# Why does Discourse sometimes not alert me to replies in threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [December 10, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744 "2020-12-10T11:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/1 "2020-12-10T11:30:08Z")
It seems to happen when there is no quote. Are some people replying to the thread and not the individual post, or is it a Discourse ‘feature’? ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/2 "2020-12-10T11:38:32Z")
Unless you’ve marked the thread as “watching”, (default if you’re the OP) then you won’t get a notification if someone just presses the reply button at the bottom of the thread, as that is considered a reply to the OP, If someone replies directly to you, you should get a notification every time, unless you muted it. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/3 "2020-12-10T11:40:50Z")
Did this give you a notification? ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/4 "2020-12-10T11:42:21Z")
yes (eff off Discourse, “yes” is a perfectly acceptable reply, mind your own business.) ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/5 "2020-12-10T11:51:39Z")
It probably was people replying to the thread then. If we ever get an admin again, hopefully they can remove the character limits. So annoying! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/6 "2020-12-16T12:53:47Z")
And it’s exactly what automatically deleting quotes and leaving no sign of replies does. And it lets people be sneaky, since no one else can tell they didn’t directly reply. It’s bad design. Either reply to the post, or use the @ notation. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/7 "2020-12-17T01:32:27Z")
Often, i want to reply to the thread, and not to a specific post. I see no problem with discourse treating those differently. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/8 "2020-12-17T04:54:10Z")
To the OP, I think it happens when you’re Tracking a thread and not Watching it. If you go to the bottom of the thread, you’ll see the functions of how you’re getting notified. Normal means you don’t get notified. Tracking means it tells you how many replies in a blue bubble next to the thread and Watching means it alerts you to any new replies. Tracking only alerts you if someone replies to you directly. Are you saying that someone replied to you directly with a reply specifically to you and it didn’t alert you while you were tracking the thread? If the reply was just a general reply to the thread, and you’re tracking it, it won’t alert you. I do know that setting the thread to Watching alerts you because I did that for this thread even if I hadn’t posted in it, and it just did. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/9 "2020-12-17T04:55:57Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Often, i want to reply to the thread, and not to a specific post. I see no problem with discourse treating those differently. The problem is, if you reply to the very last post, it doesn’t. It makes it look like you just replied to the thread, for some reason only understandable to the designer of the software. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/10 "2020-12-17T04:59:54Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Are you saying that someone replied to you directly with a reply specifically to you and it didn’t alert you while you were tracking the thread? If the reply was just a general reply to the thread, and you’re tracking it, it won’t alert you. I’m saying someone responded to what I said in the thread and I didn’t get an alert. Due to the before mentioned ‘feature’, I can’t tell if they replied to my post or to the thread in general, so presumably it was the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/11 "2020-12-17T05:04:28Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > The problem is, if you reply to the very last post, it doesn’t. It makes it look like you just replied to the thread, for some reason only understandable to the designer of the software. There are two ways to reply - to the post or to the thread. If you hit the reply button on the post, it generally gives the name of the person being replied to. If you hit the button at the bottom of the thread, it’s a general reply. The person might accidentally hit the general reply button, but if they hit the button to the post, it will be a reply to the person. If you go to the post and hit the arrow of the person being replied to, it will show their post, even if it doesn’t show as a quote. Maybe if you showed the post you’re referring to, it might be easier to assess? ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/12 "2020-12-17T05:06:33Z")
Let’s see if this shows as a reply. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/13 "2020-12-17T05:07:04Z")
Vs this one. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/14 "2020-12-17T05:09:20Z")
Replying to the last post does not show the linky arrow thing and is indistinguishable from replying to the thread in general. What a bloody stupid feature. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/15 "2020-12-17T06:40:43Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Replying to the last post does not show the linky arrow thing and is indistinguishable from replying to the thread in general. What a bloody stupid feature Yep, it’s stupid. It’s not always obvious from the context whether it’s a reply to the previous post or not. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2020, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/16 "2020-12-24T06:45:15Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@DemonTree](#): > > > > Replying to the last post does not show the linky arrow thing and is indistinguishable from replying to the thread in general. What a bloody stupid feature > > Yep, it’s stupid. It’s not always obvious from the context whether it’s a reply to the previous post or not. Yes. There’ve been a lot of complaints about that in previous threads. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/17 "2021-01-21T02:25:30Z")
In general you are only notified if someone is speaking _directly to you_, that is: - they quoted your post - they mentioned your `@name` - they pressed the reply button on one of your posts Whether you are notified by email or not, depends on whether your web browser is actively pinging the website. **If your web browser is actively pinging the website** , we assume you will see the on-screen notification in your web browser of choice, and avoid notifying you via email, because that email would be an unwanted double notification. (This is configurable in your user prefs if you want emails no matter what.) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/18 "2021-01-21T03:11:23Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/19 "2021-01-21T09:39:41Z")
I think what happened is that they replied to the thread rather than to me, but I can’t be sure because for some reason Discourse hides it if you reply to the last post in the thread, and makes it look like you just replied to the thread. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-discourse-sometimes-not-alert-me-to-replies-in-threads/927744/20 "2021-01-21T10:58:17Z")
And because probably all you get is complaints a lot of the time, I wanted to say I do prefer Discourse. I like the alerts and you actually got infinite scrolling to work correctly!