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Mute option not working for API v2 write REST call

I know there has been at least one other discussion on this, but it got wrapped up in the whole "APP' directory should be turned off by default discussion.

I want to report a clearer(?) issue. I recently upgraded to API v2 as required.

I make a write call with

'Dropbox-API-Arg': JSON.stringify({"path": path,
                        "mode": "overwrite",
                        "mute": true})

I still get a desktop notification.

I confirmed I have the latest client version.

I am on a MAC.

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Comments

Greg-DB

Thanks for the report Ed! This is an open issue with the team, though I don't have an update on it right now.

Fahad G.

Any update on this? It seems like mute isn't working when overwriting an existing file.

Greg-DB

I don't have an update on this right now. I'll follow up here once I do.

aldm

It still doesn't work for me. Is there any news on this?

Thanks,

Amer

Greg-DB

Apologies, no news on this right now.

jamesrobertosn

This is still not working. I have tested on both macOS and Windows.

The desktop notifications are still coming through.

Do you have a fix date on this?

Greg-DB

No, unfortunately I don't have an estimate for a fix for this.

Jan_Zeman

I am speachless. This issue is so much bothering and so easy to fix. How could it be it has been lying unresolved for 3+ years???

The situation about all disturbing notification actually got worse in my application recently. I successfully updated to API v2, I used 'mute' parameter and for some time my users were spared of the annoyances. Recently both me and the app users realize the desktop notifications (both on Windows and Mac) about INTERNAL changes done via my application again! This is so sad :-(

Please finally fix it !!!

1) Make 'mute' parameter in the API v2 100% perfect. Make it available not only for uploading but also deletion (and basically all basic) operations.

2) Make finally DISABLED BY DEFAULT any notifications on your desktop clients (both Windows and Mac) on ANYTHING located in the Apps folder. Nobody (really NOBODY) is interested in these notifications. The Apps folder is for applications not for direct usage...

Especially the second request is an extremely simple one. It can be done by a student of programming class by adding one IF statement. Please hire one!

Please do not reply that I should post / request elsewhere. I am bit tired of those after 3 years.

I will honestly hope this time the real changes happen. Thank you.

Greg-DB

@Jan_Zeman Thanks for the detailed feedback! I'm sending it along to the team.

Jan_Zeman

Hi @Greg-DB Thank you so much and please apologize my capital letters and exclamation marks from yesterday - I got bit emotional. Yes, please send it further and if it is anyhow in your power, please try to follow up. The time all these app notifications got discussed there and back is really above the industry standards and without any exegeration I thing it must be trivial to fix it. Many of your end users will be free of frustrations if those notification disappear.

Please feel free to contact me here in the forum if you and any of your colleages need more details.

Have a nice day

Jan

Greg-DB

@Jan_Zeman Thanks for the reply and offer. I'll follow up here when I have any updates on this or if the team needs more information.

seanreilly

I'd like to bump this request as well. If it won't be fixed, are there at least any workarounds?

Greg-DB

I don't have any news on this or a workaround to offer, unfortunately.

Jan_Zeman

Hi @Greg-DB,

You replied to me back in October by "I'm sending it along to the team." and 2-3 months later your reply to @seanreilly is that you have no any news?!? Does this mean the story will stay unprocessed for another years? Can you please provide me with any direct contact of the given team? For our use case this issue is a business-killer, users love the sync story we were able to give them thanks to your API but they simply HATE the unrequested notifications. And the fix is sooooo terribly SIMPLE - it practically requires one IF statement, a one-liner change in your source base. Please read my suggestion described in this thread in October 2017.

Honestely I feel close to zero dedication from your side if the story can stay untouched for another days/weeks/months/years. Please make me believe the opposite. Please.

Best regards

Jan

Greg-DB

@Jan_Zeman Thanks for the feedback. I know the response on this issue has not been satisfactory, and we sincerely appreciate you following up on it and letting us know.

This issue is still open directly with the team, and I'm adding your feedback to it.

For reference though, this issue would not be trivial to fix, and would not be a simple one line change.

Jan_Zeman

Hello @Greg-DB, Thank you for your reply. I will be hoping it gets any attention from the team you referring to. I will try to ask here again within few weeks.

I still cannot understand why this is not a one-liner change. In my suggestion from October 2017 (which is practically a copy of my earlier posts on related threads from approx. 2015) I divided the solution to two points:

Changes in API regarding the 'mute' parameter
Change in your Dropbox Desktop Clients (both Windows and Mac).

The change #1 is surely not trivial but the suggestion #2 must be more or less a one-liner IF statement:

IF (folder == "Apps") THEN do_nothing

Your clients alrady have the concept of Selective Sync - please see the attached screenshot. All that is needed is to disable that "Apps" folder by default. Your programmer would simply simulate the action each your user is forced to do manually on the UI exposed by your programmers, that's it...

Do you agree with me on the following statement - a statement I posted number of times?

Dropbox users are NOT interested in any notification related to Apps folder. The Apps folder has been designed for Applications not for users' direct usage." Many of our users write us how much confused they are to see these notifications! They have no chance to understand a notificaton saying 'Your file 489483487-384-8.xyz has been deleted.' Worse than that - especially with the deletions - the users get scared that they are losing some of their data.

I am sure this is so easy to comprehend from your side.

Do you agree with me on this? I have been programmer for almost 20 years, I am normally quite humble in my opinions but in this case I am sure my statement (and its fix estimation) is correct. The fact that the notifications are raised by default for this App folder is a bug, it is a design flaw. If I was a Product Owner I would even consider removing the option to ever enable the notifications for Apps folder. The only type of user who could be interested in these kind of notifications are developers working agains your API would be my guess...

I will be hoping you will not redirect me to any Clients related thread as that happened in the past and that did not bring the fix any further. I agree it belongs to Client code but in total I have already spent many hours writing to different threads over the years. Please help us this time and make this really happen. I do not know what more I can do for this. I offer again my full cooperation if more info needed.

Of course the fix suggestion #1 (the one about 'mute' paramenter) is also valid and in that point I agree it is not a trivial fix. For our needs the fix #2 is sufficient.

Best regards

Jan

Greg-DB

@Jan_Zeman Thanks for the detailed write up! I can't speak on behalf of other users or developers, but I'll make sure this post is brought to the right people.

Jan_Zeman

Hi @Greg-DB, Thank you very much for this, very appreciated. We put a huge amount of hope that the suggestion #2 can be done in a foreseeable time. I will try to follow up in this thread in 6-8 weeks. Many thanks again! Jan

Jan_Zeman

Hello @Greg-DB, It is 2 months since we discussed the topic. I promissed to follow-up so I am doing so here. Was there any follow-up on Dropbox side too? Have a nice day, Jan

Greg-DB

No, unfortunately I don't have an update on this.

Jan_Zeman

OK, thanks for the truth. Is there any chance at all it can be ever processed? 2 months ago you mentioned the "right people" - have you ever received any feedback from them? Can you please share any details? Have a nice day, Jan

Greg-DB

I'm afraid I don't have any details or a potential timeline to share. This issue is open with the team, but I don't have any feedback on it.

Jan_Zeman

Is there not any chance to stress out how SIMPLE the suggested change is? It is one of two lines of code changes in the desktop client code. I am a team lead myself - deciding about task priorities is my weekly job - and the time estimation is an important factor in our never ending (re)prioritization effort.

I guess you have a very similar ticketing system as every other company. Do I interpret it correctly that you opened the ticket by the team and there was an absolutly zero reaction from their side? Or did anybody at least put one single comment on that ticket? Has anybody at least considered the suggested change?

Thanks again for forwarding this, Jan

Greg-DB

My understanding is that it is not in fact a particularly simple change.

In any case, I'm afraid I don't have any news on this. Apologies I can't be more helpful!

Jan_Zeman

Hello @Greg-DB, I am very sorry for not giving up and please do not take it personally but what hints lead to to "understanding that it is not in fact a particularly simple change"?

Greg-DB

Based on the internal information available to me (the code, etc.), it appears it will not be a trivial fix.

Jan_Zeman

And would it please be possible to share a hint about that internal information reasoning? Not the whole answer (that would break the internal concept) but its very basic idea?

Your client code already has that functionality built-in. Please see the attached screenshot:

Selective Sync.png

All what is needed is to disable that "Apps" folder by default. Your programmer would simply simulate the action each your user is forced to do manually on the UI exposed. That is all. I cannot think about a much simpler programming task than this...

IF (folder == "Apps") THEN uncheck the default pre-selection // And even better hide the Apps folder from this view completely. Users do NOT want to be notified about internal APPS communication.

Greg-DB

No, I'm afraid I can't share any internal information. Apologies I can't be of more use! I'll be sure to reply here if/when I have any useful information to share.