Re: [w3c/push-api] userVisibleOnly should be standardized to match browser behaviour (#313)

This would have a negative impact on our application as well.

We use silent push notifications in many legitimate ways which improve the user experience.

For example, as a way of clearing existing notifications that are no longer relevant, but have been sent to the device. For example, in our messaging application:

1. Push sent to their mobile device > (tag: "new-message-123" title: "You have a new message")
2. User reads message on their desktop PC - notification is no longer relevant
3. "Silent push" notification is sent which is handled by our SW to clear notifications that have a tag of "new-message-123"

In addition, notifications can no longer be relevant if, for example, we ban a nuisance accounts on our site. We would want any notifications that user triggered to no longer be sent to those devices, or if they have, we want them to be cleared.

A silent push notification is the only way to do this. As there is no way of revoking push notifications that have been sent you have to implement this stuff in your own UX.

You could technically implement a "revoke-like" notification by using a `collapse_key` - updating the notification so that it converts it into a "silent" one, but who knows what rules this breaks. Also it doesn't help if the notification has already been shown on the device.

So yah, please don't blanket condemn silent push notification as some horrible nasty thing that apps do and inform users that something bad is happening. There are legitimate reasons why silent push notifications are beneficial to the end user.

It would make a lot more sense if it was more about volume - how much notifications are being sent/received. If it's beyond certain thresholds, then let the user know.

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Received on Thursday, 8 April 2021 22:35:40 UTC