Alerts Bug: Investigating Unreceived Alert for Reply

[Drakkith]

I think I've had a bug with the Alerts feature. At 9:49 my time I replied to the following thread: https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...arent-separated-colors-actually-mixed.878650/

A few hours later the thread was replied to, however there is no alert for this thread in either my Alerts dropdown or the Alerts page. There have been Alerts for other threads I'm watching, but not for this one.

 

[ShayanJ]

I've noticed this too and I don't think its a bug. It seems to me you don't get an alert for every single reply that is posted to a watched thread. There seems to be a little more complicated way of figuring out when to send a reply alert to the user but I couldn't figure it out. Maybe it only sends an alert after a certain number of replies has been posted, or maybe just sends an alert if after some time there is at least a new reply. The second possibility seems more probable to me.

 

[Drakkith]

You are correct in that you only receive an alert once, no matter how many replies there are, until you view the thread again. However the very next post after mine is the one I'm talking about, so I should have received an alert.

 

[ShayanJ]

You are correct in that you only receive an alert once, no matter how many replies there are, until you view the thread again. However the very next post after mine is the one I'm talking about, so I should have received an alert.

Yeah, there is only one alert. But what I'm saying is that maybe that one alert is not when a new reply is sent exactly since the last time you visited the thread. Maybe the system waits for some time T and if after that time there is at least one reply, then alerts you. Or maybe it waits until there are at least N replies since you left, and then alerts you.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I think I've had a bug with the Alerts feature

Are you sure the thread is still being "Watched"?

 

[Drakkith]

Are you sure the thread is still being "Watched"?

Yes. I checked as soon as I realized someone had replied and I am still watching the thread (I have the "unwatch thread" option showing instead of the "watch thread").

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Yes. I checked as soon as I realized someone had replied and I am still watching the thread (I have the "unwatch thread" option showing instead of the "watch thread").

Alert Preferences enabled?

 

[Drakkith]

Alert Preferences enabled?

Yep. I've been getting alerts left and right for a half dozen different threads over the last hour or so, including this one.

 

[mfb]

Did the thread appear in the https://www.physicsforums.com/watched/threads as unread?
(I think this page is much more useful than getting 10+ alerts for threads).

 

[Drakkith]

Did the thread appear in the https://www.physicsforums.com/watched/threads as unread?
(I think this page is much more useful than getting 10+ alerts for threads).

I didn't check that page, and for the moment the thread is not "unread".

 

[Drakkith]

I'm off to bed to get a couple of hours of sleep. I'll answer any further questions after I wake up.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I would just consider this a one off. If it happens again let me know.

 

[Drakkith]

I swear it has happened multiple times. If I can pin down another example I'll let you know.
Thanks Greg.

 

[DaveC426913]

I have been experiencing oddness in alerts too, though I have no specific examples.

 

[Ibix]

I think I missed a couple yesterday. I assumed it was just me losing track, but if others were also having issues maybe not. I'll also keep my eyes open so I can give useful bug reports...