3 ms·

I don't use facebook, but couldn't that also be an optimization? Like don't send the user email notifications if they're already on the site where they can see

I don't use facebook, but couldn't that also be an optimization? Like don't send the user email notifications if they're already on the site where they can see the # of notifications?

DanielBMarkham 10y ago
But that's not what they're doing. I'll get mentioned in a comment while I'm on the site. I'll click over and read the comment and reply to it. Then, once I'm away from the computer for 30-60 seconds or so (I'm sure they have a system training for this), I get the email notification -- even if the original back-and-forth occurred an hour ago. The timing of when I get the email has nothing at all to do with when the event occurred. It's completely dependent on my interaction with Facebook. Many times, it takes so long, I'm usually thinking "Wow! I wonder what else X had to say?" but I click over and it's the same damned thing I already interacted with.
- renaudg 10y ago
  This sounds like a bug / coincidence. I've never got a later email about something that happened live while I was browsing the site, and was already notified about.
  - DanielBMarkham 10y ago
    A couple of times is a coincidence. I stopped counting after seven. So you're saying that there's a bug. And the bug waits for me to stop using Facebook, then emails me things from Facebook. I find this quite difficult to believe. At the least, it's a very convenient bug.
    - jimrandomh 10y ago
      They might be doing this to only a subset of their users, for example as part of an A/B test.
    - renaudg 10y ago
      The bug isn't that you get emailed about things only after you've left, that's the feature. The bug would be to get emailed about things that happened while you were using the site and were notified in real time about already.
theseatoms 10y ago
From a revenue perspective, the behavior that the GP is describing IS an optimization.

3 ms·

I don't use facebook, but couldn't that also be an optimization? Like don't send the user email notifications if they're already on the site where they can see

by zastrowm 10y ago

I don't use facebook, but couldn't that also be an optimization? Like don't send the user email notifications if they're already on the site where they can see the # of notifications?

DanielBMarkham 10y ago
But that's not what they're doing. I'll get mentioned in a comment while I'm on the site. I'll click over and read the comment and reply to it. Then, once I'm away from the computer for 30-60 seconds or so (I'm sure they have a system training for this), I get the email notification -- even if the original back-and-forth occurred an hour ago. The timing of when I get the email has nothing at all to do with when the event occurred. It's completely dependent on my interaction with Facebook. Many times, it takes so long, I'm usually thinking "Wow! I wonder what else X had to say?" but I click over and it's the same damned thing I already interacted with.
- renaudg 10y ago
  This sounds like a bug / coincidence. I've never got a later email about something that happened live while I was browsing the site, and was already notified about.
  - DanielBMarkham 10y ago
    A couple of times is a coincidence. I stopped counting after seven. So you're saying that there's a bug. And the bug waits for me to stop using Facebook, then emails me things from Facebook. I find this quite difficult to believe. At the least, it's a very convenient bug.
    - jimrandomh 10y ago
      They might be doing this to only a subset of their users, for example as part of an A/B test.
    - renaudg 10y ago
      The bug isn't that you get emailed about things only after you've left, that's the feature. The bug would be to get emailed about things that happened while you were using the site and were notified in real time about already.
theseatoms 10y ago
From a revenue perspective, the behavior that the GP is describing IS an optimization.