Mark Unread

Daniel Hood

Well-known member
It'd be nice to be able to mark a post as unread. Sometimes when I'm checking on things from my phone, I can't respond right away. The problem is that I'm human and forget to go back, sometimes. I think it'd be useful if there was an "Unread" link next to the other options (Report, Like, etc) which just makes it so the user's last thread view date becomes the second before the post was made. This should allow the thread to show up in the unread watched threads list which would be very beneficial.
 
Upvote 38
I actually agree with this feature wholeheartedly because I've had the exact same use case. I often need to reference code to confirm something or need to follow up and I hate typing on my phone in general. :)

However, this is decidedly more difficult in the general case because forums can be marked as read (either manually or automatically). I really haven't come up with a good solution for that.
 
I actually agree with this feature wholeheartedly because I've had the exact same use case.
I believe the correct protocol is to like the first post :p

because forums can be marked as read (either manually or automatically)

That's true, I didn't really think out the feature too much just recognized a continued problem. In either case, I'd expect if I went through and marked posts as unread that marking the forums as read would cancel that action out. I don't really view it as a problem but I also never mark the forum read.
 
I too have had need of exactly the same functionality for the same reason.

Rather than marking the thread as unread, an alternative approach could be to "flag" the thread at a particular post.
That could be saved as a (temporary) list which would essentially just be links to specific posts within threads.

I suppose that would just be a form of bookmarking though so is very different in functionality.
 
Once you read all posts in a forum, it happens automatically so it can come up in your situation as well.
But we're tricking it into thinking I haven't viewed this thread's last post (or where I marked it at least) so that would never come up.
 
Bookmarking sounds good, so long as there is an option to do a quick one-click/one-tap bookmark. Adding notes, etc. would be great too, but would remove the immediacy of "Oh, I'll tag that for later!". (y)
 
Bookmarks are a more complex solution to the same problem. I'm pretty sure there's a suggestion already for bookmarking content. These are not technically the same suggestion though.
 
Disagree. In fact, bookmarks are the better and broader appeal solution for the issue.

I consider bookmarks something that I would go back to on a regular basis.

This suggestion I could see a ton of uses for it, sometimes I open support threads and need to go back when I have more time so marking it as unread would be perfect. I wouldn't want to add then remove a thread into some sort bookmark area for a single use.

Screenshot_4.webp
 
I wouldn't want to add then remove a thread into some sort bookmark area for a single use.
Hmmm, so when I think about the worklow ...

Reading a thread, scroll back up to a post, mark as unread form here.
Come back later, find thread again somewhere within new posts thread list. Click it and read it.

vs

Reading a thread, click on the 'bookmark' link for the post
Come back later, open bookmarks page, click on 'un-bookmark' link, click on thread to read it.

Still think bookmark workflow has broader appeal and solution usage.
 
Hmmm, so when I think about the worklow ...

Reading a thread, scroll back up to a post, mark as unread form here.
Come back later, find thread again somewhere within new posts thread list. Click it and read it.

vs

Reading a thread, click on the 'bookmark' link for the post
Come back later, open bookmarks page, click on 'un-bookmark' link, click on thread to read it.

Still think bookmark workflow has broader appeal and solution usage.

If you're going to add the "extra step" of scrolling up to mark a thread unread, would marking a thread as a bookmark be floating in the window or would you have to scroll back up for that too?

I use What's New like no other so again I'm all for this suggestion. I too see a bookmarking feature as something entirely different.
 
Daniel is the seller of Bookmarks [Paid] addon. that's why he don't like the idea. normal.
View attachment 128629
Couldn't have less to do with it. There's already a free version of the same add on. The features are just different.

Disagree. In fact, bookmarks are the better and broader appeal solution for the issue.
I get your point and I obviously like the concept of bookmarks. I'm just saying my initial suggestion is a more basic, easier to implement, suggestion. Bookmarks is more complex and a little different. Also there'd be no scrolling, at least for me. My problem is that I get an alert for a response to my add ons and I'm like, "oh, can't do much about this right now, will check back later" but then I don't check back later because I forget. Instead of clicking "reply", I'd click "unread" and it'd act like I never clicked the alert (I wouldn't get new alerts cause the post is unread, I would see the thread in my unread watched threads area).

Don't get me wrong, bookmarks would work just as well and attacks the same issue. It's just a different solution, which is what I said.

Bookmarks are a more complex solution to the same problem. I'm pretty sure there's a suggestion already for bookmarking content. These are not technically the same suggestion though.
 
The problem I can see with marking a POST as unread, is that the minute you go back to it it's going to be marked as read again - removing the ability to repeatedly go back and refer to it (without having to remember to re-mark it as unread once you've read it [again]).

Having a simple, quick, single-click Bookmark link that adds it to a list would allow you to go back and reference it time and again without intefering with the existing post reading infrastructure. The phrase can change to Unbookmark to remove a post from the list. Nice and simples! One click to add it - one to remove it. :D

Without using a bookmarking concept how would you get around NEW UNREAD posts in a thread where you've marked an earlier post as unread? How would you visually indicate the difference between threads that have (manually tagged) unread posts and natural unread replies? How do you mark a thread as read whilst keeping your manually unread post as, well, unread? :confused:

A simple, no frills, bookmarked list of posts would be perfect and easy to implement (IMHO). (y)

Cheers,
Shaun :D
 
Why does marking something as unread then prompt you to read it in the future?

There are many threads that I don't read, and so remain unread.

Or, is it explicitly the combination of a watched thread with unread posts that makes it useful?
 
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