Trixology

General Category => Web-site/Forum news => Topic started by: dfw_pilot on February 18, 2016, 07:35:17 PM

Title: First Unread
Post by: dfw_pilot on February 18, 2016, 07:35:17 PM
Is there an option to add a "First Unread Message" link at the top of a thread topic? It's a nice feature, when a thread is 35 posts long, to click that link to be taken to the first unread post. That feature is handy, especially since this forum doesn't have a red or highlighted color on the newest unread posts in a thread.

Feel free to smite . . .

dfw
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: saratogaWX on February 18, 2016, 10:05:42 PM
I'm not sure that's an available mod for SMF forums.

I tend to use Show unread posts since last visit (http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?action=unread) link and then click on the (http://athena.trixology.com/Themes/default/images/icons/last_post.gif) (last post icon) to go to the end of the thread.
Title: When in SMF . . . . (Re: First Unread)
Post by: elagache on February 19, 2016, 12:15:22 AM
Dear dfw, Ken, and WeatherCat forum expert surfers, . . .

Is there an option to add a "First Unread Message" link at the top of a thread topic?

I tend to use Show unread posts since last visit (http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?action=unread) link and then click on the (http://athena.trixology.com/Themes/default/images/icons/last_post.gif) (last post icon) to go to the end of the thread.

I think what Ken is suggesting is the best solution on forums running SMF software.  That's been my policy on the all the forums I frequent.  It takes a bit more time, but I think any forum worth visiting it is worth cruising through all the topics that have new postings.  Usually you can figure out from the subjects if it is worth your time to read the updates.

On a small forum like WeatherCat, it doesn't take that long to at least cruise quickly through the replies.  On a busy forum with 30,000+ members - you can at least keep an eye on the active topics.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Steve on February 27, 2016, 09:54:27 PM
I'm not sure that's an available mod for SMF forums.

I tend to use Show unread posts since last visit (http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?action=unread) link and then click on the (http://athena.trixology.com/Themes/default/images/icons/last_post.gif) (last post icon) to go to the end of the thread.

Old thread, but oddly, it showed as new for me. Probably missed it when I was checking in while on vacation.

Anyway, I do the same, except clicking on the "NEW" button takes you directly to the first new post. I click "Show unread posts since last visit" and then command-click on all the "NEW" buttons, opening each in a new tab in Safari.
Title: Clicking NEW
Post by: dfw_pilot on February 27, 2016, 11:02:31 PM
That works really well. Thanks, Steve!
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: xairbusdriver on April 03, 2016, 11:11:06 PM
The benefit of the new stuff being at the top is that it can be found even if it's not on the first page full of topics. I frequent another Mac forum hat uses an extremely old version of the software (not the SMF source) and it even has this function. But we have only two forums sections, not the 16 here!

The only similar function here, that I have seen, anyway, is the display of "Today" part of the Unread Posts column. Unfortunately, if one misses more than two days of visiting, there won't be anything in there, other than a very recent date, to indicate something you may not have read. That column also lists only one post, even if there are several 'today' posts in that section.

Only way I can see to somewhat keep up-to-date is to visit each of the 16 sections, every day. :) I pretty much only look at sections that interest me, but I do visit pretty much daily and can see the "Today" or "Yesterday" indications.

Perhaps there's a way to 'subscribe' to a forum/section as opposed to a topic. That way, one could get an email when a new post occurred in every forum/section. (http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/xAirbusDriver/dont_know_zpsqsndnufj.gif)
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Steve on April 04, 2016, 04:28:57 PM
@xairbusdriver

Click this button when visiting the forum.
(http://www.morrisgarage.com/skitch/First_Unread-20160404-112510.jpg)
It will give you a list of posts since your last visit, no matter how long you've been away. And if you click on the "NEW" button, it will take you directly to the first new post in that thread.

Like I said above, I command click on all the NEW buttons and get a new tab for each thread. Then there's no going back and forth to the list.
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Blicj11 on April 04, 2016, 04:31:53 PM
Steve:

I don't see that when I visit the forum. Can you clarify what profile setting or what location brings that up?
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: xairbusdriver on April 04, 2016, 04:56:06 PM
Like Blick, I'm not seeing the display you posted. I am looking at the settings, however, and found one in Trixology->Profile of xairbusdriver->Look and Layout labeled "Show most recent posts at the top." Not sure if that's what some of us are asking for, but I'll monitor things for a few days and hope for the best. I suspect entering the site at the main index will not be affected by this setting while each section probably will. :)

I'm still looking at the Settings for a method to present the image Steve is showing...
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/xAirbusDriver/inspect_zpsjshrrngb.gif)

seconds later...
 [lol2]
The "Show most recent posts at the top." setting definitely affects the topic posts! After posting his, I was immediately confused (my usual state) to see my own post at the top of the thread!

I think that is the standard display of each of the 16 forum sections, anyway. And "New" threads in those sections are still sorted by date, not 'newness'. For example, the WeatherCat Bugs section shows a "New" post as the first "Last Posts" item but there are another four threads between that one and the next "New" thread. The "Show most recent posts at the top" has absolutely no affect on the threads list.

I'm off to change that "Show most recent posts at the top" setting. I like reading the posts in the order made... [rolleyes2]
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Randall75 on April 04, 2016, 04:58:17 PM
Hi Blicj
 Go to Profile - Forum Profile - Look and Layout - Check Show most recent post at top of page


that should do it


if not


SMF has several options for users to view unread posts. Unread posts are topics and replies that have not been viewed by the user. The most common way to view unread posts is through the links in the forum header (http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Forum_header) near the top of a forum page.There are also other options available for viewing unread posts:

cheers


 [cheers1]
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Blicj11 on April 04, 2016, 05:31:51 PM
Randall:

Checking Show most recent post at top just reverses the order in which posts display. I am trying to figure out how Steve (and now you) are pulling up the Hello Steve box on the forum.
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Randall75 on April 04, 2016, 07:04:21 PM
Blicj
 Is there a ^ in the upper right hand corner on your Header Board if so click on it to expand the Header Board and see if that works it could be up side down ^


see attachment
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Bull Winkus on April 04, 2016, 07:14:32 PM
Are you not seeing the same thing that i am?

I just go into the headers that show the New Post icon, then click on the orange New button. That always takes me to posts new since the last time I visited.

 [cheers1]
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Blicj11 on April 04, 2016, 07:21:03 PM
Blicj
 Is there a ^ in the upper right hand corner on your Header Board if so click on it to expand the Header Board and see if that works it could be up side down ^

This is it! Thanks Randall. I have never noticed that before. Now I am happy because I am a bit more like you and Steve.
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Blicj11 on April 04, 2016, 07:24:29 PM
Are you not seeing the same thing that i am?

I just go into the headers that show the New Post icon, then click on the orange New button. That always takes me to posts new since the last time I visited.

Thanks Herb. Yes, that is how I have been doing it as well. What I was trying to figure out was how Steve and Randall had something showing at the top that I was not seeing. Randall's post shows us how to toggle the Hello User box on/off.
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: xairbusdriver on April 04, 2016, 09:27:04 PM
It was actually pointing down when I looked there. But clicking it makes the "Steve Screen" appear! I think we need to petition Simple Machines to name that pointer for Steve. OTOH, since you're the one who remembered it, they can name it after you! Thanks!! [cheer]
Title: Last check for new posts before departing. (Re: First Unread)
Post by: elagache on April 04, 2016, 10:23:45 PM
Dear X-Air, Steve, Blick, Randall, and WeatherCat forum power users,

The only similar function here, that I have seen, anyway, is the display of "Today" part of the Unread Posts column.

I use Steve's button to bring up the list of new postings, but I also make a point of returning to the Weather forum home page just to glance over the last few postings.  Since I'm on the West coast and usually check the forum late in the day, usually nobody is also active on the forum at the same time.  Still that isn't always true.  So it is possible I'll reply to something and someone will reply to my reply without me noticing it.  Checking the "Today" section as X-Air suggests is a quick way to make sure I don't miss a posting that occurred just before I moved on to some other duty.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: Steve on April 06, 2016, 02:02:58 AM
Sorry I didn't get back to this, but I see Randall found the show/hide button. Actually, I didn't know where to show it until I started fiddling around, because mine has always been that way by default. I don't know why some of you have it as hidden.

Thanks Randall!
Steve
Title: Re: First Unread
Post by: xairbusdriver on April 06, 2016, 03:09:53 AM
It's not actually "hidden", it's simply extremely difficult to see, at least in the default "skin". I think it is white and the color of the box it's in is a very light, blue-grey. Plus, for some reason, the top ~100 pixels of the window is not normally visible; the window automatically scrolls up by about that much. That's my fault! [banghead] The link I had on my personal home page had a few extra characters at the end of the url, "...index.php#c2" That takes one to the "c2" anchor which is the start of the "WeatherCat" section, just below the "News" part. Sekond misteak ov thee yeer! It reelie shud kount az thee last won four MMXV...

It simply isn't easy to see/detect/determine what it's for. In my humble opinion it's a poor design:
1. Very small, unlabeled, non-intuitive symbol
2. Color choice very, very close to surrounding colors, very little contrast
3. Nothing in the Help/explanation from SMF. :)