recent posts list

[arnoldemu]

another minor thing, perhaps for when the board is upgraded.
Could we have a recent post list that has multiple pages, so you can go back to previous posts?

[AMSDOS]

another minor thing, perhaps for when the board is upgraded.
Could we have a recent post list that has multiple pages, so you can go back to previous posts?

At the moment I find I can do this if I click on the Diamond image next to Recent Posts, so then I can follow it back to what's been added since my last post. It does add a short summary of each post, though in a way it's a good thing cause you can a broad idea in what's happening in each thread.

[Gryzor]

Indeed...

http://cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=recent

I'll see if it's possible to change it so it shows recently modified threads (more common on other board software), would this be better?

[Gryzor]

I was rereading this, trying to understand the rationale behind the request. Could you expand a bit? I mean, what is it you're trying to do? "Unread Messages" doesn't cover you?

[AMSDOS]

I'm confused! 

[Gryzor]

...clearly

[AMSDOS]

...clearly

Well you're gonna have to explain your subliminal message now aren't you! 

[Gryzor]

I wasn't replying to you, I was asking Arnoldemu

[AMSDOS]

I wasn't replying to you, I was asking Arnoldemu

I know!    After reading the original message several times, I couldn't find any hidden messages! 

[Gryzor]

Grmpf.... I think my question was pretty clear - what exactly he's looking for, and why.

[arnoldemu]

I was rereading this, trying to understand the rationale behind the request. Could you expand a bit? I mean, what is it you're trying to do? "Unread Messages" doesn't cover you?

Ok I'll try and explain.

The "previous posts" list gives a good but limited list of the most recent posts. I know it's the same for guests and logged in users.
It's a nice way to get an overview of the new posts and you can quickly go to them without going to each board individually.

But if there is a lot of new posts, because it shows a limited number, then you can miss new posts.

The idea was to keep it as it is (without message contents), but add the ability to go back and see older posts.

This recent list is a great way to get an idea of the most recent without having to go into each category/section/forum, and has less information than the view which also displays the content of each post.

Think of it as a nice way to see what is new, and to decide what to read based purely on title.
So I can skip the stuff I am not interested in easily and quickly see what is new.

I think it's also useful for guests, they can get an idea of the conversations going on without having to trawl all the sections.

Does this help?

[AMSDOS]

Grmpf.... I think my question was pretty clear - what exactly he's looking for, and why.

Wasn't sure if it relating to the "Recent Posts" or "Unread Messages", seems to be sorted out now anyway (even though it wasn't my question)! 

[steve]

When I log-in, I click on the "unread" button on the navigation menu, which shows me all the new posts since I last logged in, This is almost everything you could ask for, read what you want and then mark the rest as read.

My only quibble with this is that it takes you to the last post, you then have to go back through the thread to find the last post that you have read, it would be better if it took you to the last post you read, then you could read all the posts following it.

[Gryzor]

@steve: got you covred; if you click on the "new" sign next to each post it will position the page at the first new post in the thread, so I guess you're good to go

@Arnoldemu: the recent Posts gives you the last 100 posts. IMO, it doesn't make much sense to use it instead of the Unread Messages if you regularly visit the forum. And if you don't, then the forums with newly added threads and the threads with newly added posts are clearly marked, so you should use that. Otherwise, you're reading all the new posts in chronological order no matter what the thread. Not really intuitive, and I'm sure it gets pretty chaotic by the time you've read 100 posts.

I'll try to implement what I said earlier (threads vs posts), but I still don't understand why you prefer it over Unread Messages... maybe I'm missing something...

[arnoldemu]

I've never used "Unread" (at the top when logged in). Maybe I will start to use it now 
I never knew it did this.
I also read the wiki from two different computers, so sometimes I am logged in and sometimes not.
I only then log in if I need to check messages or send one.

I also never knew about the box to the side of the "recent posts" on the forum main page.
I thought it was just some icon I didn't know it could be clicked and never thought to click it.
It's not obvious you can do that.

So being crazy, I always looked at the recent posts list on the main forum page because it's so quick and works if you are logged in or not. But this list is limited to 10 or so.
So why have it like this?

Maybe it would be better to just have a link which says "recent posts" and make it obvious you can post it, then guests can quickly see new posts if they want.

For these I am not just thinking of myself, I am thinking of what a guest would see, and of ways to help people to join in.

[steve]

@steve: got you covred; if you click on the "new" sign next to each post it will position the page at the first new post in the thread, so I guess you're good to go

Thanks.

[Gryzor]

Regarding Unread messages, it's good to bear in mind that unlike other forums it's set so that it actually shows the posts you haven't read. On many forums it just shows posts since your last visit, which is totally different and not as good...

But this list is limited to 10 or so.
So why have it like this?
Maybe it would be better to just have a link which says "recent posts" and make it obvious you can post it, then guests can quickly see new posts if they want.

Well, it's limited to ten because that's a short list. For more you have the icon, and you also have the "View the most recent posts on the forum" link further on which, again, shows up to 100.

I can remove the list of recent posts (it's not part of the initial setup, it was a modification for extended forum stats), but then you won't have the "easy, nice list on the home page". I think that, as it is, it strikes a nice balance between info and overload.

[Gryzor]

Thanks.

You're welcome

[Executioner]

I've never used "Unread" (at the top when logged in). Maybe I will start to use it now 

Neither did I until yesterday, seems very useful though especially since it's in most-recent first order and it updates when you use the back button in Firefox (removing the one you just read).

[Gryzor]

Darn, I didn't think it was so rarely used; maybe I should put out a public announcement?

I would guess that what you say about FF means that it actually reloads the page? I don't think it's so smart as to auto-update withough reloading...

[steve]

Yes, that behaviour has only existed for a week or two, before that I had to manually delete the threads as I read them, I did not connect it with the recent FF upgrade, I just assumed you had made the change to the forum software.

It's not perfect though, after I post, I get a message that a new post has been added while I was writing my post and that I might want to review my post,( the added post is the one I have just posted)

[Gryzor]

Ooh, it actually works with Chrome (Canary build) too! Maybe it has a setting forcing reloading - it does reload the page, it's not cached. But even before, there was no need to "delete" the threads, you could just update the page and it would see which ones you had read.

As for it being not perfect, what you say doesn't make much sense... does it always do that for you? So, when you write a message and post it you get a notification about a newer post and there's actually no newer post?

[steve]

there was no need to "delete" the threads, you could just update the page and it would see which ones you had read.

Yes, that is what I meant and should have written.

As for it being not perfect, what you say doesn't make much sense... does it always do that for you? So, when you write a message and post it you get a notification about a newer post and there's actually no newer post?

Yes, although I have not written enough posts to be certain it happens every time, but I think it will happen every time.

EDIT, but it did not happen with this post.

[Gryzor]

Hahaha It never happened with my posts... ever. Maybe someone *did* post something but then deleted their post and you saw that... but do let me know if it happens again!