better syntax

notifier/settings.py

@@ -203,4 +203,4 @@ LOCALE_PATHS = (os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)), 'locale
 # Parameterize digest logo image url
 LOGO_IMAGE_URL = os.getenv('LOGO_IMAGE_URL', "{}/static/images/edx-theme/edx-header-logo.png".format(LMS_URL_BASE))
 
-DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL = os.getenv('DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL', 'http://localhost:8010')
\ No newline at end of file
+DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL = os.getenv('DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL', '')
\ No newline at end of file

notifier/tasks.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Celery tasks for generating and sending digest emails.
 from contextlib import closing
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 import logging
-from requests import request
+import requests
 
 from boto.ses.exceptions import SESMaxSendingRateExceededError
 import celery
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ def generate_and_send_digests(users, from_dt, to_dt):
                 msgs.append(msg)
             if msgs:
                 cx.send_messages(msgs)
-            request("POST", settings.DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL)
+            if settings.DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL:
+                requests.post(settings.DEAD_MANS_SNITCH_URL)
     except (CommentsServiceException, SESMaxSendingRateExceededError) as e:
         # only retry if no messages were successfully sent yet.
         if not any((getattr(msg, 'extra_headers', {}).get('status') == 200 for msg in msgs)):