Hi Paul — is there a way to see what threads a user has subscribed to?
(Or what users have subscribed to a specific thread?)

A user is complaining that he is not seeing email messages for threads he says he is subscribed to...

Steve

Would be possible with an add-on, but it's not coded yet :-)

That's more than possible — as admin or moderator, check the administrative tools below any thread; where the "Lock topic", "Move topic" and a few other links present, if someone is subscribed to email notifications for this topic, the "Subscriptions" link would appear.

There could be various reasons for it, and it's a known case, but this is not related to miniBB. Topics to check:

Why registration or notification email does not work / arrive?

Making automated messages to reach the recipient

Hi Paul — will check the 'Admin' options.

But the issue is random — the user gets some emails from some threads, but not from others...
He has checked all his spam folders, etc., and we have started 'test' topics to see if we can see any associated issue.

But it just seems random...

Steve

Hi Paul — just so you know, the option to check if someone is subscribed to email notifications for a topic only seems to work for Administrators, not Moderators.

Steve

Hey Paul — when you use the 'Subscription' option, to see who is subscribed to a topic, what does the [+] or [-] mean after the users email address?

Steve

It could be so, I'll check later...

It means is the Subscription active or not. With your member, it could be similar issue — to keep the Subscription active, you must click the URL in the Subscription email. If you don't check the topic instantly, the Subscription stops.

Thanks!

Paul — actually I do have a follow-up question...

"It means is the Subscription active or not. With your member, it could be similar issue — to keep the Subscription active, you must click the URL in the Subscription email. If you don't check the topic instantly, the Subscription stops."

So what happens if the user gets the email, but doesn't click on the included 'link' for some days? Does the subscription terminate?
And what if more messages have been added to the thread before the link is used? What if they do use the link after more messages have been added — what happens to the thread subscription?
And lastly, what if the user goes manually to the thread and reads the post, but doesn't use the link in the email?

Oh — and how does the user know if his subscription has 'ended'?

Just making sure I understand the possible issues.

Steve

It is definite that the user must check the topic to continue the subscription. I'm out of the working desk now and couldn't remember it exactly, but the topic either should be visited by clicking the email link, or just any other way on the forum (will say it more precisely tomorrow). Btw this option is so rarely requested that I must actually re-check if it truly works by now...

If more messages are added during the period when the topic is not visited, they will not arrive as soon as the topic is checked.

The user should not know about this background. If it receives a subscription email, it's already a reminder to check it out. If this reminder is ignored, the subscription terminates. That's all to know.

This all is done to save resources on your server on wasteful users. Many of them subscribe and then forget the topic. In this case, they should not be notified anymore — each email takes *a lot* of resource on your server! Overall, it also could produce the spam effect, so they are set as bulk at some stage on the client server.

Update on this:

1. The auto-continuing option should work, the code is located under index.php — /* Redirect to the regular URL and update sendmails table, if user is accessing topic from email message */.

2. A user must click on the link in the email message to continue the subscription. Regular access of the topic (via the forums browsing) is not implemented for this option.

Hi Paul

I'm back on this, as more users are complaining that they are not getting messages when a new post is added to a thread they want to follow.
For example, we have had a topic discussion between two users, with one answering the posts of the first, but the second user has just stated they did not get a message for the last post from the topic originator.

The topic is only 5 posts long, but the last post was not seen by the user trying to provide assistance to the original poster.

It does seem there is an issue here.

As Admin, I got messages each time a post was made.

Steve

I already spread everything above this issue may be about. Did this user actually click on the subscription link in the email?

Also, check my reply #2 above. User may not getting messages, 'cause they went to spam or bulk folder or were even blocked by the provider without any notice.

If you are getting the messages as admin, it means miniBB works and it sends the messages. But the problem could be with receiving the emails. I couldn't control the process of receiving the messages as a developer.

Yes, the user 'subscribed', but it seems the subscription 'stops' if the topic is re-visited, to read, but a post is not made?
Or something like that?
Basically, the subscription seems to just stop working without an obvious reason.

And no, it is nothing to do with sent messages nor being received, or going into a spam folder.
The messages are just not being sent as expected.

Is that what you mean by this?
If so, it is likely that is the issue.

Steve

Like I mention above, for keeping the subscription alive, you should CLICK the link in the EMAIL NOTIFICATION MESSAGE, and not just VISIT the topic as via regular browsing.

The link contains a catching information which keeps the subscription alive. However if you just enter the topic on the forum and DO NOT CLICK the link in the email message, this won't keep the subscription.

This is most likely the case.

Ah, yes, that will indeed be the case...

Can I please request that any Subscription remains valid, until the user decides to disable it, so all/any posts to the subscribed thread are sent to all that are subscribed?
This is what our users are asking for.

They often re-visit a thread to see what's going on, without waiting for a new 'update message' to be sent.

Steve