Question About the Forum Functionality

[Grumpy48]

Kinda wondering about what 'Mark topics read' does. Most other forums will show new threads as bold/highlighted and as they are opened and read or globally marked as read will unbold/unhighlight those topics. This forum doesn't seem to do this. Am I missing something somewhere (setting?) or is this bug in how the forum functions? I am logged in, so the forum somehow should be tracking what I've read or not (I think). Much easier to peruse new or updated topics if bolded rather than looking at topic dates.

[LSAT]

I've never seen that, or noticed that, in the several forums I look at. How about an example?

[Grumpy48]

In the screenshot below it's easy to see what topics are new and typical of many forums I visit daily. New is bolded, old read topics not. This is what I'm not seeing on this forum.

[ChicagoGranny]

Blue circle - you have read the whole post

Red circle - you have read the post but there are unread comments

Red rectangle - click and you will be taken to the first unread comment

No circle - you ain't read nuttin'

I don't remember what the red stars mean.

Play around with it. You'll get the hang of it quickly.

[lazarus]

And you can always click the drop down at upper left next to the FAQ and select "New posts" or "Unread posts," among other choices.

[LSAT]

I believe RED STAR means you have posted on this post.

[zonker]

I believe RED STAR means you have posted on this post.

that is correct.

[Grumpy48]

Thanks all!!! That solves that mystery and makes reading the board easier!!!

[lazarus]

This thread has been waaay too helpful and exemplary. Isn't there something we can all disagree on and fight about?

[Dog Slobber]

This thread has been waaay too helpful and exemplary. Isn't there something we can all disagree on and fight about?

Yes.

Red rectangle - click and you will be taken to the first unread comment

Instead of clicking on the Red Rectangle - click on the icon to the left of it to go to the first unread post. Much bigger, easier target to click.

Even if the icon is missing, you can click on where it *should* be and you will be brought to the first red post.

BTW, those with missing icons, have missing icons because they:

• Have been on the forums a while, and haven't changed their icons
• Their icons are hosted on rackcdn.com
• Their icons "broke" when the forum switched from http to https, and all icons broke. The patch didn't fix icons hosted on rackcdn.com
• They can fix their icons by re-uploading

Topics with flames in them, are Hot Topics. Topics are hot once they reach 25 posts within them.

Uploading an avitar will replace the forum default icons with your avatar, and your topics won't have the benifit of red stars, flames, red circles, etc, but clicking on your avatar will still bring your to the first unread post in the topic.

Replace your picture avatar with this:

And people with think your topics are:

• Hot
• They've posted in them
• They're are new posts in it

Zonker will especially get confused and then message me asking what's wrong with the topic, and then I'll have to explain to him what's going on. So don't do it.

[ChicagoGranny]

Even if the icon is missing, you can click on where it *should* be and you will be brought to the first red post.

*read

[ChicagoGranny]

This thread has been waaay too helpful and exemplary.

No, it hasn't.

[lazarus]

This thread has been waaay too helpful and exemplary.

No, it hasn't.

Thanks, Granny. That helps!

[lazarus]

Replace your picture avatar with this:

Done.

Although I should probably use the exclamation point with the padlock.

[zonker]

Zonker will especially get confused and then message me asking what's wrong with the topic, and then I'll have to explain to him what's going on. So don't do it.