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The meaning of "follow new" on your own posts
Below each post, at the top of the comment section, is a link to "follow new". The title text displayed when hovering over this link says "Follow all new comment threads on this post".
It is clear to me what this means for posts other than my own. However, it seems confusing for one of my own posts. I am already automatically informed of any new comment threads on my own posts. Does clicking "follow new" have no effect for my own posts? Once clicked, I then have the option to "unfollow new". Does "unfollow new" on one of my own posts result in that post no longer informing me of new comment threads? Am I able to use this to opt out of notifications on my own posts? Should this be possible (do we want people to be able to opt out like this)?
Here are the options I can think of that make sense to me:
- A user cannot opt out of notifications on their own posts, so:
- "follow new" has no meaning for a user's own posts, so it is not displayed
- "follow new" has no meaning for a user's own posts, so it is displayed but disabled
- A user can opt out of notifications on their own posts, so:
- Since new threads are followed by default on a user's own posts, the link should start out by saying "unfollow new", and only say "follow new" if the user has already opted out of notifications of new threads on this post
Which of these options should we choose? Are there other possibilities that I have overlooked? How should following or unfollowing new threads work for a user's own posts?
1 answer
The previous behaviour was misleading and has been treated as a bug, and been fixed.
Previous behaviour
Previously, pressing "Follow new" or "Unfollow new" below your own post would have no effect. You would always be notified of any new threads under your own post, regardless of the state of the button.
New behaviour
Your own post is now treated consistently with any other post, in that you can press "Follow new" to follow any new threads under the post, or "Unfollow new" to avoid this. You start out following by default, but can unfollow if you choose.
Other than the button now displaying the correct wording (starting out as "Unfollow new" rather than "Follow new"), there will be no difference in your notifications unless you press "Unfollow new". You are still following new threads under all of your existing posts.
Related user preference
In your user preferences there is an existing option to "Auto follow comment threads". This option is ticked by default, but you can opt out if you do not wish to be made a follower of new threads that you create, or existing threads that you comment in.
Opting out will only affect threads that you create or comment in. You will still be made a follower of any new threads under your own post, unless you press "Unfollow new" below that specific post.
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