The Android Design guide on notifications is quite good as well, with tips like prefer ones that are time sensitive and have to do with other people:
<a href="http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/notifications.html" rel="nofollow">http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/notifications.h...</a><p>Android notifications can be triggered by push messages, but also just system alarms that trigger the app at certain times and other events the app listens for.
While the tone of the post is nice, I'd pretty much delete and one-star apps that use these practices (aren't push ads banned on iOS?). Push ads are not welcome even if you're just saying Happy Birthday.
Please <i>don't</i> send happy birthday push notifications. That feels rather creepy and would get you uninstalled from my phone, and I'm sure many others, immediately.
> During the holiday season or on birthdays send a simple, “Happy Thanksgiving from Parse,” or “Happy Birthday. You’re Awesome,” instead of, “Save 15% on everything today only.”<p>Don't ever do this. I don't feel good because you send me a notification wishing me happy birthday. It doesn't make me feel good about the other notifications you send, it makes me resent you for being overly personable and adding clutter to my notifications.<p>Notify me of things I <i>need</i> or <i>really want</i> to be notified of. Nothing else.
Why is those kind of spammy article are on HN? Even the content is shit. Pushing messages like this Is the best way to get your app deleted from the user phone