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Types of Email subscriptions that are both powerful and simple

Topic Type: 
Idea

Lets figure out one or two email notification subscription plans that work really well for most users as opposed to what we have, email notification subscriptions that work ok for some users.

There are endless ways to configure email notifications and everyone seems to have their own personal preference. Developing a system that fits everyone needs will be both expensive and probably confusing for the end user. Lets brainstorm a couple of subscription types and then possibly survey our users to find out what they might like.

  • send me a reminder on Fridays at 5pm if there has been a reply to a topic I've participated in
  • send me a reminder on Fridays at 5pm if there has been an edit to a wiki I've participated in

I particularly like the idea of aggregating notifications into a weekly email, particularly on Friday night. If there was a flurry of activity in the middle of the week, I don't want that to fill up my inbox when I don't have time to pay attention to it until the weekend. These mid week flurries drive me to want to unsubscribe because they are a nuisance and a distraction... "oh another one, click, delete... oh another, click, delete..." If I do unsubscribe then I'll never be reminded that there's something I should see.