We are testing a new (optional) feature on DU
This discussion thread was locked by EarlG (a host of the Announcements group).
Last edited Wed Jan 11, 2023, 03:52 PM - Edit history (1)
For those who are interested, we are testing a new system which will allow you to opt in to receive desktop and phone notifications from DU.
WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
If important news breaks, you can be notified even if you're not on DU. And a few times a day, we'll send out notifications about threads of interest. These notifications will be delivered direct to your device, whether it be desktop PC, Mac, or phone. (Caveat: this system is not yet compatible with Apple mobile devices -- Android only at the moment.)
The system is completely optional and if you decide to allow notifications, you can disallow them again at any time in the future.
To begin with the system is going to be pretty basic, and we will be experimenting with it and likely making changes as we test it out, but if all goes according to plan we hope that we can eventually use it to notify you about new replies, subscriptions, DU Mail messages, or other items.
HOW DO I OPT IN?
When visiting any DU page, you should see a small browser notification request popup that looks something like this (it will look different depending on your device/browser):
If you hit "Allow" then you're subscribed and you'll receive notifications. If you hit "Block" then you're not subscribed, and you won't see the message again.
WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND AND DON'T WANT THIS?
Whether you choose to allow or block notifications, you can easily change your mind later. On a desktop browser, visit any DU page and click the little padlock to the left of the address bar:
You'll see something like this (again, it will look different depending on your device/browser):
If you initially clicked "Allow" and you now want to unsubscribe, just move the notifications slider to the left. If you initially clicked "Block" and you now want to subscribe, move the slider to the right.
Alternatively, clicking the "Reset permission" button will cause the notification request popup to appear again when you reload the page.
To enable or disable notifications on an Android device, see this link.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you do not see the notification request popup, or if you do not receive notifications after you click "Allow", you may need to tweak your current browser or OS settings. If that's the case, there are a few things you can try -- here are some useful links:
• Manage notification settings in Windows
• Manage notification settings on Mac
• Manage notification settings in all browsers
So there you have it -- once again, this is completely optional, but we hope you give it a try to see if it's something that works for you.
Thanks for reading 
EarlG
= new reply since forum marked as read
it will just be threads that I find interesting 
The process is manual -- at least for now -- so I'll be hand-picking threads. In the morning I'll likely be sending out a link to a new standalone page we created which lists the ten left-column homepage threads (called the DU Morning Digest). In the afternoon/evening I'll probably send out a link to one of the most recommended or replied to threads of the day -- unless there's a big breaking news story that we think people would want to know about.
There's going to be an experimental phase where we play around with this and figure out what people like and don't like. To begin with though, the system may be more valuable to casual DU users, rather than very active members who are here all day and read everything.
For very active members, eventually we hope to tweak the system so that we can send notifications when you get a reply to one of your posts, or a DU Mail message, etc. (Again, this would be entirely optional.)
I really don't need any stinkin' notifications. I always have DU open on the first tab and check frequently. If I'm not on DU, it means the power is out and my phone died. 
And I have to say ... you're taking on a big (and valuable) job with this curation duty.
So ... kudos to you. We love you man!
Ultimately what would be kinda awesome is deploying AI (I know, scary word, but it can be a force for good in the right hands) that tracks the kinds of thread topics people are into (via Recs and Comments) and targets the posts in accordance with. But that's no small project I'd guess.
just send me a PM directly 
I guess it's a good thing.
Me, personally? I absolutely HATE notifications and always turn them off. 
I'm sure a lot of folks will do that
When you're on any DU page, in your browser, click the little padlock icon to the left of the address bar. An info popup should appear, and in that popup you should see a "Notifications" section which will allow you to turn notifications on. Since you're on a DU page, it will just turn notifications on for DU.
I would definitely have to read something like this before I'd try it. I shall proceed!
Thanks, EarlG
And I kinda feel more connected knowing EarlG is curating my important news notifications. .
Will try it. Thanks!
notifications? Or will it sort of be like fb notifications that doesn't seem to require it, but to open and read on my phone I have to be logged in. So far, I've limited my log in status for social media to my chromebook only.
Since I don't generally watch the news on tv or listen to the radio, I tend to come to DU for LBN, generally motivated these days to see if a certain cadre of miscreants and traitors have been arrested, charged and prosecuted. That's important news to me.
As well as the unexpected good news, naturally.
Or if the world is coming to an end, I'd like to get a heads up on that too so I can grab my "go bag" and head for the hills.
Kidding aside, I love this idea. I'm going to be a big fan I think.
I read DU on my chrome book only, on purpose. Never use my phone, cuz it's not how I like using my phone.
But getting a couple of notifications, I'm going to like.
Oh wait. will the titles be revealed in the notifications? I hope so.
"Former President is found Guilty of 500 counts of Treason by Jury and sentenced to 500 years in prison"
Every weekday morning I add ten new threads to the "Left Column" on the DU homepage, so we created a standalone page for those threads and called it the DU Morning Digest. It seemed like a good way for people using notifications to get a summary of interesting threads in the morning.