I think this button is no longer meaningful, and is overloaded with demands that it works as a special case for thread subscription, and a way to show the author you installed this hack, but the author no longer is allowd to know who you are unless you reply...

So the button, IMHO, should be replaced with another called something like "Track this hack" or "Track changes", so it's clear that clicking it will notify you about updates.

Then, allow the users the option to thank the author with the thank you tool:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=63368

This will let the author know who likes it and doesn't mind saying so, and avoids too many thank you posts or "member/installs" posts, since many hacks have several pages of just thank you, and it becomes hard for members searching for tips and trouble shooting history.

There is nothing wrong with "thank you" posts. It is nice to be appreciated. :)

Simply change "Install" to "Installed", and "Uninstall" to "Uninstalled" (or "Removed").

I hate the idea of "Track ....", I don't think many people would click a so named button/Link.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like them :) In the past I've released some free tools and added a note saying "If you like this tool, please send me a post card from your city". That was way before the internet :)

But because many members now know that you as an author no longer have any idea they installed the hack, even if they clicked the install button, there's more and more of them "/clicks install" and "thank you" posts.

The thank you hack simply combines all those into a single post. This frees up a few pages from long threads, so it's easier to find Q&A posts.

But if even that's not happening, I'd rather see those posts than nothing at all.

There's nothing wrong with people being greatful for your mods. Even if install is not clicked, it's those "thank you" posts that give you another indication of how popular your mod is. Even so, people can click install and never install it, just as people can post thank you and never install it also.

If you want exact stats, just count those thank you post, and there's your "hopeful" install number. :p

I think you haven't read my last post. There's nothing wrong with them. Except they didn't have to do it before, since they knew the author was allowed to see it. But thanks to the "security enhancements", now they have to post if they wanted you to know. So the thank you tool can cut down on the number of pages in the thread.

Perhaps a way to get people to click the install button would be to require them to click it before they can download the hack ;)

Satan

That asumes that you will actually install it after you download.

Even if you un-install it after testing it, you've still installed it :p

Satan

Maybe someone looks at your install instructions and decide not to install it. I download many hacks, just to look at them. I never install any.

in my eyes we can remove that button completely.

i mean there is a text link in the hackinfo template which explains the functionality better, the button is just redundant, but it's kept for those lazy ones who don't want to click on new links on vb.org ^^