85 votes

Username mentions in comments now send notifications

Tags: changelog

Another feature update courtesy of open-source contributors - @Celeo was brave and took this complex update on as a first contribution to the Tildes code.

Mentioning a username in a comment will now send them a notification. Any of the following formats work:

It won't send a notification if you mention yourself, or if you mention someone that already would have gotten a notification for the comment anyway (the author of the parent topic/comment).

Edits should be handled as well, so if you edit in a mention that wasn't there previously it will generate the notification at that point, and if you edit one out it will delete that notification (whether the user has seen it yet or not).

Please let me know if you notice any issues or strange behavior (and please don't use this maliciously to annoy people).

24 comments

  1. [4]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. Celeo
      Link Parent
      Super welcome. It was a really fun project to work on, and I'm glad Deimos and I got it done.

      Super welcome. It was a really fun project to work on, and I'm glad Deimos and I got it done.

      18 votes
    2. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      Indeed, great job @Celeo! It's really amazing to see users contributing so much already and makes me incredibly optimistic for the future of the site. Though now everyone is definitely going to...

      Indeed, great job @Celeo! It's really amazing to see users contributing so much already and makes me incredibly optimistic for the future of the site.

      Though now everyone is definitely going to have to be far more cognizant of when they use the @ before a username, since not every reference to another user is necessarily intended to be a notification. I suspect Deimos' poor notification box is going to explode if people don't remember that. ;)

      12 votes
      1. Algernon_Asimov
        Link Parent
        Yeah. For some reason I was thinking about user notifications this morning, even before I came on to Tildes, and I thought that if Tildes ever turned on user notifications, poor Deimos' inbox...

        I suspect Deimos' poor notification box is going to explode if people don't remember that. ;)

        Yeah. For some reason I was thinking about user notifications this morning, even before I came on to Tildes, and I thought that if Tildes ever turned on user notifications, poor Deimos' inbox would be flooded.

        6 votes
  2. [3]
    MetArtScroll
    Link
    Is there a limit on the number of users who can be notified in a single comment?

    Is there a limit on the number of users who can be notified in a single comment?

    7 votes
  3. [3]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. Deimos
      Link Parent
      Only in comments for now. It shouldn't be too difficult to make it work in topics as well, but that'll take some more work to be supported. I'll add an issue for it though.

      Only in comments for now. It shouldn't be too difficult to make it work in topics as well, but that'll take some more work to be supported. I'll add an issue for it though.

      9 votes
    2. Celeo
      Link Parent
      Only in comments, yup.

      Only in comments, yup.

      6 votes
  4. unknown user
    Link
    Here I am wishing I could be contributing, but am stuck focusing on work and university instead. Really really good job everyone.

    Here I am wishing I could be contributing, but am stuck focusing on work and university instead. Really really good job everyone.

    5 votes
  5. crius
    Link
    Brilliant Celeo! I waited so much to contribute but the full stack python is holding me back :(

    Brilliant Celeo!

    I waited so much to contribute but the full stack python is holding me back :(

    5 votes
  6. [3]
    Algernon_Asimov
    Link
    Is there a preferred "official" Tildes format for username mentions? Most platforms choose just one format.

    Any of the following formats work:

    Is there a preferred "official" Tildes format for username mentions? Most platforms choose just one format.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      Using @ would definitely be the "recommended" method, the /u/ support is mostly just for all the people accustomed to it from reddit that do it out of habit.

      Using @ would definitely be the "recommended" method, the /u/ support is mostly just for all the people accustomed to it from reddit that do it out of habit.

      8 votes
      1. Algernon_Asimov
        Link Parent
        I seem to remember you writing, somewhere in the deep dark past, that copying habits from other sites such as Reddit just because that's the way people are used to doing things is not the way...

        the /u/ support is mostly just for all the people accustomed to it from reddit that do it out of habit.

        I seem to remember you writing, somewhere in the deep dark past, that copying habits from other sites such as Reddit just because that's the way people are used to doing things is not the way Tildes would work. :P

        14 votes
  7. Algernon_Asimov
    Link
    It would be nice if the notifications of username mentions were differentiated from the notifications of comment replies - like messages are differentiated. At the moment, mentions and replies are...

    It would be nice if the notifications of username mentions were differentiated from the notifications of comment replies - like messages are differentiated. At the moment, mentions and replies are all shown in one combined list as "X comments".

    4 votes
  8. [4]
    DrStone
    Link
    I think it could be useful to modify the behavior slightly: @Tau_Zero - A mention, triggers notification and replaced with link to user profile (as it does now) user/Tau_Zero or user:Tau_Zero -...

    I think it could be useful to modify the behavior slightly:

    • @Tau_Zero - A mention, triggers notification and replaced with link to user profile (as it does now)
    • user/Tau_Zero or user:Tau_Zero - Replaced with link to user profile, no notification (syntax mirrors the profile url path)

    I agree with Algernon elsewhere in the thread that we should probably have a canonical notification syntax. It avoids confusion and reduces chances of accidental notifications.

    Further, sometimes you want to mention someone but it's not worth spamming a notification (e.g. every time Deimos is mentioned in discussions about tildes). An argument could be made that if the discussion is about someone, they should be notified, and thus no link-only syntax, but that's already easy to get around with the existing markdown [Tau_Zero](https://tildes.net/user/Tau_Zero)

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      Algernon_Asimov
      Link Parent
      Please tell me your username comes from Poul Anderson's novel.

      Please tell me your username comes from Poul Anderson's novel.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        DrStone
        Link Parent
        It's not often someone recognizes the novel Tau Zero, though I guess I'm not surprised you would given what you've shared about your scifi interests, haha. I got a copy many years ago from my high...

        It's not often someone recognizes the novel Tau Zero, though I guess I'm not surprised you would given what you've shared about your scifi interests, haha. I got a copy many years ago from my high school AP physics teacher who was cleaning out his collection and I absolutely loved it. The scientific and technological detail in fiction, which I'd later learn was called "hard science fiction", was new and exciting to me. Having the world firmly grounded in (possible future) reality made the human element much more impactful.

        3 votes
        1. Algernon_Asimov
          Link Parent
          I found it in my high school library. It made a big impact on me, the combination of real science and a human interest story. It's still one of my favourite sci-fi novels.

          I found it in my high school library. It made a big impact on me, the combination of real science and a human interest story. It's still one of my favourite sci-fi novels.

          1 vote
  9. [4]
    teaearlgraycold
    Link
    Is this a feature that can be turned off?

    Is this a feature that can be turned off?

    1 vote
    1. Deimos
      Link Parent
      Not as of now. I may eventually add the ability to disable it, but I think it's nice to know that if you mention someone, they'll definitely get a notification. Once you make it possible to...

      Not as of now. I may eventually add the ability to disable it, but I think it's nice to know that if you mention someone, they'll definitely get a notification. Once you make it possible to disable, mentions stop being "dependable".

      8 votes
    2. [2]
      Celeo
      Link Parent
      Not currently. Are you interested in that being an option?

      Not currently. Are you interested in that being an option?

      2 votes
      1. teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        I don't think I'll need it, but I could see it being useful for administrators or rather popular users.

        I don't think I'll need it, but I could see it being useful for administrators or rather popular users.

        1 vote
  10. [2]
    helloworld
    Link
    @Deimos would love this. I'm sorry, I tried to resist

    @Deimos would love this.

    I'm sorry, I tried to resist

    1 vote
    1. Algernon_Asimov
      Link Parent
      Given that you replied to Deimos' own post, he was going to be notified of your comment anyway. :P

      Given that you replied to Deimos' own post, he was going to be notified of your comment anyway. :P

      7 votes