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I myself don't have any good way (this would be the perfect way) to do it, even while there are some options.

Be it for responses, reputation, interesting stuff...

I couldn't find any simple RSS solution, the e-mail is just about answers to questions, and refreshing the "recent" will clear up on the second refresh.

I can't check the web site daily and I'm still looking for solutions here. So I'd like to know how you people do it. Not how I should do.

edit: I was just tracking this question on superuser and Josh K, who's no newbie, edited his answer as a reply to my comment. But I would never know this unless I checked the question itself! So, adding to the question, how would you keep track of that?

edit2: Reenforcing, I wish to know how you, who's answering this, do to keep track. It seems like nobody who does it different cares to post it, or maybe nobody does. The answers so far are rather telling me how I should do. But even with all that suggestions, I'm having issues to keep track of responses, answers and conversations on all different StackExchange sites that I participate: unity3D, superuser, meta, and a lil bit of others. And I really needed a good way to get notified here just because I wish to (A) respond faster and (B) actually see who responded me. I'm just hoping this isn't just me.

PS: this edit is also a perfectly good example of how I would use a folding block. I'd just fold this whole edit.

edit3: While there's no emails, Stack Exchange Notifier (google chrome addon) has been good.

edit4: SEN advised on last edit stopped working a while ago, and my only way was the Global Inbox. Now I've got a new way (see below)! Main issue is it's Mac-only.

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5
  • You can set the date range on the "recent" page. It's not like those responses are lost after you saw them once (unless you only check the site every 6 months)
    – balpha StaffMod
    Commented Mar 2, 2010 at 19:54
  • @balpha I know, but if you do that and just refresh the page, the link will get outdated soon enough.
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 2, 2010 at 19:58
  • I don't understand what you're talking about. What on the "recent" page gets outdated?
    – Pekka
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 19:29
  • @Pekka I'm not sure how the default recent page works. But if you choose any date range on it, it becomes pretty clear and it will only show notifications from within the date range. Unless you click again to change the range, i.e. if you just keep refreshing it, it will get outdated.
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 20:21
  • I can't say that this has ever crossed my mind as a problem. I find it hard to imagine how it could pose one for anybody to be honest.
    – Pekka
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 20:30

5 Answers 5

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1

It's not about rss or email, but Newt helps me a lot with different site activities. It brings you new questions on interesting topics, answers to your questions, comments for you and reputation changes. All that is in simple status menu icon on OS X.

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1
  • Now, that's more like it! :D
    – cregox
    Commented Apr 15, 2011 at 15:19
2

This is one of the many, many features people want, but Jeff and Joel are loathe to implement for a variety of reasons.

They are, however, working hard on the API which I think will solve a lot of these issues as people build systems around the API to support their notification needs.

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1
  • 2
    Could you link or elaborate on those reasons? I'd love to understand it. As for the API, well, I hope it solves it - but I'd still like to know how YOU do it to keep track! ;)
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 18:30
2

Well, the API is now out! There are a few tools that do what you're asking and I'll enumerate some of them:

  • stack2rss is a small app I made that converts API requests into RSS feeds.

    For example, a feed for recent comments made to user 1 (Jeff Atwood) on StackOverflow would look like this:

    http://quickmediasolutions.com/stack2rss/stackoverflow/users/1/mentioned

  • StackApplet is a Gnome applet I made that monitors your reputation on any number of SE sites and notifies you of comments addressed to you.

  • New Q! is a Google Chrome extension that displays your reputation on a site and will display notifications when you receive a comment on that site.

A great place to find apps like this is to check out StackList, a website I created to enable people who've created API applications to list them.

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8
  • that's nice, but RSS is still not my thing. Now I'd love to see stack2email!
    – cregox
    Commented Sep 21, 2010 at 23:27
  • @Cawas: Uh... I already made that: stackapps.com/questions/895/…
    – uɐɯsO uɐɥʇɐN
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 0:18
  • 1
    @Cawas, I've just released new v1.2.7 version of Stack Exchange Notifier Chrome Extension. Check it out, maybe it's something that you are looking for. stackapps.com/questions/1592/…. Please request a feature if necessary.
    – Vladyslav Tserman
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 1:56
  • wow, both sound amazing, George and @Vladislav ! thanks I'll sure check 'em out!
    – cregox
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 18:22
  • unfortunetaly stackmail is not the stack2email I was expecting... it acts like a passive mail server, a way to get info from stack sites as the name suggests. I wanted email notification, which is more of an active server that sends out the messages as they happen. and @Vladislav 's chrome extension is just not email but at least it's something I can have some use! quite amazing as an extension. thanks again you both, but still not what I was looking for.
    – cregox
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 20:26
  • @Cawas: Well, give me some time and I will try to add notification support to StackMail. It won't happen overnight, but I'll see what can be done.
    – uɐɯsO uɐɥʇɐN
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 21:00
  • @Cawas: In the meantime, someone has come up with a sort-of solution here.
    – uɐɯsO uɐɥʇɐN
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 21:03
  • @George funny enough, another question of mine. Wonder if you noticed that. :P
    – cregox
    Commented Sep 22, 2010 at 21:12
2

As Pollyanna says, when the API is out, it's likely there will be convenient online services popping up. Until then, it's the Envelope or Greasemonkey I think.

All the pages behind the envelope icon can be filtered by time period, though:

alt text

you can keep track of your notifications that way even if you're not on the site every day. I am on Superuser.com extremely rarely for example, but using those filters, I've never missed out on anything. It's not perfect, but it works surprisingly well.

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7
  • But, as I said on the edit, this will not show relevant stuff.
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 18:28
  • @Cawas check the "revisions" tab, all edits to your content are listed there, and filterable by time period. It's all there.
    – Pekka
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 18:43
  • @Pekka I meant it won't show some relevant stuff. Sorry. You just showed me another way to check the modification I've mentioned on the edit. But still the whole point here is not how you can do to check on stuff, but how you do it in practice. That's not practical to me at all.
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 20:29
  • @Cawas While I personally am happy with the way it is, I can see how people would desire E-Mail notification and such. You're going to have to wait for the API I think.
    – Pekka
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 20:34
  • Well, while there's no better answer, I think I'll just accept this one. ;)
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 11, 2010 at 17:13
  • and now back to waiting a good answer because this just never worked for me.
    – cregox
    Commented Dec 20, 2010 at 23:19
  • 1
    Note: this feature was removed
    – Andreas Bonini
    Commented Apr 15, 2011 at 21:40
1

Just hit the envelope up top that takes you to the recent activity page, then hit the button that corresponds to the timeframe you want to check for responses in, or manipulate the date in the address bar to be more specific.

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8
  • 1
    That's how I currently do it. I don't consider it a good way.
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 2, 2010 at 19:59
  • There may be a feature request out there for something like this, so you might want to search on it, and if you don't fine one, then come up with a feature request for it.
    – Lance Roberts
    Commented Mar 2, 2010 at 20:05
  • @Lance Are you implying everyone does it this way and there's no other way?! :(
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 2, 2010 at 23:27
  • @Cawas, as far as I know, but someone may have their own clever way to do that
    – Lance Roberts
    Commented Mar 3, 2010 at 0:47
  • @Lance And hopefully someone will post their way here! And it will not include a GreaseMonkey script or Python command line thing! :P
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 3, 2010 at 15:21
  • @Cawas - What! No greasemonkey or python!? Are you not a programmer!? Behold, I have detected thee, thou art an MBA or accountant! Have at thee!
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 17:33
  • (editors note: Pollyanna has neither greasemonkey nor python installed on the computer used to post the above comment)
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 17:34
  • @Pollyanna hahaha, I'm a programmer dont-wannabe. ;)
    – cregox
    Commented Mar 4, 2010 at 18:29

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