Is there a way to subscribe to site/an articles database?

[Meddysong]

I know that users can indicate that they wish to follow individual nodes. You want to find out when a new article in the cars category is posted? No problem; click follow on that category.

I've just produced a new site for someone and the granular approach of "the user indicates what they want to follow and how they wish to receive these notifications" isn't going down very well. What they want is for people simply to be able to receive new articles to their inboxes. (In fact, they were talking about typing in an email address to subscribe for new articles.)

It's a bit  more complicated on this site because there are three articles databases. I have no way of explaining the technicalities to these people. They just had an expectation that the site they were getting would function like the ones they remember. (They also wanted a hit counter at the bottom of the page! I managed to get around that one, fortunately!)

Is there functionality within the site which allows for this? I recall seeing a "sign up to get our newsletter" widget. Does that do something similar? I don't think I've ever seen it explained what that does.

[opentype]

There is no stock feature for that, but maybe someone like Adriano would create it as a plugin? He has several plugins like that already, like Auto Subscribe to Clubs. 

[Meddysong]

I'll ask a dev to look into it, I think.

[Joel R]

@Adriano FariaFaria has a plugin that I use for Auto Follow content for new members.  I use it.  

You can use it to set up default follows to your page categories.  

 

The other approach is to use Newsletters by @HeadStand.  You create a newsletter that includes the latest x articles and it's emailed out.  

 

[Meddysong]

Thank you, Joel. That might just do the trick 🙂

The problem I've got is that the person who ordered the site is approaching 70, her husband 80, and so anything new-fangled is a bit beyond them. "But why can't I just type my email address in and receive everything in my inbox?", which is the way that sites that they know work (because they don't have squillions of followable content types). I'm sure they still won't be happy that they can't just do what they wanted to do but this could well appease them.