Feature Request: Default personal notification settings in provisioning rules

[erklu]

Summary

Allow provisioning rules to define default personal email notification preferences for newly created users.

The purpose is to ensure that relevant notifications are enabled from the start, while still preserving user autonomy over personal settings.

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Background

Sunet Scribe supports SAML-based provisioning where users are automatically created and assigned attributes such as status and group membership.

Currently, provisioning rules can:

• Activate/deactivate users
• Assign users to groups

However, there is no way to define default personal notification settings at the time of user creation.

At the same time, the platform includes user-level notification preferences (e.g. "Transcription completed", "Upcoming file deletions"), which are important for usability and awareness.

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Problem

Without default settings:

• Users may miss important system events (e.g. completed jobs or file deletions)
• Administrators cannot guide users toward recommended notification behavior
• Onboarding becomes inconsistent across institutions

At the same time:

• These settings are personal preferences and must not be centrally enforced after initial setup

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Proposed Solution

Extend provisioning rules with a new optional section:

Default personal notifications

Example:

• Transcription completed
• Upcoming file deletions

These settings define the initial state of user notification preferences when a user is first created via provisioning.

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Expected Behavior

• Notification preferences can be defined as part of a provisioning rule

• These preferences are applied only when a user is created for the first time

• The rule sets initial defaults, not enforced policy

• If a user later changes their notification settings manually:

  • Their choices must be preserved
  • Provisioning rules must not override these changes

• On subsequent logins or SAML re-provisioning:

  • Notification settings must not be reset or modified

• Existing users in the system:

  • Must not be affected when this feature is introduced

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UI Considerations

Add a new grouped section under Actions:

Account status

• Activate user
• Deactivate user

Group assignment

• Assign user to group (optional)

Default personal notifications

• Transcription completed
• Upcoming file deletions

This keeps the structure clear and avoids overloading a single action row.

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Scope and Limitations

• Applies only to personal email notification preferences
• Does not introduce centrally enforced notification policies
• Does not retroactively update existing users
• Does not override user-defined preferences

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Rationale

This approach balances:

• Institutional onboarding needs (sensible defaults)
• User autonomy (full control after creation)