[SwellJoe]

I don't think Microsoft and I have the same idea about focus and distraction.

I just got a small Windows laptop for a couple of tasks I can't do well on Linux, and after it updated to the latest Windows stuff it had dozens of notifications enabled. All kinds of ridiculous crap popping up while I'm trying to do things. Like, a constant battery of interruptions, with noise and visual bubbles over in the notifications corner. Sure, they can be disabled, but I had to manually go through and turn them all off. That's not to say Linux or Android are immune, but this was just nuts.

Actually, to be fair, Android may be worse these days, I've had to start turning off all notifications for apps like Facebook, even though I'd like to get some (like timeline events that actually involve me), but they group things I don't care about (like events my friends are going to) with things I do, so it gets turned off completely. But, it's just gotten crazy how insistent everything is about getting my attention constantly. Our devices have become like needy children.

So, cool, I guess? But, I'm a bit mistrustful that anyone has an interest in fixing this problem, since for most companies it isn't a problem but a money-making tactic.

[elvirs]

Notifications on a new android phone drive me nuts. Are you at McDonalds? -No, im at a traffic light across from McDonald's. Even if I am, what is it to you? Google, please fuck off with your shit. I had to mute so many notifications all together because there was no way to select good from bad that im sure im missing some of important stuff.

[SwellJoe]

Oh, gods, yes. Google Maps has become infuriating lately. I'm interacting with it because I'm trying to get somewhere, often in a hurry or while sitting at a red light or something, and it's popping up random questions that have nothing to do with me. Maps has become a perfect storm of bad timing and inappropriately intrusive behavior.

[kbenson]

I assumed it was that way for me because I actually answered a question once or twice, and Google was predictable acting like a stray dog that had been given a full cheeseburger.

[otakucode]

I have never answered any of the questions myself, and it begs just as shamelessly. Came with the phone and can't be removed. I suppose I should be thankful I can at least disable its notifications. I really do not comprehend what the thinking is behind various apps being preloaded on a phone and then straight up not being removable. Like... I can't uninstall Facebook? Really? Who thought it was a good idea to have a 'disable' but no 'uninstall' option? I just don't get it.

[kbenson]

I actually heard a good reason for that here the other day. The customized OS portion of Android is on a different, read-only partition, and it's not writable except during reboot on upgrade (or something like that, I'm butchering it from memory I'm sure).

Upgrades can be applied from the application/user data partition, but they stay on the user data side and that's why the best you can do is to uninstall upgrades and disable. Apparently most the providers have gotten better about only including an application stub now that doesn't include the app binaey/data, so usually uninstalling upgrades leaves you with a ~12kb application stub/placeholder.

[jazoom]

Now Google Pay is doing the same stuff.

"Hey, did you know the store across the road from you right now accepts Google Pay?"

No shit. 99% of Australian stores accept it since it works just like a credit card.

[Doxin]

At least google maps has their notifications grouped in a sane way.

[dingaling]

That's not Android nagging at an OS level, that's an app you've chosen to use and to which you've chosen to login.

On my phone I receive status-bar notifications a for: new personal e-mail, RSS updates for specific topics, F-droid updates, battery level, storage space critical. The latter two are the only OS notifications I can't seem to suppress.

[iamaelephant]

It doesn't matter that they're not at the os level, they're notifications you'll get on an Android phone as delivered straight from the factory.

[mycomments2017]

I think they should call it 'tech-savvy mode' for users who value concentration, hate distraction, etc.

After all the majority of public (which the sales are aimed at) will enjoy those notifications.

But, software engineering folks who have 'rubbed over' UI's for years time, will probably hate

[Aloha]

If the app is built into the OS and considered an essential - its part of the operating system.

[ktpsns]

Full ACK. Ever been on a presentation by someone with a windows computer? It's amusing how much popups appear and chimes ring out after startup and even while presenting. As I'm not an active Windows user, I don't know if there is a proper way to hide them all. At least for Mac OS X, Android (LineageOS) and the two infamous linux desktop environments I know they can be fine-tuned.

As you write, I think applications who abuse their permission to interrupt the user lose their credibility and usefulness. It is just the equivalent of having a word processor putting advertisement on a printout. It renders it useless.

[r00fus]

1a) If you're presenting via webex/zoom never share your main screen (either share a 2nd desktop screen or single app).

1b) Try to always present without mirroring your screen. it's harder to follow with high-res, but that's an argument maybe your res is too high.

2) If using Powerpoint, use presentation mode (and preso-mode for energy settings so you don't accidentally go into lockscreen).

Barring the above, I go offline on both Outlook and Slack during presentation mode.

[Yaggo]

macOS has 'Do not disturb' mode which is activated automatically when mirroring to TVs and projectors (configurable), a feature very neat.

[SwellJoe]

Absolutely. I used to care when facebook or tinder or whatever app dinged at me (I call out these two specifically just because they're the most recent ones I've disabled). Now, I assume the ding has nothing to do with me and should be ignored (and, then I turn off notifications or uninstall it, once I realize the app is abusing its place on my phone/tablet/computer and not respecting my time and attention).

[r00fus]

> Actually, to be fair, Android may be worse these days, I've had to start turning off all notifications for apps like Facebook

Either I'm some sort of privacy nut, completely boring or my macOS/iOS combo works out well but I simply get so few alerts that I just use my devices less than a couple of years ago.

Both Apple platforms allow you to essentially go into "silence" mode. Android/Windows seem to be built to spam you (hey you can opt out! but we'll reset those options on updates - for you who FOMO).

[csydas]

Honestly, the control over how everything is show with macOS is a lot better than it is in Windows (imo). Control over where the notifications are, very clear and easy "on/off" for each application (I would prefer the default was off, but no matter), and decent controls over the DnD mode.

The only complaint I have with the Notification settings on macOS is that you have to use a terminal command to alter the length of time a notification is present, which should be a slider in the preference pane as well.

Compared to the current Windows option and Android, it's fairly obnoxious, with notification settings being across different Control Panels (Windows and the Application's own) and the notifications often obscuring parts of the system. Similar to macOS, there isn't a clear way of giving granular control over the time a notification is live (I'm sure it's there, but it's also frustrating this isn't just a slider or a place to enter a value) Too much of the Windows and Android control seems to just be "on/off", with little granularity, and at least with my Android phone, the granularity doesn't seem to work right when you do use it. (Setting up a "Favorites" group of people and adding them to the exceptions for DnD mode doesn't seem to matter for any non-core applications on the phone, even though these applications pull from the same contact list)

The difference for me is just the care and attention on the macOS side of things. Part of me wonders if Apple didn't just watch what Growl did right and then implement it, but regardless some of the design guides are clear: Control over each application, the system's UI space is sacrosanct, respect user privacy in situations where their screen might be exposed, etc.

On Windows, it just seems to be another afterthought to the system.

[hungerstrike]

> Control over where the notifications are, very clear and easy "on/off" for each application...

This is literally the same exact control that Windows gives you. You can turn off all notifications or each app individually.

Are you sure you know what you're talking about?

[SwellJoe]

Android has a "Do Not Disturb" mode, and it works well enough, but it is all or nothing. There are notifications I want. I want to know when one of my co-workers needs my involvement, for example, and I want to know when a friend is trying to reach me on facebook messenger. I don't want to know when 13 of my friends are "interested in events in your area", which facebook has decided is worthy of my notifications bar.

So, the apps I don't absolutely need to hear from get disabled completely, even though there are notifications I would welcome from those apps. facebook is perhaps the most annoying because I know they have the ability in-house to get this right. They're choosing not to, and they're choosing to ramp up the user-hostile behavior, because having people constantly engaged with facebook is profitable.

[qplex]

On my Android there is an option to configure notifications on per app basis. It works very well.

Filtering different types of FB notifications is really a problem that needs to be solved in their app, not in Android.

[SwellJoe]

You're not wrong. The OS does make it possible for the app to do things that are problematic, though (the facebook messenger head bubbles, whatever they're called, that can obstruct other apps, for example). Gnome notifications are relatively unobtrusive, they can only appear in one place (though I don't like that they can obstruct other apps), and there isn't a culture of every app thinking they have to interrupt you multiple times a day.

It's a team effort, I'd say, though facebook is where I lay most of the blame. I'm just ranting in general about the state of notifications and how insistent and entitled so many apps have become on many platforms, not really calling out specific operating systems or developers (though all the notifications I was complaining about in Windows were from Windows itself and not facebook or the like, so we have to lay all the blame on Microsoft in that case).

Edit: after thinking about it, I don't think the OS should impose good taste (eg to prevent Facebook messenger head bubbles from being really annoying and obstructing other apps), since that would mean apps that legitimately need that ability wouldn't be able to do so. I'd guess Twilight, a blue screen filter app I use and like, wouldn't be able to do it's thing if Android didn't allow apps to operate on other apps display. Facebook just needs to stop being so obnoxious.