I've gone through forum after forum on notifications - page changes, gallery updates, surveys, etc. The only thing I know for sure is that I have no clue 1)ALL of the Admin actions that initiate a notification, and 2) How to inhibit / stop them in various instances. We're trying to be as 'non-invasive' to our members as possible, and it would really help to;

*Know ALL activities that would initiate a notification email, and what action causes the notification,

and

*Why some of the notifications Admins can control (page changes allow you to edit whether to notify or not) and some, there is no control (Gallery/Photo changes).

We all administer our sites differently - some WANT notifications to be sent to drive traffic and some want to be as non-invasive as they can be and have some control in what causes notification emails. If I update photos every few days, I would like to do my edits and WHEN DONE, launch the notification once.

That said, without going through years of forums trying to ascertain what does initiate a notification and what ones I can control and which are 'in the background', editing our site is a crapshoot as to whether I am irritating people with too many notifications unknowingly.

I know, I know - don't take issue with something without providing a solution:

1. A listing of ALL Admin actions that initiate a notification,

2. In that listing, an indication of if the notification is controllable (like site page changes) and not (Gallery/Photo updates, new events, etc)

3. A standardized method of the Admin (as opposed to 'the system') allowing notifications for *any* notification event. The Edit Site Pages is perfect (Notify ### Classmates that this page has been updated.)

Alternatively, would there be a way to have the same Notify Me listing that classmates use to RECEIVE notifications, to be an Admin function where the Admins CHOOSE to SEND/INITIATE notifications on that same list? (i.e. Daily, Monthly or Never)

From several forums, I understand there are 'backdoor ways' of limiting or delaying notifications, such as taking the item being edited offline or changing update dates, but if on any item I changed, there was a standardized checkbox at the bottom that allowed me to notify or not, it would be SO much easier.

One of the many reasons we went with Class Creator and not a competitor was how annoying the notifications were on the competing site.

Some very good points made here. New Administrators are flying somewhat blind when it comes to the notification process and even some seasoned Administrators get an unwelcomed surprise at times.

We take the "fewer is better" approach to notifications. It's pretty well known that too frequent notifications will go unopened so that when you have a notification that you "Really" want your classmates to see it too may just get deleted.

Under Admin Functions > Preferences you'll see:

CLASSMATE NOTIFICATIONS

Classmates sign up to be notified when various pages of your site have been updated. You may not want these automatic notices to go out if you are making a small edit (e.g. fixing a typo). A checkbox is present under the editor window indicating how many people have subscribed to receive updates for the page you are editing. You can check or uncheck this box to send or not send these automatic notifications. I hope everyone has the "Unchecked" option selected.

Prechecked: Automatically send subscriber notices unless box is manually unchecked before saving

Unchecked: Do not automatically send subscriber notices unless box is manually checked before saving

When the Classmate Notification feature was first introduced, the Prechecked option was the only option available. What a pain it was to manually uncheck the box for a simple change like fixing a typo. Thankfully, CC agreed with my suggestion to add the "Unchecked" option. I hope everyone has the Unchecked box selected.

Thanks, Scott, but that's exactly my point - the ability to NOT send notifications is indeed present in various areas we update, but not all. The key phrase in the "Prechecked/Unchecked" being "when various pages of your site have been updated".

As an Admin, I think it's incumbent on me to know ALL pages affected by notifications - not a nebulous 'various'.

This came about from my posting photos in the "Photo Gallery" yesterday, and a notification went out to all. I have my preferences set to "Unchecked: Do not automatically send subscriber notices unless box is manually checked before saving", so I should be able to edit the Photos without notifications going out, right? (As I have Unchecked chosen) I edited 8 photos, made them 'Active' and -BOOM- the notification goes out without any fanfare - you just add a photo, hit 'Active' and off the notification goes in the background - with no ability to stop it.

Hence my request to at least know all areas of updating and maintaining this site that generate notifications without doing it by trial and error (read:potentially irritating 250 people with unnecessary emails that I have no control over). I went back to the Gallery Creator just now, and there is absolutely no reference to notifications. At all. And to see if there's anything on the "Edit" screen of a gallery, I fear clicking it now to check and having yet another notification go out, not knowing the parameters and trigger for a notification to be sent. I'm happy to read instructions or FAQs that may cover these things, but there are none, and judging from the amount of time I spent in the Forums trying to find an answer, Notifications and how they work is definitely a Frequently Asked Question.

Thanks for mentioning notifications for gallery photos. The same happened with mine on mchs1970.com when I began posting reunion photos the second week of June. There are times we are not ready to announce an update and the system should not override us. I had appointments back home after my reunion and failed to advise Class Creator of the photo issue. I will send a message.

The pre-checked/unchecked affects the following section:

1. Edit Site Pages pages
2. Announcements
3. In Memory additions or edits

If you review the list of Notify Me options many of them are not triggered by that toggle like classmate profile updates, comments added by classmates, birthday reminders (only if they are subscribed to the classmate who is having the birthday and the classmate having the birthday has both added their birthday and allowed it to be shared, etc.

Gallery updates have always mailed out users to let them know there are new photos added to a gallery.

I'm not certain what specifically you would want it to do - are you wanting it to not send a notice when you, the admin, adds photos?

If it is a brand new photo gallery that is not yet active (it defaults to not being active) you can add as many images as you want in the in active mode and it won't trigger individual updates to that gallery - it would trigger a single update when you take the gallery live when you are done. The system bases the trigger on the last updated date of an active gallery. You could turn it off for the day - make all updates and then turn it back on so they just receive one notice of all updates that occurred when it was inactive.

The areas that don't have the checked/unchecked option and that are specific to admins are:

1. Galleries
2. Events (when a new event is added - active)

Jessica
Class Creator Support

Thanks for your reply, Jessica! (TBH, I never got the notification )

You say: Gallery updates have always mailed out users to let them know there are new photos added to a gallery.

I'm not certain what specifically you would want it to do - are you wanting it to not send a notice when you, the admin, adds photos?

and;

The areas that don't have the checked/unchecked option and that are specific to admins are:

1. Galleries
2. Events (when a new event is added - active)
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Short answer - I would like to retain the ability to notify OR NOT NOTIFY hundreds of classmates while editing ANY aspect of the site.

Your comment "are you wanting it to not send a notice when you, the admin, adds photos?" gets partway there - I don't want it to send a notification without any knowledge or action on my part. I would like to be able to control the notifications sent on my behalf - not "the system". Your solution to work on a gallery and make it active when I feel it's ready could be accomplished in a manner more in accordance with the 'Checked/Unchecked' methodology already in place in other areas of the site with the "Click here to notify ### classmates of Gallery updates" Point in case - I add 3 pictures to a 100 picture Gallery 2 days later, and that would generate another notification?

I'm just trying to get ahead of the curve here, as our 50th is in September, and I forsee getting photos dribbling in from attendees for a few weeks after - I don't want to be sending notifications each time I add photos to a gallery. If I could add 3 one day, 25 the next and 15 2 days later, I would choose to send one notification on the third day, as the previously uploaded photos would still exist for anyone logging on to view anyway.
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While we're on the subject, is there a report or a link anywhere in the Admin portion of my site that allows me to actually see or access the notifications that have been sent from our site and what launched them? I know the information exists - but can we access it? Much like the "Email the class", where prior messages are available for review with dates sent and 'read numbers'?

The check/unchecked option was something that was added after many sections of the system were built.

It works well for individual page added or edited as those related to a single page of the site. If you edit or add an announcement it is also a single intact item. Events and Galleries are unique.

I'm not sure how this can work on the galleries - we have offered to turn it off entirely when you as an admin are editing, however, you would then need to send an email the Class or post on the home page when you then want users to know the gallery has been updated.

The other option mentioned above it to do all your edits for it before you take it live (or turn it off until you are done with all edits and only make it live again when you are ready to have a notice go out. It would be cumbersome programming and for admins editing if this had to be on a photo or gallery basis. Galleries also have options to have classmates add images if the admin allows it and that would also have to be considered.

One other option you might want to consider in your work flow on galleries if you want to keep a gallery live but you want to add a lot of images that you don't want to send a notice on until you are ready - you could create a non active "working" gallery that you add everything to until you are ready and then you can use the "move to another gallery" tool to move all of the images to the gallery once you are ready for the notice to go out.

We can add the gallery exception option for you if you wish. I can ask the programmers to make an exception regarding the event as well if that is

possible for them. You can then send an Email the Class for those items as we don't have a way to structure it by photo or gallery at this time.

If you want exceptions on more than one site you can either list them here or email me the list at info@classcreator.com

Jessica

We turned it off only when an admin is updating the gallery.

Jessica

Thanks! That will help!

I didn't get an answer to the 2nd 1/2 of my question:

I saw the "Notify Me Statistics" (ours are attached) when editing a page, and am curious as to what 'event' launched these? The 246 on 7/30 is when I forced the "Notify 221 classmates of the Main Page Update" (i.e. 'Checked/Unchecked') and I am presuming the 7/25, 7/28 & 7/30 are from new people joining around those dates. The others are possibly birthday greetings or subscribed profile updates, but there's no way to actually know. - and there's no explanation what the column 'Perc' signifies.

Also, the column headed "Views" - is that 'read receipts' for the notification emails or those classmates that actually 'Viewed' the event that initiated the notification? Is that read/unread?

Would there be a way to add a column to this that would indicate the 'event' that launched the Notification? That would be VERY helpful.

Southwest Class of '72 Admin,
The "Notify Me Statistics" shows YOU what your members chose to receive or not receive.

I have a page to help members update their contact info, their profile, and Notify Me. This is what I share regarding Notify Me:

2. Notify Me is set by you, our member.

Below is the NOTIFY ME page.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

The gold stars are recommended options.
Choose your preference to receive a notification Immediately or Once Daily.

IMPORTANT

The last is "Email to All Classmates". Please choose Immediately to be sure you do not miss information.
The items starred are suggested.

Gwen has the system's auto-notifications turned OFF for new announcements on the Home page, pages added or updated, and the reunion page. She sends a notification only when a page or announcement is ready and occasionally sends an email. The goal is to send less to your email Inbox which is why I share the following suggestions.

https://www.mchs1970.com/000/1/6/3/16361/userfiles/image/Screenshots%20from%20site/2020%2008%2021%20notify%20me%20marked.jpg

The following option was described (see Responses #7 and #8 above) regarding the automatic notifications generated when an admin adds photos to a Gallery.

Jessica: "I'm not sure how this can work on the galleries - we have offered to turn it off entirely when you as an admin are editing, however, you would then need to send an email the Class or post on the home page when you then want users to know the gallery has been updated."

In Response #8 "We turned it off only when an admin is updating the gallery."

Yes, I would like to have this option. Please turn off the Gallery notifications entirely. I will notify classmates by sending an email to the class. Thank you!

Hi Allison,

We removed the notifications for your site for galleries.

Jessica
Class Creator Support

Jessica,
If the programmers know how/where to disable notifications for admins updating a photo gallery, it shouldn't be much harder to make that the default and add a check box at the bottom on the edit screen to temporarily send a notify on exit - which is exactly what we've been asking for all along.