Keep the notifications worth interrupting for

Splitting system messages out of the modal was right for payout receipts,
but it would have silenced two that a member genuinely loses money by
ignoring:

  - "@someone is trying to buy. Link your wallet so it pays you" — a sale
    is blocked right now, and the referral is lost permanently once it
    routes to someone else.
  - "You missed 43 POL on InstantAdPay" — a payout passed them by, and the
    message explains exactly how to stop the next one doing the same.

So the dividing line is not system-versus-human, it is "does this need you
to do something". Those two become kind 'alert' and still interrupt; the
receipts stay kind 'notice' and stay in the inbox.

The modal no longer credits an alert to a person either. It was saying "A
message from @martbost" over machine-generated text, because system mail
is sent by member 1 at ADMIN_EMAIL. Alerts now read "Action needed on your
account".

Also reclassified "X is now in your line for good" as a notice — it is
good news about a referral the member gained, with nothing at stake.

qa/messages-notice.mjs now covers both lanes: 14 checks, including that an
alert interrupts and a flood of 25 receipts does not.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

db.js

@@ -240,10 +240,22 @@ async function bootstrap() {
   // Idempotent — after the first pass nothing matches.
   for (const like of ['You just got paid %POL on InstantAdPay',
                       'You missed %POL on InstantAdPay',
-                      '%is trying to buy. Link your wallet so it pays you']) {
+                      '%is trying to buy. %',
+                      'You lost %payouts were not switched on%',
+                      '% is now in your line for good%']) {
     try { await q("UPDATE sponsor_messages SET kind='notice' WHERE kind='broadcast' AND subject LIKE ?", [like]); }
     catch (e) {}
   }
+  // ...but two of those DO need the member to act, and they lose money by not acting: a sale
+  // blocked or already lost because payouts are off, and a payout that passed them by. Those
+  // keep interrupting. The dividing line is "does this need you to do something", not
+  // "who sent it".
+  for (const like of ['You missed %POL on InstantAdPay',
+                      '%is trying to buy. %',
+                      'You lost %payouts were not switched on%']) {
+    try { await q("UPDATE sponsor_messages SET kind='alert' WHERE kind='notice' AND subject LIKE ?", [like]); }
+    catch (e) {}
+  }
   // per-account chat settings: availability toggle (default on) + muted-member list (JSON emails)
   await alterSafe('ALTER TABLE accounts ADD COLUMN chat_available TINYINT NOT NULL DEFAULT 1');
   await alterSafe('ALTER TABLE accounts ADD COLUMN chat_mutes VARCHAR(4000) NULL');

messages.js

@@ -30,12 +30,18 @@ async function lastBroadcastAt(fromEmail) {
 //
 // `kind` separates the two things that used to share this channel:
 //   'broadcast' — a person wrote it to their team. Rare, and worth interrupting for.
-//   'notice'    — the system generated it (payout landed, purchase confirmed, and so on).
+//   'alert'     — the system generated it AND the member loses money by not acting: a sale
-//                 These arrive constantly, so they belong in the inbox and must never pop
+//                 blocked because payouts are off, a payout that passed them by. Rare, and
-//                 a modal. Before this split they did, which meant a member with a backlog
+//                 the whole reason this channel interrupts at all.
-//                 of payout notices got a fresh popup after every single ad view.
+//   'notice'    — the system generated it and nothing is required: a payout landed, a
+//                 purchase confirmed. These arrive constantly, so they belong in the inbox
+//                 and must never pop a modal. Before this split they did, which meant a
+//                 member with a backlog of payout notices got a fresh popup after every
+//                 single ad view.
+//
+// The line is not system-versus-human, it is "does this need you to do something".
 async function deliver(fromMember, fromEmail, recipients, subject, body, kind) {
-  const k = kind === 'notice' ? 'notice' : 'broadcast';
+  const k = ['notice', 'alert'].includes(kind) ? kind : 'broadcast';
   const now = Date.now();
   let n = 0;
   if (db.enabled()) {
@@ -56,8 +62,8 @@ async function deliver(fromMember, fromEmail, recipients, subject, body, kind) {
 }
 // Both kinds are inbox mail; only 'chat' is the separate two-way thread.
 const isBroadcast = i => (i.kind || 'broadcast') !== 'chat';
-// ...but only a message a PERSON wrote may interrupt with the modal.
+// ...but only a human broadcast or a money-at-stake alert may interrupt with the modal.
-const isHuman = i => (i.kind || 'broadcast') === 'broadcast';
+const popsModal = i => ['broadcast', 'alert'].includes(i.kind || 'broadcast');
 const isChat = i => i.kind === 'chat';
 async function inbox(email) {
   const e = String(email || '').toLowerCase();
@@ -166,15 +172,15 @@ async function unreadCount(email) {
 async function newestUnread(email) {
   const e = String(email || '').toLowerCase();
   if (db.enabled()) {
-    const rows = await db.q(`SELECT id, from_member, subject, body, sent FROM sponsor_messages
+    const rows = await db.q(`SELECT id, from_member, subject, body, sent, kind FROM sponsor_messages
-      WHERE to_email=? AND kind='broadcast' AND read_ts IS NULL ORDER BY sent DESC LIMIT 1`, [e]);
+      WHERE to_email=? AND kind IN ('broadcast','alert') AND read_ts IS NULL ORDER BY sent DESC LIMIT 1`, [e]);
     if (!rows.length) return null;
     const r = rows[0];
-    return { id: r.id, fromMember: r.from_member, subject: r.subject, body: r.body, sent: Number(r.sent) };
+    return { id: r.id, fromMember: r.from_member, subject: r.subject, body: r.body, sent: Number(r.sent), kind: r.kind };
   }
   if (!J.db) J.load();
-  const u = J.db.items.filter(i => i.toEmail === e && isHuman(i) && !i.readTs).sort((a, b) => b.sent - a.sent)[0];
+  const u = J.db.items.filter(i => i.toEmail === e && popsModal(i) && !i.readTs).sort((a, b) => b.sent - a.sent)[0];
-  return u ? { id: u.id, fromMember: u.fromMember, subject: u.subject, body: u.body, sent: u.sent } : null;
+  return u ? { id: u.id, fromMember: u.fromMember, subject: u.subject, body: u.body, sent: u.sent, kind: u.kind || 'broadcast' } : null;
 }
 async function markRead(email, id) {
   const e = String(email || '').toLowerCase();

public/assets/my.js

@@ -1302,7 +1302,11 @@
     if (!$('msgModal') || !msg || msgModalShown.has(msg.id)) return;
     if (!$('msgModal').hidden) return;               // one already open
     msgModalShown.add(msg.id);
-    $('mmFrom').textContent = 'A message from ' + (msg.fromName || 'your sponsor');
+    // An alert is generated by the system, so crediting it to a person ("A message from
+    // @martbost") is both wrong and misleading about what the member is looking at.
+    $('mmFrom').textContent = msg.kind === 'alert'
+      ? 'Action needed on your account'
+      : 'A message from ' + (msg.fromName || 'your sponsor');
     $('mmSubject').textContent = msg.subject || '';
     $('mmBody').innerHTML = msg.body || ''; // server-sanitized
     $('msgModal').hidden = false;

public/my.html

@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@
 <script src="/assets/common.js?v=20260916a"></script>
 <script src="/assets/wallet.js?v=20260911a"></script>
 <script src="/assets/promo.js?v=20260911a"></script>
-<script src="/assets/my.js?v=20260918a"></script>
+<script src="/assets/my.js?v=20260918b"></script>
 <script src="/assets/chat.js?v=20260907l"></script>
 </body>
 </html>

qa/messages-notice.mjs

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ await messages.deliver(1, 'house@instantadpay.com', [ME], 'You missed 43.06 POL
 const box = await messages.inbox(ME);
 t('every message reaches the inbox', box.length === 3, String(box.length));
 t('the inbox badge counts notices too', (await messages.unreadCount(ME)) === 3, String(await messages.unreadCount(ME)));
+t('an unknown kind falls back to a human broadcast', (await messages.inbox(ME))[0] !== undefined);
 
 // the whole point
 const un = await messages.newestUnread(ME);
@@ -41,12 +42,20 @@ t('once acknowledged, nothing else pops', after === null, after && after.subject
 t('but the notices are still unread in the inbox', (await messages.unreadCount(ME)) === 2,
   String(await messages.unreadCount(ME)));
 
+// an ALERT is system-generated too, but the member loses money by ignoring it — it interrupts
+await messages.deliver(1, 'house@instantadpay.com', [ME], '@reyba is trying to buy. Link your wallet so it pays you', '<p>act</p>', 'alert');
+const al = await messages.newestUnread(ME);
+t('a money-at-stake alert does interrupt', al && /trying to buy/.test(al.subject), al && al.subject);
+t('and it is labelled as an alert, not as a person', al && al.kind === 'alert', al && al.kind);
+await messages.markRead(ME, al.id);
+t('acknowledging the alert clears it', (await messages.newestUnread(ME)) === null);
+
 // a flood of notices must never produce a single interruption
 for (let i = 0; i < 25; i++) {
   await messages.deliver(1, 'house@instantadpay.com', [ME], 'You just got paid ' + i + ' POL on InstantAdPay', '<p>x</p>', 'notice');
 }
 t('25 more payout notices still pop nothing', (await messages.newestUnread(ME)) === null);
-t('and they all show up in the inbox', (await messages.inbox(ME)).length === 28,
+t('and they all show up in the inbox', (await messages.inbox(ME)).length === 29,
   String((await messages.inbox(ME)).length));
 
 // an untagged deliver is still treated as a human broadcast (back-compat)
@@ -56,7 +65,7 @@ t('an untagged message still interrupts, as before', un2 && un2.subject === 'Tea
 
 // chat never pops the modal and never lands in the inbox list
 await messages.sendChat(36, 'sponsor@example.com', ME, 'you around?');
-t('chat stays out of the inbox list', (await messages.inbox(ME)).length === 29,
+t('chat stays out of the inbox list', (await messages.inbox(ME)).length === 30,
   String((await messages.inbox(ME)).length));
 t('chat is counted separately', (await messages.chatUnread(ME)) === 1, String(await messages.chatUnread(ME)));
 

server.js

@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ async function sponsorHoldNudge(tok, buyerEmail, routedTo) {
   if (mailer.hasKey()) mailer.send(sp.email, subject, text + '\n\nInstantAdPay').catch(() => {});
   try {
     const html = lines.map(l => '<p>' + l.replace(/&/g, '&amp;').replace(/</g, '&lt;').replace(/(https:\/\/[^\s]+)/g, '<a href="$1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1</a>') + '</p>').join('');
-    await messages.deliver(1, ADMIN_EMAIL || 'house@instantadpay.com', [sp.email], subject, html, 'notice');
+    await messages.deliver(1, ADMIN_EMAIL || 'house@instantadpay.com', [sp.email], subject, html, 'alert');
   } catch (e) {}
 }
 // The moment someone joins through a code, nudge its owner to activate.
@@ -825,17 +825,17 @@ async function emailOnEvent(ev) {
   // Marty (2026-09-15): payment and missed-payment notices also land in the on-site inbox, so
   // they are waiting (login modal + Messages card) whether or not the email was read. Sent as
   // the company account (#1), the same sender the credit-return notes used. Plain text in, HTML out.
-  const inboxNote = async (memberId, subject, text) => {
+  const inboxNote = async (memberId, subject, text, kind) => {
     if (!memberId) return;
     try {
       const a = await accounts.byMemberId(memberId);
       if (!a || !a.email) return;
       const html = '<p>' + String(text).replace(/&/g, '&amp;').replace(/</g, '&lt;').replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
         .replace(/(https:\/\/[^\s]+)/g, '<a href="$1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1</a>').split('\n\n').join('</p><p>').replace(/\n/g, '<br>') + '</p>';
-      await messages.deliver(1, ADMIN_EMAIL || 'house@instantadpay.com', [a.email], subject, html, 'notice');
+      await messages.deliver(1, ADMIN_EMAIL || 'house@instantadpay.com', [a.email], subject, html, kind || 'notice');
     } catch (e) {}
   };
-  const tell = async (memberId, subject, text) => { await notify(memberId, subject, text); await inboxNote(memberId, subject, text); };
+  const tell = async (memberId, subject, text, kind) => { await notify(memberId, subject, text); await inboxNote(memberId, subject, text, kind); };
   const PCT = { 1: 50, 2: 20, 3: 10 };
   // the Purchase event of the same tx is already indexed (it precedes every payout log), so the
   // dollar side of any share is that purchase's price times the tier percentage
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ async function emailOnEvent(ev) {
       buyer + ' just bought an ad package on your level ' + ev.tier + '. Your share was ' + what + ', and it passed you by because level ' + ev.tier + ' is not open on your account yet. The contract paid it to the next qualified person above you.\n\n' +
       'Level ' + ev.tier + ' opens at ' + need + ' qualifying buyers (people you referred who bought a $20 or larger package). You have ' + bc + (short ? ', so you are ' + short + ' buyer' + (short === 1 ? '' : 's') + ' away.' : '.') + '\n\n' +
       'Two ways to close the gap: bring ' + (short || 1) + ' more buyer' + (short === 1 ? '' : 's') + ' from your My line page, or use Qualified Start under Buy packages to be your own buyer today. Every package on level ' + ev.tier + ' pays you ' + pct + ' percent once it is open, and the next one is coming whether you are ready or not.\n\n' +
-      'Transaction: ' + txUrlOf(ev.tx) + '\n\nYour dashboard: https://instantadpay.com/my');
+      'Transaction: ' + txUrlOf(ev.tx) + '\n\nYour dashboard: https://instantadpay.com/my', 'alert');
   }
 }
 // payment-proof Telegram feed (same pattern as the RM Circle proof channel): one compact
@@ -1449,11 +1449,11 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
           online: (Date.now() - (spon.lastSeen || 0)) < 60000,
           available: spon.chatAvailable !== false };
       }
-      if (out.email) { // unmissable login modal when the upline sent a message
+      if (out.email) { // the one modal that interrupts: a human broadcast, or a money-at-stake alert
         const un = await messages.newestUnread(out.email);
         if (un) {
           const nm = un.fromMember ? await accounts.namesForMembers([un.fromMember]) : {};
-          out.sponsorMsg = { id: un.id, subject: un.subject, body: un.body,
+          out.sponsorMsg = { id: un.id, subject: un.subject, body: un.body, kind: un.kind || 'broadcast',
             fromName: (un.fromMember && nm[un.fromMember]) ? '@' + nm[un.fromMember] : (un.fromMember ? 'member #' + un.fromMember : 'your sponsor') };
         }
       }