Forum Watcher - Important Announcement!!

Tonight I have uploaded the new code for the Forum Watcher, and it's been completely re-written from the ground up.

There are not a lot of visible changes right now, but I'll go ahead and outline what is different starting right now:

It will no longer E-mail you updates when YOU are the one who posted to the thread.

As a matter of fact, it also won't E-mail you if you have even SEEN the thread since it was last updated. This means that if someone posts to a thread that you are watching, and you happen to load that thread up right away, the system will know that you saw that newest post, and won't bother you with an E-mail.

It sounds a little confusing, but it's a very very cool setup. Another way to say it is: it won't E-mail you if the "New" column shows a "No" for you.

Ok, here's the second visible change, and THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART!!!! Starting today, the forum watcher is DISABLED BY DEFAULT for most members. Only the most recently active forum watchers are enabled.

Here's what you need to do: Click on Preferences in the menu, and then click on "Watcher". If it says that the forum watcher is disabled for you, then enable it (if you want to use this feature).

Okay, now that I'm past all that, let me tell you about what's coming up soon, thanks to the fore-thought I put into this re-write. The following are items that are on my TODO to finish out. Look for them starting early next week:

1) If a member has forum watcher disabled, and they click to "Watch a thread", it will alert them that they are currently disabled, and will show them the way to the Preferences page where they may enable them.

2) The Forum Watcher is going to also include a couple other options, including showing you the "New" (or unread) threads that you are watching, in a list, either on the homepage of DG (above the forum list) or in a box above the Menu.

The box wouldn't even show up unless there were new threads (that you were watching) to be viewed. Once all "watched" threads have been viewed by you, the box disappears until one of those watched threads is updated again.

3) There will be another preferences item where you can specify it to automatically add every single thread that YOU START to your watch list.

4) The process by which you remove a thread from your watch list will be dramatically changed to make it easier and faster to add/drop threads from your watchlist.

In conclusion, I've re-written this Forum Watcher to be very scalable for me, and soon I will be implementing these (and perhaps other) features. The Forum Watcher is eventually going to change the way you use the DG forums, I guarantee it, or my name ain't Dave Whitinger.

SOUND GOOD... MUCH BETTER!!!

Dave, that is excellent! I used to get a notice that a thread was updated, then find out it was my own posting! Never consciously thought about asking if this was changeable. Thanks for updating the sysytem. John

I like this better as well.Thanks Dave

Sounds even better - thanks! :o)

What a lot of work! But it's nice, and most of these things are being done before we even realize we want them. Thanks, Dave.

Dave, Dave, Dave. How do you find the time to do this stuff in between plowing the "lower 40 acres" (or almost that much, LOL!) of your garden? Wow!!!! Can't wait to see these enhancements in action - thanks!

Thanks Dave..

Sounds great! Thanks.

As promised, round 1 of the forum watcher changes occurred today. A brief summary:

1) The wording at the top of a thread will change, depending on whether you are watching the thread or not. It will say "Watch this thread", or it will say "Stop watching this thread". This should solve the confusion of how to remove a thread from your watch list.

2) New feature in the Watcher Preferences. You can now put the watcher on the homepage, above the forum index. It will only appear if there are new threads in your watch list, and will only list those threads that are "New" to you. This is a cool feature and I recommend you try it out.

3) You may now disable the E-mail updates, without sacrificing the other features of the FW (forum watcher). For example, you can set your preferences to "Show updates on the homepage, but do NOT email you". This way, you can have literally hundreds or thousands of threads in your thread watcher, and you won't be bombarded with e-mails every 2 minutes. :)

Enjoy!

Dave

Dave, I went there and checked it out, but when I click on "Watch this thread", I get a message that I haven't enabled Forum Watcher. But in preferences, it shows enabled. What am I doing wrong?

Aimee, I had the same thing but when I changed the setting it started working. Try changing it and see what happens.
Dave! Great feature!

Now THAT is cool! I just played with it enough to get it working, and had a thread I was watching show up - at first I thought I had hit the wrong link or something to refresh, but then I figured out what I was seeing - VERY COOL!!!

Thanks, vols. I told you that the Forum Watcher would change the way you use the forums on DG, and I even guaranteed it. Lots more cool stuff is coming up wrt this feature. It's going to turn these forums into something twice as nice.

dave

By twice as nice, he means it and he posted it.. twice! Zany, I think it worked. I changed several things, decided it was better to come here, like I do anyway, than depend on my mailbox. Can't wait to see what else Dave has for our playtime.

Sure glad I read this - now if I can just remember all the changes, "Old Timers" disease ya know. LOl Have to put it on my 'Watch List". Thanks Dave I'm sure it will be great.


It really, really works - I love it!!!

This message was edited Thursday, Nov 15th 8:54 PM

Hey Dave I really didn't know how cool it would be. I just now got one pop up where I had been watching a thread and it had a new post. I know now what it really does this is so cool. Thanks I like that so much better than all the emails.

Hey Dave I was wondering if you were thinking about adding a spell checker here I really need one and while your at it please send some of your typing skills my way lol(just kidding)

No She's not!!!LOL

Alright Azalea, I heard that and I resimble that remark!lol

Thanks Dave! Now, about that spell checker...would be a NICE Christmas Present, don't you think?? I have been know to put a word I don't know how to spell in an email, run it through, get the correct spelling, and then delete the email...lots of work! LOL Jo

P.S. I DID IT! It was so easy, and I was so excited, that I put my picture on while I was there! Well, I believe it was my picture...didn't think I was that old though!LOL Jo

GREAT picture RR!!!!

Thanks TIG...now if I ever get to GA, you won't be shocked! LOL Jo

Cousin Jo, your hair looks like my post-chemo hair! Thanks for giving me a face to go with all my ramblings. You look great. I must be from the chubbier side of the family.

Cousin Aimee....I was "sucking in"! I just had to have my picture with my new favoirte flower....Mexican Bird of Paradise! Made on the grounds of the Tucson VA Hospital. They just seem to bloom from the first of spring...and are still in bloom today. Jo

Oh, we are so alike! I posted on GW last year, or maybe the year before, that I would not be right until I acquired that plant. I had admired it for several years in Austin, but never indulged myself by stopping to inquire about it. The one I saw most often turned out to be at a small nursery, growing right on the sidewalk edge and returning each year in glorious profusion. It was really pricey, so I didn't buy it, but posted instead, offering my entire garden in trade. A wonderful man I had corresponded with sent me one from his greenhouse, a small one he had grown from seed. I almost lost it while I was sick, but it's a tough little baby, so I think it might recover next year. Just in case it doesn't, I collected seeds this year, and planted 2 in pots in my kitchen. One pot actually has a small sprout that I am blessing every day. It's a strange looking sprout, so I hope I didn't mix something in. The name is caesalpinia pulcherima, also called Pride of Barbados. MaVie Rose sent me two young ones of the yellow variety, and I sent her seeds for the red. I have a couple of seeds left if you want to try to grow them. It takes several years to get blooms, but I will wait. I absolutely love that plant. Four Seasons Hotel in Austin has beautifully landscaped grounds, which include our charmer, and it also grows along the River Walk in San Antonio.

Dear RR. Where did you post? Would love to put a face to a name. Thanks, Aga.

Agapanthus, click on her name and go to her page. It's a great photo, I'm so proud to be her cousin.

Hey Roadrunner where is your picture? I looked for it in photos and couldn't find it.

Wind, see my post to Aga.

OH! WOW! I'm getting popular...I guess ya'll are just getting lined up for spring planting...want my picture to scare the CROWS...Well, Dave told us to go to our journal, under preference to check on this new "watchers" thingy...and there was a place to "browse" for our picture to add to our journal.....(wish I had used my sisters picture now...or my "Glamour Shot" one....SHUCKS!) Jo

Roadrunner you are a jewel wrinkles and all, we would make a wonder pair comparing wrinkles lol.

This message was edited Sunday, Nov 25th 3:38 PM

roadrunner, you look good that picture for your age not look that old.

Redrose, you are a doll! The next time I'm through LA I'm going to "kiss you all over you face!" Windsurffer...bring it on...I'll come out ahead I assure you...got Mama's non-elastic skin but, hopefully, got her sense of humor too. My Sister told me the other day to "keep my chin up"...I asked her WHICH ONE? LOL Jo

Roadrunner! Maybe I should post your pic on my page...You are so cute!

You tell her Zany! She is a lovely lady with a beautiful smile.