What if a new post to a forum flashed a flag on each viewer's screen?

[Ernie Romers]

What if a new post to a forum flashed a flag on each viewer's screen logged to that forum, no matter which post they were viewing.

Wouldn't it prompt the viewer to click back on the index to see what was just posted. I think it would give the forum a more "lively" interactive feel.
The PM system is OK but that sort of notice would be too intrusive for ongoing functionality of the forum. More like a "new posts" emocon that flashed in the left hand margin under the screen name and avatar.

[feldon23]

The Internet doesn't work this way.

The Internet is "pull", not "push".

[goyo]

The Internet doesn't work this way.

The Internet is "pull", not "push".

Yes and no.

You could do this with some ajax "magic"...we're not there yet but that's the future. :)

[Simetrical]

It could be done with Ajax, but only by barraging the server with update requests any time someone leaves their browser open in the background and forgets about it. That might be fine for some sites, of course.

[Onimua]

It could be done with Ajax, but only by barraging the server with update requests any time someone leaves their browser open in the background and forgets about it. That might be fine for some sites, of course.

Not to mention, especially on particlarly active, not large, sites, that every time they are reading something that the screen flashes or some other annoying action.

[Ernie Romers]

Thanks for all your input!