Is This Alert Necessary?

[tango42]

Is this alert necessary? Can I remove it?

Seems to go against most standard websites that just post new information without an extra step to review something and click an extra step. Facebook, Reddit, Tripadvisor, others just post new information. They already realized (probably through big data) that people tend to spend more time and clicking around if they don’t know exactly how many “new or updated topics” have occured.

People know when they last looked or can simple glance and see activity.

People don’t just look when there is a new topic. People also just want to look around at topics out of interest.

I think the alert encourages people to focus more on those few topics instead of perusing more.

Or is it helpful because the page doesn’t automatically refresh if sitting with no activity?

[tempogain]

@tango42

Is this alert necessary? Can I remove it?

No to both. It’s just the way Discourse has set things up, we can’t change it.

[DrewC]

I like it. Shows me which threads have new posts.

[rooftopclown]

@tango42

Is this alert necessary? Can I remove it?

It always appears at the same location of the screen, so you can just place a strip of black-out tape across that location.

[rooftopclown]

This type is removable.