Impossible to start reading unread thread from first post

Just posting this:

After several weeks of using XF, and not using vB (Not active on my sites currently), I have to say going to the first post rather then the first unread thread seems much less logical, and actually a bit aggravating.

Once you have grown use to the way this system works (Without the bug), you'll appreciate it over the first post ;). 
 
Forsaken said:
Just posting this:

After several weeks of using XF, and not using vB (Not active on my sites currently), I have to say going to the first post rather then the first unread thread seems much less logical, and actually a bit aggravating.

Once you have grown use to the way this system works (Without the bug), you'll appreciate it over the first post ;).
Click to expand...

Yeah, from September on the WTN community will adopt the unread behavior we see here on XF, the community might need a bit of time adapting, but I hope they appreciate smoother browsing.
 
Going to the first UNREAD post is great.
Going to some random post somewhere incomprehensible when you haven't read ANY of the posts as you've never opened the thread before ever - is not great.
 
Did the unread statuses reset for everyone? A lot of previously read threads in my watched thread list are marked as unread for me, and opening from the first post again.
 
kmike said:
Did the unread statuses reset for everyone? A lot of previously read threads in my watched thread list are marked as unread for me, and opening from the first post again.
Click to expand...
That is a side effect from changing the timeout from 10 days to 28 days. I did something similar on our forum a long time ago, and it may take time for the full effects to propagate.
 
kmike said:
Did the unread statuses reset for everyone? A lot of previously read threads in my watched thread list are marked as unread for me, and opening from the first post again.
Click to expand...
I did not notice anything.
 
kmike said:
Did the unread statuses reset for everyone? A lot of previously read threads in my watched thread list are marked as unread for me, and opening from the first post again.
Click to expand...
Yeah, happened to me as well.

I also want to point out that the issue described in this thread cannot be browser issue. The URL for the links is simply the thread URL plus /unread. This is 307'ed to the actual URL of the latest unread post, which is all handled server-side. Your browser really has nothing to do with it. :)
 
I just did a lot of testing with new threads created since I was last on, and old threads with new posts.

Every time I was taken to the first post I did not read.

New Threads with multiple posts: clicking the thread title took me to the first post.

Old threads with new posts: clicking the thread title took me to the last post I read, every time.

Maybe it has to do with forum read marking as Mike stated. I haven't had an issue, but will test it.

Edit. I marked forums read, and waited for a new post in a thread that I have not read at all. Clicking the thread title took me to the newest post made in that thread after I marked all forums read, which in this case was the last post. With the above tests and this one, it looks like the clicking on the title does work correctly.
 
Lawrence said:
I just did a lot of testing with new threads created since I was last on, and old threads with new posts.

Every time I was taken to the first post I did not read.

New Threads with multiple posts: clicking the thread title took me to the first post.

Old threads with new posts: clicking the thread title took me to the last post I read, every time.

Maybe it has to do with forum read marking as Mike stated. I haven't had an issue, but will test it.

Edit. I marked forums read, and waited for a new post in a thread that I have not read at all. Clicking the thread title took me to the newest post made in that thread after I marked all forums read, which in this case was the last post. With the above tests and this one, it looks like the clicking on the title does work correctly.
Click to expand...
I think the case is when you are not a current member, perhaps? Like if someone were to read the posts today, and after they've view the forums for a bit but didn't mark any threads read or anything, came back later and there was new posts in completely unread threads, would they be taken to the first page of that thread or to the newest post.

Because I believe it's the latter, that's probably where this confusion stems from.
 
I just tried it and got two different results. One thread: taken to the first post. The other thread: taken to a post on page three. I haven't marked the forums read in weeks - not since maybe the third day I was on here.
 
Posts older than 28 days old are marked as read, even if you have not read them.

That is where the confusion is coming from. In reality it is not a problem for people used to the thread marking system of vb (except for the title going to last unread, as opposed to the little icon in front of the thread). But many people are used to the other 2 methods of thread marking in vb, and of course it is different than the other software methods.
 
Peggy said:
hmmmmmmmmmm..... I've never read this thread before. I see that it was posted at 2:55 am, but I haven't read it til now.

When I clicked on the thread title, I was transported to the last post in the thread. I'm wondering why.
Click to expand...
Ditto. I just clicked to see what this thread was about and sure enough, I started reading on page 2. Never clicked on the thread before.
 
Dean said:
Posts older than 28 days old are marked as read, even if you have not read them.

That is where the confusion is coming from. In reality it is not a problem for people used to the thread marking system of vb (except for the title going to last unread, as opposed to the little icon in front of the thread). But many people are used to the other 2 methods of thread marking in vb, and of course it is different than the other software methods.
Click to expand...
If this is the case, it's bad usability to consider any thread read in this regard if they're older than X days.

I now see that this thread is over 28 days old. Fine. If it hadn't been bumped up to the top of the list just now I'd expect it to not be bold in the thread list. But if I've never read a thread before, it should *never* assume I want to start reading from the last page, because then everything is out of context. That IS terrible usability.

I like the idea that if I've been to the thread before that it takes me to the first post I have not read (even if it's on page 2 of 10), but not if it wants to take me to page 10 because I've read page 1 in the past.

Would you start reading a book from the last chapter if it's over 10 years old? Would you read the first chapter of a book and then skip to the last the next time you pick it up?
 
brendanc said:
If this is the case, it's bad usability to consider any thread read in this regard if they're older than X days.

I now see that this thread is over 28 days old. Fine. If it hadn't been bumped up to the top of the list just now I'd expect it to not be bold in the thread list. But if I've never read a thread before, it should *never* assume I want to start reading from the last page, because then everything is out of context. That IS terrible usability.

I like the idea that if I've been to the thread before that it takes me to the first post I have not read (even if it's on page 2 of 10), but not if it wants to take me to page 10 because I've read page 1 in the past.

Would you start reading a book from the last chapter if it's over 10 years old? Would you read the first chapter of a book and then skip to the last the next time you pick it up?
Click to expand...
That is exactly the same I posted earlier in another thread about this... I think lengthening the 28 days would help. And a UCP switch for users who still want the title-goes-to-first-post behavior. But to be honest, I'd rather see the thread title always go to the first post and below it a smaller link 'go to your first unread post'. That's just much simpler and thus easier for everyone to understand IMO.
 
I want something that takes me to the first unread post - I don't care what it is. Right now it's like spinning a roulette wheel when I click on a thread.
 
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