

For the moment will not change anything (nor reset everyone to not receive notifications by email), as it's seldom this happens these days, & anyone is free to choose to make errors while sending emails :O)

Quote
you state your uncomfortable with it
Not with the PM notification, it's excellent and I personally find it very useful, but uncomfortable with the result of (very few) members not reading their email content, and failing to follow the instructions :O)

Quote
and do we really need up to date info that a message is waiting on a hobby website?
Some may find it very important, others less important. Set notification as you wish, go to profile, and adjust PM according to wishes and needs, keep it on, or simply turn it off (see attachment).

"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline edboy

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #3 on: 27.06. 2015 11:51 »
yes , thanks for reply. what may seem clear to some is not so clear to others such as myself whose only i.t. skills are self taught in the last 10 years or so. they are still basic but if you want to have flashing warning lights or not i have adjusted the cognitive receptor sensor.  i m now aware of my error and am reprogrammed accordingly.
regards paranoid android.

Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #4 on: 27.06. 2015 12:15 »
Hello, hoping all is well, and the PM settings adjusted to suit your use of the forum.

It's easy to click reply when receiving an email. What could be done is omit the PM text in the notification, thus 'forcing' the receiver to log in to read what it was all about, this being much less likely to trigger any reply email (there would be nothing to reply to in the email!).

But refering to the point #1-3 above, I think it's ok as it is, unless a majority here wants a change (or if the numbers of replies sent to admin should peak, but as noted, very few occurences now).
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #5 on: 19.06. 2017 22:56 »
Had some spare time to do some modifications, so testing "notification email without the PM text"

Not often at all that anyone sends the reply to the forum admin email so no big problem, but now it's very unlikely to ever happen (personally I found it practical and ok to get the text quoted in the email).

Anyone sees problems with this change, please post here.

Thanks
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Online muskrat

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #6 on: 20.06. 2017 09:56 »
G'day e.
I can live with that but I do like to see the message in the email as "forewarned is forearmed".
Cheers
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Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #7 on: 20.06. 2017 10:25 »
^^^ Agree, & ref. earlier post:
"Providing a copy of the pm content, up to any member to just read it or, if it's important, log in and reply."

More opinions welcome, and we'll take the final decision to revert or not.
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #8 on: 21.06. 2017 14:00 »
ok, both admins think text should be included. If no strong opinions against, text in notification emails will be reinstated.
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #9 on: 21.06. 2017 22:04 »
Back to normal, pm text is in the notification email, enhanced the info text related to not replying to the email.

Anyone not managing to see  ***** DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL *****  will be sent to the Tower Of London for 30 years :O)
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Online Greybeard

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #10 on: 21.06. 2017 22:09 »
ok, both admins think text should be included. If no strong opinions against, text in notification emails will be reinstated.
Both Admins? I thought Erling had two forum ID's, one for forum tweaking and one for BSA tweaking.
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Offline Caretaker

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Re: ! Replying to PM notification emails !
« Reply #11 on: 21.06. 2017 22:13 »
^^^ Muskrat, forum co-admin-shaman-moderator-third eye
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"