This is kinda possible now, if a user comments on an idea, and has "Receive comment updates" enabled in their settings.

> This feature is something we’re actively investigating and trying to shape to fit your needs.
> ... how you’d use it is key to making it rock!

What do you mean, how we'd use it?!? We'd allow our users to follow a suggestion without voting for it.

Actively investigating since August 17, 2012?!?

Participation in my UseVoice forums is abysmal, mostly because of the following problems:

1. A user who files a new suggestion is not automatically subscribed to receive comments to his/her own idea so he/she never knows if anyone else is participating and does not return to the forum.

2. It's not clear for another commenting user that he/she needs to subscribe to the notifications in the 'Settings'. It'd be alot better if the system reminded to subscribe right at the time of the comment submission. Otherwise the user also never knows what is going on in the forum and does not come back.

3. I, as admin, don't have a simple way to invite my users (those who logged in previously) to check out a new suggestion. If this can't be done in UseVoice right now would it be possible to add G+ sharing? At least in G+ I have a circle of my users.

I really want my forum to be active and more self sustaining where users don't miss important discussions but this is not working at the moment.

Also as some other users mentioned, it is possible you start to enter a suggestion, see it is already in the pipleline, have nothing to add (except a vote) and then want to keep on top of the progress.

And naturally it is a good way to drive people back to the site.

One simple user of this as I see it is to subsribe to 'actions'; for instance comments by other users, comments by developers, new votes, and most importantly updates on progress especially implementation (e.g. let me know when this is a new/beta feature)

I would also add that if I create or comment on an idea the system should automatically subscribe me to future comments. Please add this as my new users that are not familiar with UserVoice settings never get notified on their own ideas.

http://feedback.uservoice.com/forums/1-general-feedback/suggestions/709304-add-option-to-turn-on-users-receive-comment-updat
http://feedback.uservoice.com/forums/1-general-feedback/suggestions/3013729-add-an-email-this-idea-link-in-ideas

Any chance of an admin update?
The last one was almost 2 years ago.

I would love it if when you incorporated this feature that it be displayed on the open ideas Dashboard graph. Possibly as a 'Starred' title, so I can then see how many ideas I've viewed, read and understood. I find myself duplicating my work by scrolling through trying to find ideas. If I could star them, then see how many out of all the ideas I've viewed it would allow me to simplify my work.

Active users soon use up all their votes, but want to be kept updated about progess/comments on other ideas.
We have quite a small community of users so anything to remind people to come back to the site is great.

We've had a lot of requests from our users to be able to "follow" an idea without having comment or use a vote for the idea. This makes a lot of sense for our organization, because we have really pushed the commenting and status-updating aspect of the system as another way to keep our product development as transparent as possible.

This came up in a project recently where UserVoice was being used to present a group with a couple hundred ideas that they needed to prioritize. Users asked if there was a way to tag or mark an idea as a way of saying "I've seen this, I'm not interested" and move on. Because the list of ideas is dynamic [as others come into the system and vote on ideas] there's no way for someone to know where they left off, so to speak, if they're trying to review the full body of ideas in the system and distribute their votes accordingly.

Our workaround was to provide the users with the csv extract of all of the ideas in the system, across all of the forums being used for the project. The csv file served as a checklist for their work - then, they went into UserVoice to apply their votes. It certainly created some extra work, so I would support some built-in mechanism that was simple for users.

I would also support a subscription/notification system that allowed a user to "follow" an idea they do not support or have not commented on. They're not really a supporter, they're just tracking or following the idea.

yes, yes!!

Is this going to get done any time soon? There are plenty of suggestions I want to keep track of but don't have enough votes for.

watching

Yes please!

What she said! Especially:

"admins could be able to 'sticky' important topics permanently into users' watch-lists. Could be handy for ensuring every contributor knows the latest announcements, answers to FAQs, forum rule-changes, etc."

and "a Watch-List on display under the Votes-section would make obvious sense, as would optional email notifications"

Please! And 522 votes and the last response from UV is Sept 2010--WTF??!

Seems like a sensible thing to have.

As has been said, if users are out of votes, but aren't comfortable commenting, there is currently no way for us to keep apprised of developments. Conversely, If users are against an idea or are undecided - and don't feel able to comment usefully - there is, again, no way for us to keep track. Putting +1 or -1 as a comment is not uncommon, but it's just an untidy workaround, rather than a solution.

I can also see a second useful purpose: assuming UV wants to code it, admins could be able to 'sticky' important topics permanently into users' watch-lists. Could be handy for ensuring every contributor knows the latest announcements, answers to FAQs, forum rule-changes, etc.

In terms of usage, a Watch-List on display under the Votes-section would make obvious sense, as would optional email notifications (sent out the same way as suggestions voted for or commented on).

> Allow all users to get email notifications of new topics

Evan Hamilton wrote:

> Merging into the larger "Watch" idea...

There's a difference between:

a) following/watching something

and

b) receiving an e-mail.

(Personally, I'd be happy enough with the mail-centric approach. Some other users might prefer a web-centric approach.)

> notifications … whenever someone comments on their idea

http://uservoice.com/a/bZy4N (undated) is
'make it possible to "watch" suggestions'.

Personally I miss this feature for two reasons:
1) Sometimes I run out of votes, but still like another suggestions and would like to follow the comments and eventually when it's possible give it some votes.
2) Sometimes there are some ideas that I don't want to support, but still be able to follow on the comments to see what (counter-)arguments come up.