Webmaster, at top left in the Member Panel, to the right of JackinMail, could you change the email notification message from static white to flashing red so we can more readily notice when someone--who may still online--has contacted us?

I can relay that to him. Did you know about the feature that alerts you via email when you have a new JackinMail message?

I'd personally find that ridiculously annoying

What does everyone else think?

Having a white (#) next to Jackinmail isn't hard to see. You just have to look over there. Having it flash red would make it gaudy. The white (#) looks classier and more clean.

I think having that thing flash at me would irritate me to no end. I like the classic white. It fits well with the layout of the rest of the page and stands out from the off-white color of the text on the standard menu.

I believe in compromise. How about keeping it white but make it flash--or even make the digit(s) representing the number of messages we have flash? Just something to catch my eye immediately as it must compete with all the gaudy--to use Anna's phraseology--flashing majascule letters and popping eyes and pumping Fleshlights in the ads.

The present format suits me fine! Actually, the email notice that I have jackinmail is the most effective for me, because my email drops a rectangle centerscreen for incoming email. I notice it even while cybering, except with certain members, and as Emeril says, "You know who you are!"

I am speaking as a user right now, and not as part of the staff. I personally wouldn't need a flashing thing to tell me if there is email. You're going to have to look at that section on the page anyway to see it, so if it is flashing or not doesn't really make a difference.

If it doesn't make a difference in getting someone's attention, why are there flashing graphical elements in the ads?

I am simply saying that from my personal point of view, I do not make a habit of looking over there every few minutes to see if I have a new message. But I would like to know that before a sender signs off.

As I said before, I believe in compromise (but it seems as if I am the only one offering any here--stonewalling seems to be the order of the day), so here is another way of alerting a guest that they have a message coming in while they are logged on: a cute little bell sound or Tinkerbell's fairy dust sprinkle sound.

Okay everyone, hit me with your next salvo.

Oh, stop. It's not that we're trying to stonewall you. We're just stating our opinions. It's just that most of us are pleased just as well with the way it is right now. I'm certainly not opposed to a compromise. Hell, even if they do change it to some crazy Vega-style flashing lights that come with a warning to epileptics, I'm not going to stop frequenting the site or anything. Frankly, I don't care HOW they alert us that we've got mail. I'm just content with the current format, is all.



And Tinkerbell fairy dust jingling? Really?

2 things.

1.) we do not design the ads, the person buying the ad space does. These ads are what keeps this website running.

2.) You are still going to have to physically look in the area of the page that has the JackinMail alert to know if you have a message. If it is flashing or not, you're still going to have to look in that area. If you say you don't really look there now, how is changing it to flashing going to change anything?

Also I mentioned earlier that there is email alert if you get a message here. That means that if you get a message on here, an email is immediately sent to whatever email address you have in your profile.

It appears as if I am not explaining my thoughts well.

1. As for my asking why there are flashing elements in ads, of course I know that ads are are what keeps this, and virtually all, commercial websites in the black. That fact is far from my point: I was asking you WHY the advertisers want flashing elements in their ads. The answer: to attract the eye, which I what I want an email notification to do.

2. And you state that I said I never look up at the JackinMail button. I NEVER said that; I said that I do not always look there in time to respond to someone who is online briefly and has just sent me a message.

3. I tried your email notification service for a while, and did not appreciate having yet another list of email messages to go through and delete.

4. The bottom line, however, is that if I am a voice in the wilderness about wanting a more direct email notification--this seems to be the case as no one is responding positively to the notion--then I will respectfully withdraw my suggestion.