Default notifications for groups and DMs

[daniellekirkwood]

This is a chronic issue

User Problem: Users expect DMs and mentions to notify them by default - but not random conversation in group chat rooms.
Defect: Public chats notify for everything by default, encouraging you to mute the app
Suggested plan: Switch the defaults to mute public rooms by default, and grandfather in the old push behaviour. Avoid getting sucked into "must fix notifications from first principles".

[kegsay]

This sounds like a super easy fix to apply on the server? if join_rules == public then ... What's blocking this being done almost immediately?

and grandfather in the old push behaviour

presumably this means that rooms joined before this update on this user's account -> still bing by default?

[clokep]

This sounds like a super easy fix to apply on the server? if join_rules == public then ... What's blocking this being done almost immediately?

Push rules currently have no access to join rules (or other room-level info like that), so we need write an MSC.

We are also still trying to define the behavior of what a "DM" vs. a "group" is. Using join rules is an interesting idea though.

[daniellekirkwood]

We will not be taking the action to reduce notification volume by room type at this time.

"It is not for us, as Element, to make a call for users based on the size of the room. This is especially true in an Enterprise setting where there might be many reasons to have large rooms with notifications on. What we can do now is simplify the user's journey to customise those room level settings, and also highlight what the settings are. With better explanation and guidance on notifications and an improved onboarding experience, the impact of this issue will be dramatically reduced."

More information (internal only) is here

[daniellekirkwood]

This issue will be closed when the WAT have closed the Cycle issue: element-hq/element-web#24291