What does the 'Watch Thread' checkbox do?

[baldbrain]

Hello everyone!
As you all know, In Preferences, there's this 'Automatically watch threads that you create or reply to' checkbox.
Also, in Alert Preferences, there are some checkboxes under the 'Receive an alert when someone...' head.
I used to think that the 'Watch Thread' function gives you the alerts to a thread.
So, what is really the difference between the two?

 

[phinds]

Hello everyone!
As you all know, In Preferences, there's this 'Automatically watch threads that you create or reply to' checkbox.
Also, in Alert Preferences, there are some checkboxes under the 'Receive an alert when someone...' head.
I used to think that the 'Watch Thread' function gives you the alerts to a thread.
So, what is really the difference between the two?

Well, you could if you really wanted to, turn off the "watch threads that you create or reply to" and then EVERY damn time you create or reply to a thread, you could select "watch thread". Seems like a lot of extra work to me.

 

[baldbrain]

No, I mean what about the alerts?
See, I specifically unwatched this thread and still got an alert.
However the 'Preferences → Receive an alert when someone... ✓Replies to a watched thread' is still checked.
So what does the 'Watch' thingy really do?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

You can choose to watch threads that you have not posted in. Watched threads also appear in https://www.physicsforums.com/watched/threads which can be useful for finding old threads that you've participated in.

 

[baldbrain]

Ok, so that means that if I do post something in a thread, I will receive alerts to it regardless of whether I've watched it or not.
Right?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

The alert preferences are for:

• Replies to a watched thread
• Attaches a file to a watched thread
• Quotes your message
• Mentions you in a message
• Likes your message

You will only receive alerts for all replies to a thread if you have watched the thread. However, if a reply quotes your message or mentions you (through the @ function as in @baldbrain), you will receive a notification regardless of whether you have watched the thread (assuming the appropriate alert preferences are selected).

 

[baldbrain]

The alert preferences are for:

• Replies to a watched thread
• Attaches a file to a watched thread
• Quotes your message
• Mentions you in a message
• Likes your message

You will only receive alerts for all replies to a thread if you have watched the thread. However, if a reply quotes your message or mentions you (through the @ function as in @baldbrain), you will receive a notification regardless of whether you have watched the thread (assuming the appropriate alert preferences are selected).

Right. I get it now. Thank you

 

[mfb]

The alert preferences are for:

And all of them can be switched on/off separately.
As an example, you can watch threads to have them appear in https://www.physicsforums.com/watched/threads but not giving a notification for every post. I don't have numbers but I would expect many regular users chose this - otherwise you get spammed by alerts.