Pretty much. I only accept them for about 4 sites in total. Anything else, I can't imagine any reason I would accept notifications from them. As far as I'm concerned, "if you want me to see your content in a timely fashion, publish an RSS feed and if I like your site I'll subscribe". This intrusive browser notification stuff is lame.
Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
41–50 of 51 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#42I allow them for Slack and Gmail. That's it.
If you have a news/entertainment/social media site that ask for notifications, I immediately see your site as spammy.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#43I've purposely enabled them for my works slack, and they have been extremely convenient there. I have intentionally denied them on every other website that asked, not many have asked. I'm glad they exist. Currently they don't seem to be widely abused. If they become widely abused a "default to silently deny" policy would handle any user-hostility.
It's interesting: even though indeed there are not so many sites that ask for them, I still find it an intrusion every time. I suppose it's a kind of conditioning because of all the spamming.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#44I'm surprised at all the absolutes here. I agree with people on blogs and news sites and things like that. Notifications are an awful thing. I immediately think less of ablog if it tries to get me to enable them.
However, for web apps like calendars and project management and chat they are indispensable. I'm not going to go and check (polling style) my project management software 80 times a day. Which means that if one of my team needs my eye on something the notification makes sue it gets looked at much sooner.
My notification popup from Google Calendar has saved my ass many times because it alerted me to an appointment I forgot I had.
My personal UI pattern that I like is to put a notification option in the settings area and only turn it on (show the prompt to turn it on) when they specifically ask.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#45I think it's a great feature but I should be the one asking for notifications not them.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#46They are good for game sites like lichess
Wait until these websites start implementing service workers which don't require the webpage in question to be open
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#47Yes! Don't even ask unless you're WhatsApp web.
Actually the browser should auto-deny all requests.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#48The only ones I allow are from my irc client (Glowing Bear) and Slack. I really don't like the current UI, I wish it was less intrusive, like the "allow popups" UI in browsers.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#49I disable all notifications in all programs, browsers and also those generated by the OS. The whole idea of notifications is that I want to be interrupted from whatever I'm doing to learn the information in a timely manner. This is pretty much never true.
Same here. Especially with screen-sharing or pair work. Receiving some NSFW language IM notifications from chaty coworker is absolutely embarrasing. Just simple dot indicator on a tray icon is enough to remind me to check later.
Re: Ask HN: Are browser notifications user-hostile?
#50I allow a couple, namely Google Calendar and Remember the Milk (which I use for work, sort of). I don't mind being asked if I'd like to enable them - if I don't want something to notify me I just hit "no". I get that some people would find that annoying though, especially if you're more of a prolific reader than I.