Impossible to start reading unread thread from first post

[Mike]

I have to say I've never seen the issue/bug being discussed. I posted about it somewhere else, but if you mark a/all forums read or if an old thread is bumped up, you're going to get jumped into it even though you've never actually "read" it. The former is a situation where you're telling the system you've read it; the latter is mostly a technical limit (the data isn't kept around permanently as there's quite a lot of it).

The problem with trying to debug this situation (if it happens for reasons other than those) is that the act of seeing the issue manipulates the data (since the thread is now read). I'd literally have to be looking all all the data before someone hit the issue before I could say whether it is a bug, or if it's one of those things from above. If it happens and you tell me the thread it's happening with, then I might be able to make some guesses.

Of course, the key here is if we had a "go to first unread" button and the thread title itself, how often would you use the thread title (to go to the first post)? If you're using the title (and you've made a conscious decision), then it's a matter of clicking a different area than what you might've done on another software. If 99% of the time, you want to go to the first unread post (which is what I always do and I know other people do as well), then this focuses on the "normal" behavior that people have and exposes it more clearly, probably showing the behavior to more casual users that wouldn't have known about it in the first place.

 

[feldon30]

I have a feeling that alot of coders are going to be changing this.

I will change it so the "Unread" token/icon, whatever it is, takes you to the newest post. Clicking on the thread title will take you to the first page of the thread.

If I wanted to view the most recent post in a thread, I would have gotten to that thread via "What's New?", Watched Threads, or an Alert.

 

[Kim]

I have to say I've never seen the issue/bug being discussed. I posted about it somewhere else, but if you mark a/all forums read or if an old thread is bumped up, you're going to get jumped into it even though you've never actually "read" it. The former is a situation where you're telling the system you've read it; the latter is mostly a technical limit (the data isn't kept around permanently as there's quite a lot of it).

The problem with trying to debug this situation (if it happens for reasons other than those) is that the act of seeing the issue manipulates the data (since the thread is now read). I'd literally have to be looking all all the data before someone hit the issue before I could say whether it is a bug, or if it's one of those things from above. If it happens and you tell me the thread it's happening with, then I might be able to make some guesses.

Of course, the key here is if we had a "go to first unread" button and the thread title itself, how often would you use the thread title (to go to the first post)? If you're using the title (and you've made a conscious decision), then it's a matter of clicking a different area than what you might've done on another software. If 99% of the time, you want to go to the first unread post (which is what I always do and I know other people do as well), then this focuses on the "normal" behavior that people have and exposes it more clearly, probably showing the behavior to more casual users that wouldn't have known about it in the first place.

Hi Mike,

this is happening on all threads, regardless of age, I will either be taken to the last page (not even necessarily the last post) or to some random point in the middle, regardless of if I have ever read the thread or not, and regardless (I believe) of age of the thread.

Bizarrely, however, when I clicked on the the thread that I had read and replied too about the Pages in the "Have you seen?" forum, today, I was taken to the first post on the first page, not to where I might have been up to!!!

I have never used the "mark as read" option anywhere on this site.

This is a bug imho. It might be browser related, as a few of us have this who use Firefox... however I know of at least one other person who has the same issue here who uses Chrome, so it might not be browser related... it does however seem to work as expected for those using IE (which must be a first lol)

 

[Urfe]

Just registered an account and was baffled why I was always being randomly taken to the middle of threads. Even if this system was working as intended I frequently like to start off by re-reading the OP.

 

[Kim]

Yeah it is pretty confusing at first I must say!

 

[dutchbb]

IMO clicking the thread title link should take me to the first post.

 

[wizzard]

IMO clicking the thread title link should take me to the first post.

I like the way it behaves now, taking you to the first unread post in the thread.

 

[DoctorWatsOn]

This is a bug imho. It might be browser related, as a few of us have this who use Firefox... however I know of at least one other person who has the same issue here who uses Chrome, so it might not be browser related... it does however seem to work as expected for those using IE (which must be a first lol)

This is odd as I am using Firefox, I've just double checked by clicking on a couple of dozen random threads and in every case it takes me to the first post if I've not read it or first unread post if I have read the thread before.

 

[Kim]

Hmm ok, well as I said, it might not be browser related, but it definately doesn't work for many of us.

 

[dutchbb]

I like the way it behaves now, taking you to the first unread post in the thread.

That's the problem, most of the time I didn't read the posts before the 'first unread'. I.e. it doesn't work for me, and now I have to scroll/navigate back every time to read 'my real first unread post'.

 

[Cezz]

I always end up at the last unread post, and if I haven't read the thread at all, I end up with the first post.

Same here, in fact when I opened this thread for the first time today it took me to the first post in the thread...

 

[Kim]

It would probably be helpful if well meaning people stopped posting about how good the way it is now is. We know, you like it, good for you, start your own "I love how it takes me to the first unread" thread, and go and have a big ole party in there.

The problem is a whole bunch of us have it behaving in a totally different way.. it doesn't work as expected for us, and people have been saying this for a while, but each time someone comes along and says.. it's meant to be like that.

NO.. IT'S NOT, for those of us with the problems, it doesn't work.... hence this topic.

This thread was started by someone who is having a problem, more than half the posts in here are about how it's meant to be like that... Those claiming so are not reading or understanding that it is NOT working the way they are experienceing it, for a large proportion of us.

 

[DoctorWatsOn]

 

[Forsaken]

I'd be fine if they changed it to the default of other systems, and either supply a link (Like they do for pagination) next to the title or something similar. 

 

[Cezz]

I'd be fine if they changed it to the default of other systems, and either supply a link (Like they do for pagination) next to the title or something similar.

I don't want XenForo to do anything to be like other providers. I love the fact they have looked at what the average usage is and made that the default... It is still possible to open to the first post by clicking the date.

I totally understand that some people are saying this isn't working for them, and surely this needs to be fixed but the feature its self is a great example of xenForo moving forward and not just following the pack...

 

[Forsaken]

I don't want XenForo to do anything to be like other providers. I love the fact they have looked at what the average usage is and made that the default... It is still possible to open to the first post by clicking the date.
 
I totally understand that some people are saying this isn't working for them, and surely this needs to be fixed but the feature its self is a great example of xenForo moving forward and not just following the pack...

I agree, but if this ends up being like the lack of dislike functionality, it'll result in thousands of topics (Exaggeration).

This is already the 3rd-4th one that has said something similar to this. 

 

[Sador]

In that case it's a bug, not a bad feature.

 

[David Thomas]

Here's a summary, for those who aren't paying attention:

I'm getting really uncomfortable with this XF habit of opening a thread at some completely random point.

When I open a thread I've never opened before my default desire is first post.
Some might prefer to set CP option for newest post.

But in the middle somewhere unpredictable? NO THANKS.

Sorry to put in a growl but this is getting REALLY irritating.

No it doesn't just take you to the first unread, it starts at some totally random point, I have the exact same thing happen.

Even threads I have not looked at at all open at the last page, or somewhere in the middle.. very annoying.

Threads I have looked at don't necessarily take you to the last unread either... they are also very random.

how can it be working as expected to take you to the last post on a thread you have never looked at

Personally I think there is a browser issue with how it is meant to be working, it is clearly not working as others describe for those of us on Firefox.

If it worked that way for me I would like it too.. but it doesn't, it usually takes me to the last post of a brand new thread I haven't opened before, which is not at all helpful.

In a recently made, completely unread thread, clicking on the thread title takes you to the last post?

If so, that would be a bug I believe.

You know what to do.

Precisely!!! That's what we've been trying to say, but everyone keeps saying it's working-as-intended.

Hi Mike,

this is happening on all threads, regardless of age, I will either be taken to the last page (not even necessarily the last post) or to some random point in the middle, regardless of if I have ever read the thread or not, and regardless (I believe) of age of the thread.

Bizarrely, however, when I clicked on the the thread that I had read and replied too about the Pages in the "Have you seen?" forum, today, I was taken to the first post on the first page, not to where I might have been up to!!!

I have never used the "mark as read" option anywhere on this site.

This is a bug imho. It might be browser related, as a few of us have this who use Firefox... however I know of at least one other person who has the same issue here who uses Chrome, so it might not be browser related... it does however seem to work as expected for those using IE (which must be a first lol)

Just registered an account and was baffled why I was always being randomly taken to the middle of threads. Even if this system was working as intended I frequently like to start off by re-reading the OP.

That's the problem, most of the time I didn't read the posts before the 'first unread'. I.e. it doesn't work for me, and now I have to scroll/navigate back every time to read 'my real first unread post'.

It would probably be helpful if well meaning people stopped posting about how good the way it is now is. We know, you like it, good for you, start your own "I love how it takes me to the first unread" thread, and go and have a big ole party in there.

The problem is a whole bunch of us have it behaving in a totally different way.. it doesn't work as expected for us, and people have been saying this for a while, but each time someone comes along and says.. it's meant to be like that.

NO.. IT'S NOT, for those of us with the problems, it doesn't work.... hence this topic.

This thread was started by someone who is having a problem, more than half the posts in here are about how it's meant to be like that... Those claiming so are not reading or understanding that it is NOT working the way they are experienceing it, for a large proportion of us.

In that case it's a bug, not a bad feature.

Please read before posting. Thanks.

 

[Shanj]

OK David great work - I posted a BUG REPORT and put a link to your summary post there.
It's at http://xenforo.com/community/threads/open-thread-last-unread-random-point.2592/

 

[Shanj]

Having a problem getting XF (Mike) to accept there's a problem.
Same resistance as here with some responses = "It's working as it should."
If it was working as it should then why are some people having a hard time with it?

See this thread: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/open-thread-last-unread-random-point.2592/