Posting for updates - please don't!

[Morrigan]

You don't have to post to a thread just to get updates.  Just hit notify!  Please! 

When everyone posts for updates only, it makes a thread long and (on some systems) unmanageable!

Please hit "notify" instead!

If you've hit notify, to find them, just go to your profile, account settings, then under the modify profile icon will be "notifications".  There, it will list all of the threads you want to be notified on.

If someone knows an easier way to get there (without getting e-mails), please let me know!

[sourwolf]

Oh my goodness, yes.  It's so disappointing to keep on seeing threads with "new" posts when all they are is posters asking for updates. 

[penelope2017]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This is by far one of the most annoying things in threads. That and when a poster leaves out crucial info in the story and offers it in a PM, which then results in the entire thread being "Can I get a PM too, please" instead of just PM'ng the poster, or actually including the info in the thread to begin with.

[squeakers]

I don't bother with "notify".  Either I check the whole child board to see if there is "new" flag next to threads I have been reading or, if I have posted to the thread, check "new replies to your posts". (Which is misnamed cos it notifies you even if you are poster #32 in 600 post long thread.) I tend to mark the boards as read once I have looked at the threads that interest me so that the next time I stop in I can see the newest stuff at a glance.

Posting for updates in a new thread is just an obnoxious as asking people to update older threads, IMO.

[FauxFoodist]

Nice try, but a lot of posters won't stop posting for updates.  I tried making this suggestion, use Notify, when the option was first introduced.  More than one person told me it was different than posting for updates (made no sense to me but I wasn't going to bother arguing the point).

[RingTailedLemur]

Except that if you click "notify" you get an email every time someone posts to the thread, leading to an absolute avalanche in your inbox.

I understand it may be annoying for some people, but I don't intend to stop doing it just because of that. Unless there is a rule against it, I don't see why I, or anyone else should have to change how we do things. It's pretty rare anyway. I know I only do it a couple of times a year.

I agree.

Sorry, OP, but "posting for updates" is much better and you can just skip by those posts.

[camlan]

Using "Notify" does have an advantage in that you can cancel it and stop getting notified when there are new posts.

Posting in the thread for an update means that you will always see that thread in your "Show new replies." Some people have asked how to stop that, and really the only way is to not post in a thread. "Notify" will keep you updated and let you cancel the emails.

So if you want the option to stop seeing a particular thread at some point, "Notify" is the way to go.


(Not telling anyone what to do; just pointing out a feature that some people have asked about.)

[CakeEater]

Just posting for updates.

[sparksals]

Using "Notify" does have an advantage in that you can cancel it and stop getting notified when there are new posts.

Posting in the thread for an update means that you will always see that thread in your "Show new replies." Some people have asked how to stop that, and really the only way is to not post in a thread. "Notify" will keep you updated and let you cancel the emails.

So if you want the option to stop seeing a particular thread at some point, "Notify" is the way to go.
I

(Not telling anyone what to do; just pointing out a feature that some people have asked about.)

You can unsubscribe from emails of each thread to stop email notifications.

[Fleur]

Except that if you click "notify" you get an email every time someone posts to the thread, leading to an absolute avalanche in your inbox.

I understand it may be annoying for some people, but I don't intend to stop doing it just because of that. Unless there is a rule against it, I don't see why I, or anyone else should have to change how we do things. It's pretty rare anyway. I know I only do it a couple of times a year.

I agree.

Sorry, OP, but "posting for updates" is much better and you can just skip by those posts.

This, plus I don't think it is appropriate to tell other posters how they should and should not post unless they actually are breaking a board rule.

[POF]

Just posting for updates.

I love you ! good one 

[squeakers]

Here's the thread in the Forum announcements folder about this: http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=93938.0

On the one hand some people find it very annoying to think something was added to the conversation only to find it was a "just posting for updates" post/s and on the other hand some people either aren't familiar with how the boards notifications work (whether "notify" or "new") or just don't want/can't use the features.

[Miss March]

I always thought that several people posting asking the OP if there was any updates was a good way to nudge the OP that people were waiting to hear what came of the situation. If no one posts asking for an update to the situation, the OP might just assume no one cared to hear what ended up happening.

[Jones]

I always thought that several people posting asking the OP if there was any updates was a good way to nudge the OP that people were waiting to hear what came of the situation. If no one posts asking for an update to the situation, the OP might just assume no one cared to hear what ended up happening.

Yes, I have made this assumption in my own threads. If no one asks me or bumps up the thread I assume the situation is considered closed. I've felt like I was talking to myself, when there wasn't feedback.

[Outdoor Girl]

I won't use the notify feature - I have enough emails coming in every day that I don't need another bunch to delete.

Generally speaking, if I'm following a thread, I have enough interest in the thread to post an actual comment.  And that way, I get the updates.  Sometimes I have to stretch to have something to comment on - and it is probably obvious that I'm posting for updates - but I don't actually say, 'Posting for updates.'

It is the easiest way to find threads I'm interested in.