Email Updates and RSS Feeds released

Forums: Rss, able2know, a2k, Email Updates, Computers
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I announced these features on the able2know blog and am starting this thread to answer questions and receive feedback about the features.

RSS feeds allow you to do a lot of things that you couldn't before. For example:

You can subscribe to your favorite tags and get new posts from them all in one place
You can get updates on mobile RSS readers
You can subscribe to your own topic grids (e.g. "My Posts", "My Topics", "My Tags")
You can put a feed from any topic grid on other blogs and websites.
You can even subscribe to an RSS feed by email, using third party RSS to Email services

I've explained RSS before but will be giving a2k specific examples here and answering any questions you have about using email updates or RSS on able2know.

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@Robert Gentel,

How to get any RSS feed by email (note: this is not the email update feature, we actually send you those if you want them by email).

To get any topic grid by email just go to the topic listings and copy the url (e.g. http://able2know.org/popular/ or http://able2know.org/user/robert_gentel/posts/).

Then go to a site that sends RSS by email like www.rssfwd.com or www.feedmyinbox.com and paste the url and follow their simple instructions. They will then send you new updates to that feed by email.

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@Robert Gentel,

Hi Robert Gentel. I've just changed the heading on top of your thread to "Get email updates". Does that mean I get updates for every thread I post on?

1 Reply

@Robert Gentel,

Here is a list of some able2know RSS feeds you can subscribe to:

Main Grids

http://able2know.org/popular/rss.xml
http://able2know.org/newtopics/rss.xml
http://able2know.org/newposts/rss.xml
http://able2know.org/unanswered/rss.xml

Tag Grids
Note: replace "example_tag" with the tag you want (lowercase, with underscores replacing spaces)

http://able2know.org/tag/example_tag/rss.xml

User Grids
Note: replace "user_name" with the username you want (lowercase, with underscores replacing spaces)

http://able2know.org/user/user_name/topics/rss.xml
http://able2know.org/user/user_name/posts/rss.xml
http://able2know.org/user/user_name/tags/rss.xml

0 Replies

@Dutchy,

No, just for this one. We will work on a method to subscribe after posting to a topic, but for now you need to click on that for each one you want to subscribe to.

We don't like unwanted email so we don't want to send unwanted email, so here we are erring on the side of caution by making each subscription an explicit request.

However, if you check the box asking for updates (when posting a new topic, not on reply) we remember that preference the next time you post a topic so it's checked by default then.

1 Reply

@Robert Gentel,

Thank you for the explanation.

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when do we get PM's...

(this is gonna seem weird, but thanks RG for answering my query)

1 Reply

@Rockhead,

There are a number of smaller bugfixes we'll do when we have a free moment here or there but PMs are the next priority when it comes to a big feature.

Since we do this in our spare time now, I can't really say when that will be but it will most likely come early next year.

1 Reply

@Robert Gentel,

Whilst talking about next year, may I wish you and yours, your able partners and colleagues at able2know, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the land downunder.

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@Robert Gentel,

Robert, would it be possible to add the "My Email Updates" link to the area when one clicks their own name, either at the top of a post or at the top right-hand side, next to 'log out'? This is in addition to "My Profile, "My Topics", My Posts", My Tags".

That way, one doesn't need to go to the bottom of the page to access it.

2 Replies

@Reyn,

Reyn wrote:

Robert, would it be possible to add the "My Email Updates" link to the area when one clicks their own name, either at the top of a post or at the top right-hand side, next to 'log out'? This is in addition to "My Profile, "My Topics", My Posts", My Tags".

That way, one doesn't need to go to the bottom of the page to access it.

bumping for Robert

0 Replies

@Reyn,

I don't think it is a good addition there.

Usability in an interface is largely a matter of not putting up too many things to click on, so that the most important stuff is most prominent.

The email link is in every email, is at the footer of every page, and on the home page in the green box. I don't think enough unsubscribe action is going on to put it in the already crowded header and think that by putting it in the emails it's in the place where it's most needed.

1 Reply

@Robert Gentel,

Robert Gentel wrote:

I don't think enough unsubscribe action is going on to put it in the already crowded header and think that by putting it in the emails it's in the place where it's most needed.

You're probably right, on second thought. Thanks for looking at it.

0 Replies

i subscribed to a few new threads yesterday, but am not receiving e-mail updates.

i have 5 pages of threads i'm already subscribed to.
is there a limit?

thanx...

1 Reply

@Region Philbis,

There's no limit, sure you aren't logged in when the replies come?

2 Replies

@Robert Gentel,

yes.
and i'm quite sure i subscribed to this thread after i posted, but now it says i'm not subscribed.
i have re-subscribed...

0 Replies

@Robert Gentel,

ok.
i had to click "Get Email Updates" again just now.
it then changed to "Stop Email Updates".
i hit refresh, and sure enough, it went back to "Get..."

Question

1 Reply

@Region Philbis,

I was able to replicate it. Looks like a bug that was introduced this weekend.

2 Replies

@Robert Gentel,

(incidentally, i'm still receiving updates from older threads that i was already subscribed to, but have been unable to subscribe to new threads since saturday...)

0 Replies

@Robert Gentel,

Should be fixed now.

1 Reply

Email Updates and RSS Feeds released

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