Context:

The current notification system was designed for comprehensive testing (alpha/beta) and covers a wide range of events. This results in a potentially overwhelming number of individual notification options. The goal is to simplify this for the end-user, grouping notifications into broader, manageable categories.

Problem:

Overwhelm: Too many granular notification options can overwhelm users, leading them to disable notifications entirely or ignore important updates.

Complexity: Users may not understand the nuances of each individual notification type, making it difficult to customize their preferences effectively.

Maintenance: A large number of individual notification settings is more complex to maintain and update.

Solutions:

Categorization (Grouping):

Identify logical groups of notifications based on their purpose or the area of the application they relate to. Avoid overly technical categories. Here are some example categories (adjust to your specific application):

Social Interactions: (Likes, comments, mentions, shares, new followers, connection requests)

Course Updates: (New lessons, announcements from instructors, assignment deadlines, grade updates) – If applicable to your platform.

Account Activity: (Password changes, login attempts, security alerts) – Always important.

System Updates: (New features, maintenance announcements, terms of service changes) – Potentially less frequent.

Community Activity: (New posts in followed spaces/groups, replies to your posts) – If applicable.

Messages: (Direct messages from other users)

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