How can I see posts since my last visit?

[JVegVT]

I am beyond frustrated with this forum software! I don't get here every day--more like every three days or so. I want to read all messages posted since my last visit. I thought that clicking on Get Posts, New would show me messages I haven't yet read. Today I discovered that's not so.

I was clicking on the little down arrow to the left of a thread title, thinking it would take me to the first message I hadn't read. But that's not what's happening. I've read several threads listed in Get Posts, New today and discovered there were bunches of messages I hadn't read that were passed up when I clicked on the little arrow.

I had suspected this was happening before; today I'm sure.

Also, I have no idea what the display modes mean. I found Threaded Mode very difficult to follow because it seemed to mix new messages with old. What's Hybrid Mode? What's Linear Mode?

So can somebody explain how I can view just the messages I haven't seen since the last time I logged in?

I really don't like this forum software, but maybe if I had a better idea of how to use it I could get used to it.
--Judy M.

[Andrew B.]

If you are having trouble with threaded mode, I suggest trying linear. With Linear the messages appear in the order they were posted, and you can always tell which direction to move in to find newer or older. Also, if you are not sure who a message is replying to, click on the link that says "Go To Parent Msg." to check. Then just use whatever "back" feature you prefer in your browser get back to where you were.

Another thing, in linear mode the easiest way to reply is by using the quote button of the message you want to reply to. If you don't feel like having the quote there, just delete it.

[donmcc]

Originally Posted by JVegVT

I am beyond frustrated with this forum software! I don't get here every day--more like every three days or so. I want to read all messages posted since my last visit. I thought that clicking on Get Posts, New would show me messages I haven't yet read. Today I discovered that's not so.

The software takes a bit of getting used to. The trick is in the color of the icons next to the messages, as well as those at forum topic level. If you back out of the "breadcrumbs" at the top of the list correctly, you will see the color change when you visit a topic and read it.

I wish you could go directly from a post to "Discussions" without stopping at the section heading first, but if you do this, the icons at the Discussions level do not change to reflect that you have finished with that section.

I'd give it some time before doing anything radical (personally I would find a linear arrangement confusing.)

Don McCahill

[annc]

Originally Posted by JVegVT

I want to read all messages posted since my last visit. I thought that clicking on Get Posts, New would show me messages I haven't yet read. Today I discovered that's not so.

Generally speaking, that's the way to do it, Judy.
However, the cookies that keep track of this expire after a certain amount of time, so that if you wander off and have a meal before you finish reading all the new messages, those that are still unread when you return will no longer show as unread, and will be replaced by new messages posted since the cookies expired. This can also mean that some messages never quite make it to the New list.

The technique I use is to use the Get Posts > New first, and if I am distracted while readin and therefore don't get them all read before the cookies expire, when I've read all the posts using that filter, I do a Get Posts > Today and look to see if there are any with a Last post time earlier than the ones I've just been viewing in Get Posts > New. I quickly scan those in the thread window in Hybrid view to see which fall in the window of time that I'm currently reading, and click on the title of the first to see it and all those following in the sub-thread in the enclosing window.

I repeat this for all the threads that fit the window of time I'm capturing.

This technique works well for me, and I need to read every message on the board.

Originally Posted by JVegVT

Also, I have no idea what the display modes mean. I found Threaded Mode very difficult to follow because it seemed to mix new messages with old. What's Hybrid Mode? What's Linear Mode?

Linear mode shows all messages in the topic, in a single sequence. It works the same way as the CompuServe software.

Threaded mode shows the thread tree at the top of the screen, with the currently viewed message immediately below it. To go to the next message in the thread, you simply click on it in the thread tree. This is more or less how the old CompuServe web view worked.

Hybrid mode shows you the thread tree at the top of the screen, then all the messages in either the thread or the sub-thread, depending on where you last clicked, in thread order rather than date/time order.

I use hybrid mode almost all the time, and now I'm accustomed to it, find it very useful. But I do have to scroll back up to the top if I'm reading a very popular thread that's had, for example, a heap of replies from you North American and European members while I've been asleep.

[JVegVT]

I appreciate the replies, but I'm more confused than ever. :-(

I understand how the forum is supposed to work in theory, but I just don't see what I should see in practice. For example, when I clicked on Get New today, this thread didn't come up at all. If I hadn't looked for it specifically after I finished what were supposed to be all the new posts, I would have missed these entirely--and they were what I particularly wanted.

What bothers me is that I'm missing new posts regularly. I simply can't trust "show new" to show me all the new posts since my last visit. So I never know if I've really seen everything. If I choose one day or two days or three days, I have to view posts I've already read.

Another awful thing--I once overshot the back button and lost my search results for Show New and couldn't get them back. So when I tried Show New again, it missed ALL those posts as if it considered I'd already read them. So I had to go back two days or three days and wade through posts I'd already read. Now I live in terror of losing the search results for New and having to go through this inefficiency all over again.

Threaded and hybrid work as I thought they did but hoped they didn't. I don't like hybrid because there's too much going back up to the top. All that scrolling drives me nuts. Threaded confuses me because it seems to mix old and new and I don't see why I should have to keep track of the date in my mind as I'm deciding whether or not I've read something. But maybe I still don't have it straight. I'm using linear because at least the new stuff is clustered and I don't have to go up and down to read the next message.

Oh well--maybe I'll catch on eventually. Or maybe the software and I are just a bad fit and I'll have to put up with it.

Thanks again.
--Judy M.

[JVegVT]

>> The trick is in the color of the icons next to the messages, as well as those at forum topic level. >>

I don't see any icons next to the messages when I'm reading them that would indicate I've already read a message. The icons that are supposed to show new messages seem to be on the topic list, which is on a different page.

I just find it very hard to separate what I've already read from what I haven't, and I KNOW I'm missing some new messages, as I described in my reply to Ann.

It seems to me that the software should be tracking exactly the messages I've read, not tracking them vaguely. The much-maligned CompuServe software does, and the very simple phpBB used on other boards in which I participate does. So far it's only here that I can't figure out how to get the software to show me reliably all the messages I haven't read.
--Judy M.

[JVegVT]

>> in linear mode the easiest way to reply is by using the quote button of the message you want to reply to. >>

Why is that easier than clicking on Quick Reply? When I click on Quote the quote takes up most of the window and I have to waste time wiping too much out. I think it's easier to just highlight, copy, and paste the relevant sentences.

If I want to attach something, I can then click on Go Advanced.
--Judy M.

[Franca]

Why is that easier than clicking on Quick Reply?

It isn't, IMO. We all have our own ways of getting around in here. <g>

FWIW, I usually do what you do, unless the original message is short and can be quoted without editing. I also may be the only one here who prefers Threaded mode. Just have to be different, I guess!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by JVegVT

I am beyond frustrated with this forum software!

I'm beginning to get the hang of using it. My method, which may well not be the best is to:

1) go to the discussions page.
2) look at the icons for each discussion section. For any icons that indicate unread messages (i.e. they are an orange-ish colour):
3) Open the discussion section in a new window (right-click)
4) Then look for any thread with unread messages (open envelope and they're at the top of the list).
5) Open the thread in a new window and click 'view first unread'

Once I've finished with a thread or section I close the window. Having the multiple windows helps me keep track of where I am and what I'm doing.

[terrie]

Judy...I have my prefs set for Linear with oldest first...and use the "Get Posts" > "New Posts" so that a master list is created and then I rightclick/open new window on the little down arrow icon to the left of the thread title which takes me to the first unread post...I read/reply that thread and then close the window which takes me back to my master list...

Now...up until a day or two ago, that worked for me just fine...I always got the new posts, never missing a post...

The other day, I happened to open the portal page (http://desktoppublishingforum.com/ )--I always come in that way because my browser (Netscape 7.1) remembers the url and I just have to type "d" and the rest is filled in--anyway...

I opened the portal page but didn't actually come into the forum until a few hours later and I experienced *exactly* what you are describing...clicking on the "show first unread message" didn't take me to the first unread message, it took me 2-3 posts down--as in later in the day...

The only thing that I can figure is that in going to the portal page, even though I'd not actually visited the forum itself, started the clock ticking...it was weird...

By the way...I never log out of the forum, I just close the window...

Not sure if this helps you at all...

Terrie