Enable tracking in user profiles

Enable tracking in user profiles

by Dave Stone -
Number of replies: 2

Moodle v2.5

I want to enable the forum tracking setting ('Yes, highlight new posts for me') in every user's profile.
The default for this option to be disabled.

I can't do it by uploading a CSV file - the setting is not included in the fields that are recognised.

I can't go into each profile and manually change it - too many users.

What I could possibly do is give the school's tech guys a SQL query and tell them to run it, if I also gave them pack of biscuits.

So what is the query that could enable this option for all users?

And just to clarify, I can then forcefully enable or disable tracking on individual forms, right?

Thanks.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Dave Stone

Re: Enable tracking in user profiles

by Andrew Lyons -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi Dave,

This isn't really the intention of the feature. It has always been designed to be opt-in.

Once a user selects to enable forum tracking (or you enable them en bulk), this would allow forum tracking but not force it. The user can still disable it either in their profile for all forums, or on a per-forum basis from the Forum administration block.

Technically you can easily update all forum tracking settings by running a single SQL query.

UPDATE mdl_user SET track_forums = 1 WHERE id > 2;

(Note, the table name may be slightly different based on a prefix set by your administrator. For example, it could just be user, or m_user).

Andrew

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Andrew Lyons

Re: Enable tracking in user profiles

by Dave Stone -

Thanks for the query. I'll go buy some biscuits.

> It has always been designed to be opt-in

All this self-customisation is one reason why Moodle is only really suitable for further education, where young adults are taking a small HANDFUL of courses, and PAYING for it. It is in their own interest to opt into all the correct things, and ensure they are getting the correct information.

In a school setting, children have no investment (or at least they don't understand the investment), and tend to avoid work at all costs. If they can change settings to disrupt their organisation and information flow, and give themselves an excuse for missing information, they will.

> this would allow forum tracking but not force it. The user can still disable it either in their profile for all forums,
> or on a per-forum basis from the Forum administration block.

I hope not - I have disabled every single customisation that I possibly can. Moodle developers don't understand that schools need a completely uniform environment, where everyone knows that everyone else is seeing exactly the same thing as they do.


One problem I anticipate is that some important forums have the teachers enrolled in the course which contains the forums, but the students are not, so they are using the forum as read-only. I'm not sure whether the tracking will work for the students in this instance. I'll try it anyway.

Average of ratings: -