# Off Topic > Suggestions for Improvement >  > Improvements - Alerting a user instantly when a post they're subscribed / starred is replied to

## Mr_HiB

Hello,

I just had an experience where someone posted a question and then went about looking for answers in other places of the forum. I happened to post an answer and they were still busy looking around to find an answer elsewhere, without noticing my post.

My suggestion - (or maybe it already exist in that case please let me know) is there a way that an instant alert shows up letting a person know that a thread that they've "starred"/subscribed has gotten a posting.

I know it happens that we get email alerts- but emails can get burried and has a delay... also you need to have your email open to notice a post on Excelforum.

Perhaps the notifications thread above next to our name could have a # tracker to let us know if we've gotten any new replies to our posts that we're subscribed to.

My point is - doesn't matter how the notification/alert comes to us as long as it's "real time" and noticeable without being annoying.

Thanks! And this is a great site!

Hilmy

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## FDibbins

If you have "subscribe" set to "controls panel", it should notify you that you have a "Messsage".  Find this setting under Settings/General Settings/Default Thread Subscription Mode:  pick 1 from the dropdown

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## Richard Buttrey

Hi,

There is already the facility to see what follows up have taken place. You can set the default thread subscription mode in your General Settings to 'through my control panel only'. Responses can then be seen by clicking on the Settings in the menu bar.

You seem to be asking however that a similar posting but in a different thread should be flagged up. I'm not entirely sure how that would work since it would need some sophisticated text pattern matching for texts which may be similar bit not exactly the same.

If you'd like to attach the hyperlinks to the posts you mention then I'll warn the user about duplicate postings.

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## Doc.AElstein

Hi Mr Hib,
_ Something similar to that often happens to me, especially as i often answer threads that are along time with Zero replies.
_ Theoretically that should not happen as either by Email Notification or in the User Control Panel ( Wot you get when you hit Settings up there at the top of the screen ) the OP should be notified of your response. . New OP’s i think by default are instantly notified of this ( Still not 100% sure about that .....
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...-settings.html
_ ....)
_ A couple of things that may cause our problems: 

_1)   Sometimes the Email Notifications do not work. 
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...-not-noti.html
.. or as you say someone maybe not logged into their email when looking logged in to Excel Forum

_2)   especially newer members often do not know what the User Control Panel is. And/ or they do not bother to check their Email for replies. Often they wait and then when their Thread “drops off” the screen they will Duplicate making a new thread to try their luck again. ( or even re register with a new name and temporary trash email address – what I think is common even if not allowed... )..  When you notice something like that , then best is to do similar to what Richard suggested.  Go to a Post where the OP seems to be asking a similar question. Hit the Report Button. Then give the Link to the original Thread in which you have made a reply and ask that a moderator closes the duplicate Thread and just before doing so he replies to tell the OP to continue in his original Thread. ( That is often what many Moderators will do anyway if you just report the Duplicate Thread ). As Richard said Duplicate Threads are not allowed. As with all rules, many OP’s do not know of them, as we all usually didn’t when we started !!

_3 ) It is also just a general problem I think of current ways of doing things:
http://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...nfomation.html
Often good replies and responses go unnoticed.

Alan

P.s. Your idea of  a "real time" alert Sounds good. I think notification of PM’s come up when in real time, so it must be possible. Unfortunately changes or anything new  of any kind seem unlikely, - It appears that getting the existing software to always work is barely possible sometimes...I often get a positive respons if I PM an OP to bring a reply to his notice. But that is impracticable for the more active members

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