Can notifications be less... intrusive?

How about icons with numbers next to them? When you have a new medal, or reply, or continuation of a discussion to which you contributed, the little icon will light up and the number will increase:

Illustration of Suggestion:

* = medals
+ = reply to question a user asks
& = continuation to question which a user answered, but did not ask

By default you'd have

*(104) +(0) &(0)

Then someone would give you a medal , and you'd have two replies to your question, and 5 replies to a question you answered:

*(105) +(2) &(5)

Question

Can notifications be less... intrusive?

How about icons with numbers next to them?  When you have a new medal, or reply, or continuation of a discussion to which you contributed, the little icon will light up and the number will increase:

Illustration of Suggestion:

* = medals
+ = reply to question a user asks
& = continuation to question which a user answered, but did not ask

By default you'd have

*(104) +(0)  &(0)

Then someone would give you a medal , and you'd have two replies to your question, and 5 replies to a question you answered:

*(105) +(2) &(5)

mathteacher1729 · Answer

When you click on each, it would give a little pull-down menu (which would scroll if needed) that would take you the individual replies, medals, etc, or your general 'inbox' = 'detailed profile page'. :)

farmdawgnation · Answer

Thanks for the suggestion! Please consider adding it to the user voice account by clicking the red feedback tab to the left. Feature suggestions are better there, at least right now, because people can vote on them.

Shadowfiend or someone else may respond on here later with a more detailed response - but I just wanted to make sure that you knew your suggestion was received. :)