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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:03 am Post subject: Send email only if changed bookmark isn't visited |
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I'd like a per-bookmark option to delay email notifications. Instead of sending an email immediately, wait a short time (e.g., one minute, five minutes) and then send or not based on the "visited" status.
Here's why. I have a few bookmarks on AutoWatch configured to send an email (mobile phone SMS) when a site changes. That works fine, but if I'm sitting at the computer when a change is detected, it's a waste of money (I pay per SMS) and effort to have my phone sound off.
I could turn emails off when I'm at the computer, but it's unlikely I'll always remember to turn them back on when I leave, and I can't afford to miss any of these particular site changes.
With this delay feature, if I'm sitting at (or near) the computer when one of these bookmarks changes, I'll see or hear the alert and check the site, clearing the status to "visited"... and no email will be sent. Otherwise the SMS will go out as usual (after the brief delay).
I can get close using a script, but I lose a lot of features that way. If anyone has a suggestion for another way to do this, I'm certainly open to it.
Thanks,
Rick |
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Martin Aignesberger
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | I can get close using a script, but I lose a lot of features that way. If anyone has a suggestion for another way to do this, I'm certainly open to it.
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I think the only way for delayed sending is to use a local mail server. Then you can send mails to the local mail server and fully handle the sending procedure there. Just an idea...
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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:40 am Post subject: |
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| Martin Aignesberger wrote: | | I think the only way for delayed sending is to use a local mail server. Then you can send mails to the local mail server and fully handle the sending procedure there. Just an idea... |
Conditional sending is the goal; delayed sending is only a means to that end. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that point. The delay gives a user sitting at the computer time to check a changed site before sending an unnecessary notification email.
Again, the concept is: If a bookmark changes and someone sitting at the WebSite-Watcher computer promptly checks the changed bookmark, then WebSite-Watcher does not send out a notification email for that bookmark.
It wouldn't have to be handled the way I suggested in my first message. Another method might be to pop up a dialog box with a timer: "Notification email(s) will be sent in 60 [59, 58, 57...] seconds. Click CANCEL to abort transmission."
Does that make the situation clearer?
Yes, I could have WebSite-Watcher send the notification emails to a local email system and have it forward the emails. But then I would have to go into the email system and manually delete unneeded emails every time. Something a bit less awkward would be preferred.
Thanks,
Rick |
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Martin Aignesberger
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Again, the concept is: If a bookmark changes and someone sitting at the WebSite-Watcher computer promptly checks the changed bookmark, then WebSite-Watcher does not send out a notification email for that bookmark. |
This would only make sense when you are the only person who receives e-mails from WSW. But many customers use WSW to send out e-mails to other persons, too.
| Quote: | It wouldn't have to be handled the way I suggested in my first message. Another method might be to pop up a dialog box with a timer: "Notification email(s) will be sent in 60 [59, 58, 57...] seconds. Click CANCEL to abort transmission."
Does that make the situation clearer? |
This would mean to send all or none of the queued messages? Emails are queued immediately when an update is detected.
Hmm, I personally don't like this idea, but lets see if this request gets more votes in future...
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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Martin Aignesberger wrote: | | This would only make sense when you are the only person who receives e-mails from WSW. But many customers use WSW to send out e-mails to other persons, too. |
Agreed. WebSite-Watcher's great flexibility means it's useful -- and used -- in many different ways. I realize my situation might be unique; that's why I tried to address the situation with a script first.
| Quote: | | This would mean to send all or none of the queued messages? |
For the bookmarks that have the delayed/conditional email option set, yes.
Another approach would be to expand the scripting/SendMail capabilities so I can do it myself. For example, I can generate a report and email it, which works reasonably well. But attachments don't survive the SMS translation, so the best I can get on my mobile is a notification that "something" has changed.
I can see a few ways to address this, but not knowing WebSite-Watcher's internal structure, I have no idea which would be the most straightforward to implement. Would those enhancements be worth discussing (either here, in another thread, or via email)?
Thanks,
Rick |
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Martin Aignesberger
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| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:52 am Post subject: |
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Currently we have no plans to change the existing SendMail bookmark action that way. At the moment you can either use an external local mail server as mentioned in my previous reply, or you create a report via a script and send it by e-mail then. The /changedall parameter of the CreateReport command will add only changed (red/bold) bookmarks to the report.
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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Martin Aignesberger wrote: | | Currently we have no plans to change the existing SendMail bookmark action that way. |
I wouldn't ask you to change SendMail "that way." You've already said you don't like the approach in general. So I'm talking about other ways to address the issue.
Two examples of what I'm thinking:
- Allow SendMail to work similarly to Options>Program Configuration>Check>General>Email>Template; e.g., let it support the {name} and {changes} datafields.
- Add an /includefile= specification (analogous to /attachfile=) that embeds the file in the body of the email. (Just a straightforward "paste" of the contents. Useful for simple text like boilerplate, no need for MIME support of HTML, photos, etc.)
| Quote: | | ... create a report via a script and send it by e-mail then. |
As I said in my last post, attachments don't survive SMS translation. My mobile doesn't support MMS, and the available email app has no way to display an attachment. So, attaching a report is of no use in my case.
Thanks,
Rick |
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Martin Aignesberger
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:31 am Post subject: |
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Probably a new script command "SendBookmarks /changed" would solve this problem? What do you think...?
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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:05 am Post subject: |
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| Martin Aignesberger wrote: | | Probably a new script command "SendBookmarks /changed" would solve this problem? |
I believe it would, as long as it identified which bookmark(s) changed. The option of including the changes (similar to AutoWatch emails) would be helpful, too.
Would you like me to treat that as a new request and start another discussion thread, or is what we have here sufficient?
Thanks,
Rick |
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Martin Aignesberger
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:03 am Post subject: |
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I have added this command for WebSite-Watcher 5.2.0. It will mainly use the configuration from that bookmark action, but mails can be queued from a script command.
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RickRae
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| Martin Aignesberger wrote: | | I have added this command for WebSite-Watcher 5.2.0. It will mainly use the configuration from that bookmark action, but mails can be queued from a script command. |
Thank you. I look forward to trying it.
Rick |
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