Impossible to start reading unread thread from first post

[Dean]

Not true. Irrespective of whether I mark all forums read [or not] - the software does have a record of whether I have read a specific thread or not.

Its very simple, when I click on the title - check the thread_read table - is there any record for me, for this specific thread. If 'no' go to the 1st post, otherwise follow the existing logic.

I accurately described how it works on xf.com at this time, as seen from the users point of view.

 

[dutchbb]

Globally marking a forum has nothing to do with whether someone has actually visited every single thread within it. If you cant see that im not going to bother explaining it to you.

You don't have to explain, I get what you're saying, I just do not agree with it.

On XF, visiting a thread marks it read, the same way an email client would do it. If you haven't read everything, then you leave the email client, unread mails will remain unread. You do not click 'mark everything read' and then come back wondering why the system thinks you have read everything. Not sure why you expect this from forum software then. Maybe it's not the system that needs to change, but user behavior.

 

[Ahmed]

That is the way it is now set up.

Is it?
As I see, it works like this:

• If you have read a thread, then you'll have record you have been in that thread and you will be taken to the first unread post (That is fine).

• But when you never read a thread, and when it exceeds the mark read date, then it will have a record you you have read that thread, while actually you never read that thread, right? So when you click on a title in a thread that is older than the global mark read date, you will be taken to the first post that didn't exceed the global mark read time, am I correct? (If so, then here where all the confusion happens).

If I never read, I should be taken to the first post in that thread whether the first post in that thread is older than the mark read time or not. I hope I could explain it better.

 

[Ahmed]

It now works like this:
Does the forum have any information about you reading a thread? ***

• If no, then then clicking on the title will take you to the first post.
• If yes, then it will take you to the post that is new, to you.

***If you Mark All Forums As Read, or if you have never read a thread, then the forum software will not have information about you reading a thread... or if a thread is really old.

OK, I'm a little bit confused now.

You said clicking on the title will take you to the first post if you don't have any information about reading a thread. Then you said if you mark all forum as read, or if you have never read a thread, or if a thread is really old, then the forum software will not have information about you reading a thread.

Does marking all forums as read erase any records and information about you reading a thread? Also, when a thread reach the global default mark read time, does that remove any information about you reading a thread?

If so, then even if there are new posts after you mark all forums as read, or are newer than the mark as read time, you will be taken to the first post anyway? Is that right?

 

[HannahP]

If I never read, I should be taken to the first post in that thread whether the first post in that thread is older than the mark read time or not.

Doesn't all forum software consider old unread threads "read"? I get an email about once a year that someone replied to a thread in a forum I don't go to anymore, and when I go to the forum only the first couple dozen threads appear as unread. I thought this was pretty standard behavior.

 

[Ahmed]

Doesn't all forum software consider old unread threads "read"? I get an email about once a year that someone replied to a thread in a forum I don't go to anymore, and when I go to the forum only the first couple dozen threads appear as unread. I thought this was pretty standard behavior.

I guess so, but XF is supposed to be unique and handles things differently , right?

 

[Dean]

First of all, the thread marking system at xf.com was unchanged for a really long time. Then somewhere between the B4 an d B5 release, it was changed.

OK, I'm a little bit confused now.

You said clicking on the title will take you to the first post if you don't have any information about reading a thread. Then you said if you mark all forum as read, or if you have never read a thread, or if a thread is really old, then the forum software will not have information about you reading a thread.

Does marking all forums as read erase any records and information about you reading a thread? Also, when a thread reach the global default mark read time, does that remove any information about you reading a thread?

If so, then even if there are new posts after you mark all forums as read, or are newer than the mark as read time, you will be taken to the first post anyway? Is that right?

Bold part - yes.

One experiment you could do is to go to the test messages forum, and mark it as read. Then when new posts are made to those threads, and you click on the title, you will be taken to post #1.

If you would like to experiment more quickly you could send a PC to me and we could experiment. Obviously testing the thread marking system by posting on a forum is a bit difficult.

 

[Paul M]

You don't have to explain, I get what you're saying, I just do not agree with it.

On XF, visiting a thread marks it read, the same way an email client would do it. If you haven't read everything, then you leave the email client, unread mails will remain unread. You do not click 'mark everything read' and then come back wondering why the system thinks you have read everything. Not sure why you expect this from forum software then. Maybe it's not the system that needs to change, but user behavior.

This is a forum, not an e-mail system, they work in completely different ways, its not a valid comparison.

 

[Kier]

This is a forum, not an e-mail system, they work in completely different ways, its not a valid comparison.

But that is how this forum system works.

If you want it to maintain a record or every thread that every person has or has not ever read on a permanent basis, you can set the read data to never expire and wait for your database to fill up with $numUsers * $numThreads records.

 

[AdamD]

Now I've got used to it, I like it the way it is.
I find myself never using the Mark Forums as read link now.
I've come back to read this thread a few times and each time, it's taken me to the first new post since I last read it.

 

[Paul M]

But that is how this forum system works.

If you want it to maintain a record or every thread that every person has or has not ever read on a permanent basis, you can set the read data to never expire and wait for your database to fill up with $numUsers * $numThreads records.

Im sure I could, but then I never said I want to "maintain a record or every thread that every person has or has not ever read on a permanent basis". It wouldn't make any difference to the way it works anyway. Obviously you have no intention of changing it, so I give up. I guess I wont be able to use xf powered forums - landing in the middle of threads all the time is just not something I could stick for long.

 

[Klaas]

I can definitely understand why someone in Paul's position would post that last sentence, it makes perfect sense However after reading the whole thread it sounds to me like intellectual dishonesty.

 

[MGSteve]

Unless something has changed, this no longer is a problem.

I just clicked on the title of a unread thread on XF.com and it went to the first post.

I'm sure this didn't used to be the case, I'd even half written a reply saying I hated the way XF did this and then tested it to make sure I didn't look like a complete muppet and thankfully I did, as I would have been moaning about something it didn't do.

The original post was

All links to unread threads in the thread list are leading to the first unread post. Sometimes I want to start reading an unread thread from the first post/page, and it's simply not possible without going to the first unread post and navigating to the first post from there.

As far as I can tell, this is no longer the case, has it been addressed?

 

[Grover]

Alright except I have NEVER opened the thread. There is no reason it should take me anywhere but the first post if I have never opened the thread.

Amen. I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[Dean]

Amen. I wholeheartedly agree.

Grover, it should be working for you now.

 

[ijeffers]

I prefered it how it was, now I need to learn to click on

again I guess

Or maybe it's just the posts I'm clicking that it doesn't think I've read.

 

[Grover]

When we don't think you've read a thread (and you haven't marked the forum as read), you will be taken to the first post. Previously, you would roughly be taken to the first post within the last 28 days.

Great, this is all we needed indeed.

 

[Dean]

I prefered it how it was, now I need to learn to click on

again I guess

Or maybe it's just the posts I'm clicking that it doesn't think I've read.

The fast way to navigate, for me, is to click on 'Go To First Unread' if you happen to go to post #1 of a thread instead of where you left off... In fact many times it helps the 'oh now I remember this thread' moments to refresh my memory.

Doing that will result in identical operation as using the blue dot.

 

[ijeffers]

The fast way to navigate, for me, is to click on 'Go To First Unread' if you happen to go to post #1 of a thread instead of where you left off... In fact many times it helps the 'oh now I remember this thread' moments to refresh my memory.

Doing that will result in identical operation as using the blue dot.

Decided the quickest fix is going to be to mark all forums read and just pick up from there I think.

 

[Paul B]

Merged with the previous thread regarding this.