Hi Alex,
in order to add this feature, a new checkbox (or a dropdown menu) would have to be shown to the user, in order to let him/her decide what kind of subscription s/he wants to activate. Also, what if the user posts 2 comments? Should he receive notifications for replies to both? Only the first one? I think this would confuse a lot of people.
This doesn’t mean that in the future I may change my mind and implement such a feature, but it’s not something that will happen soon.
Camu
thanks for the reply!
Yes, a dropdown menu would be great and the user will receive e-mails notification for the replies to his comments only.
Hi,
as I said, this is not something that will be added in the near future. I still think it would confuse people and administrators.
Camu
I’ve been looking for a plugin that would offer exactly this option–subscription to replies only, not to all comments. So far, Intense Debate is the only one I’ve found, and it’s as you say, a dropdown that gives the commenter three subscribing options: Subscribe to a) none b) replies c) all comments. There’s nothing confusing about it. (But I find Intense Debate problematic in other areas.)
As a commenter, sometimes I’m only interested in replies to my own comments. I don’t want my email box inundated with stuff I don’t care to see.
On my own blog, I always respond to comments, and I tell my readers this when I encourage them to comment. A subscription to replies option would enable them to see my response to them without their having to come back to the website, find the post again, and scroll down. I’m always interested in making things easier for readers, and for encouraging them to comment.
Perhaps a second comment might cause some confusion, but 2nd comments are the exception, not the rule, and I think the trade off would be well worth it.
I hope you re-consider implementing this option. I’d gladly pay for it.
wliebman – I will try Intense Debate, but yeah! – what you said in your post is like reading my mind, I have exactly the same opinion.
Okay guys, I guess you win 🙂 I will add this to my todo list. Adding it as an option will make everybody happy: those who think it’s confusing (like me) will be able to disable this feature.
Camu
Everybody wins 🙂 The option to disable is brilliant. When this is implemented, you will have made a popular and excellent plugin more popular and more excellent, even Indispensable.
BTW, what I find problematic in Intense Debate is that it’s intrusive. The commenter has to jump through hoops, or at least wade through a puddle, to make a comment. The elegance of Comments Reloaded is its transparency–it does what it does without calling attention to itself. Much control on the back end for the administrator, a sense of effortlessness on the front end for the commenter.
Can’t wait.
And thanks.
Thank you for your donation, wliebman! I’m almost done updating my other plugin, WP SlimStat. I will resume working on StCR as soon as possible. The new version will have a lot of new interesting features, thanks to your feedback! I really appreciate it.
Best,
Camu
Not yet 🙁 Let’s see how it goes this summer.
Camu
John
(@sidewindernet)
I would like to express my interest in this as well.
Okay, guys, I’ve started working on this feature. I was updating the code, but then a question popped up. When you say ‘subscribe to replies’, to WHAT replies should the user be subscribed? To a reply to ANY of the comments made by me or to a SPECIFIC comment? I would guess the former, because the latter could easily become confusing for your visitors.
Any feedback on this? I am currently implementing the first option…
Camu
Yes, I think the former–replies to any comment the subscriber makes. It’s simpler, and more inclusive. If as a reader I made a second or third comment, I’d be interested in replies to those as well.
(I think you might want to make it clear to the commenter that this is the case, to save him signing up for replies again if he comments again.)
Really looking forward to this and very grateful you’re working on it.
Cool, that’s exactly what I had in mind. I’ve actually just completed the ‘core’ of this new feature. At the same time, though, I’m also implementing a new engine that relies on WP core tables (without modifying them, like the old Subscribe to Comments by Mark Jaquith used to do), to eliminate the need of a separate table.
This will make my plugin fully compatible with WPMU, for those who have asked about it. But it will take a few weeks to update all the pieces to use this new approach.
Stay tuned.
Camu
