Small 'plaint about "View New Posts"

[ELB]

Not the end of the world, but I have noticed something annoying (to me) about the "View New Posts" function on this forum, both before and after the change to the "new look."

I don't check into TexasCHLforum everyday, and sometimes go a few days (like over Christmas) without logging in. When I do, I hit the "View New Posts" feature, and presto, three pages of new posts. Like today, for example. So far so good.

However, as I get into and out of various threads with new posts, at some point the board software seems to decide that some of the new posts are now old posts to me, even if I haven't seen them yet, and removes them from the "View New Posts" listing. For example, today I checked in and had three pages of about 50 or 70 new posts to review. But as I worked my way down the first page, between doing house chores and feeding critters and such, the "View New Posts" display dropped to a single page of 16 posts, before I had a chance to review the second and third pages.

Is there a way I can avoid this happening? I suppose I could open each interesting looking thread in a new window, marching through the three pages of new posts ASAP, and then read thru all the open windows, but that seems sort of awkward. Is there a better way?

elb

[KBCraig]

This is one major complaint I've always had with phpBB. After some arbitrary time, it decides you've changed from an old visit, to a new one, even if you've stayed logged in the entire time. That's one reason I prefer SMF: it counts "last visit" as the last time you logged in to the forum.

Is there a way I can avoid this happening? I suppose I could open each interesting looking thread in a new window, marching through the three pages of new posts ASAP, and then read thru all the open windows, but that seems sort of awkward. Is there a better way?

The better way is to use a tabbed browser (preferably Firefox). When you first go to the "View new posts" listing and there is more than one page, immediately wheel-click on the additional pages, to open them in new tabs. Then work your way through those pages, wheel-clicking on the items you want to read, which will open those topics in new tabs.

Then read away, closing each tab as you finish, and the next is already open and waiting on you.

Kevin

[ELB]

KB,

Thanks for the hint on Firefox. Haven't gotten around to trying it yet, but will one of these days.

elb

[KC5AV]

Firefox is certainly worth a look.

I had a similar problem on another board I visit (and only that one board) where all new posts were marked as read after I read the first new post. I simply read that one forum (and nothing else) in IE7.

[MrsFosforos]

One way I have gotten around it is after reading through the new posts list, then I use the "mark forums read" on the index page or "mark topics read" link at the top of the individual discussion pages.

[KBCraig]

One downside I forgot to mention when you have a lot of posts to read... phpBB decides that you're done visiting after an arbitrary period of time has passed (which is the root cause of the problem). If you post a reply after that time, it will get counted as a new "visit". Any posts that were new between log-on and the "new visit" won't show up the next time you "view new posts".

No way around that that I know of. You can hedge it a bit by waiting to post until you're done reading.

[Charles L. Cotton]

One downside I forgot to mention when you have a lot of posts to read... phpBB decides that you're done visiting after an arbitrary period of time has passed (which is the root cause of the problem). If you post a reply after that time, it will get counted as a new "visit". Any posts that were new between log-on and the "new visit" won't show up the next time you "view new posts".

No way around that that I know of. You can hedge it a bit by waiting to post until you're done reading.

Unless I am misunderstanding what you are describing, I have not experienced this. I often forget to log off or close the board when I get on the phone or go to a hearing, depo, etc.. Depending upon how long I'm gone, the "new post list" may or may not remain as it was when I left. If it doesn't, it appears as though I had logged off and gives me a new "new post list." Whenever I post a reply, it always appears on the "new post list" the next time I log on, whether it's the first post I made in a session or the last. In fact, it does it even if I go back and proof read my post, and I really don't understand that.

I have had a new issue come up a few times since installing 3.0 and it's the opposite of what has been described. I close the browser without logging out, then open the browser again with the automatic login checked. I see the same "new post list;" i.e. one containing posts I have already read and with date/time stamps that pre-date the latest login. I have to click the Logout button to clear the list. This happens intermittently with both Firefox and IE 7.

Chas.

[carlson1]

I have had a new issue come up a few times since installing 3.0 and it's the opposite of what has been described. I close the browser without logging out, then open the browser again with the automatic login checked. I see the same "new post list;" i.e. one containing posts I have already read and with date/time stamps that pre-date the latest login. I have to click the Logout button to clear the list. This happens intermittently with both Firefox and IE 7.

Chas.

That is what happens to me, but I just use Firefox.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I just looked at the board configuration settings to see if I could find something that would address the problem of losing a valid "new posts list." There is a "Session Length" setting at 3600 seconds (1 hour), but I'm not at all sure it's doing anything. I know I've been on the Board over an hour many times and I don't get logged out automatically each hour. However, I wonder if changing this setting would help? If people were getting logged off, rather than losing a valid "new posts list," I would say yes, but I don't see how changing this setting would effect only the "new posts list."

Chas.

[KBCraig]

Ah, that's the one, Chas. It's limiting a session ("visit") to one hour. A session begins when you log in, or it re-sets the timer if you post during an active session. If you post after the session expires, that also starts a new session, but anything that happened between expiration of the old session, and the beginning of the new, is in a sort of no-man's land.

Let me try to better describe how I've seen it affect my forum reading:

If I've been away from the forum for a couple of days, there will usually be 2-3 pages of "View new posts". I'll open each of those threads in a new tab, and start reading. Reading that many posts will often take an hour or more, especially since I'll typically be interrupted.

Let's say that I log in and "view new posts" at 4:00. I begin reading, and post a reply at 5:15, and continue reading. With interruptions for supper, email, whatever, I continue to read and post again at 6:30. I finally finish reading the forum and post a third time at 7:45, then close the browser window (which has been open since 4:00).

If I log in and "View new posts" at 9:00, phpBB should show every post that was made after 4:00, but it won't. It will only show new posts after 7:45. That's because the 4:00 session expired after an hour, and posting at 5:15 started a new session. New sessions also started at 6:30 and 7:45, and "View new posts" only show posts that are new since the beginning of the last session.

Before I figured this out, I would be puzzled by posts that appeared in a thread, but which didn't show up as "new". Now it's a little irritating, but I know how to minimize the problem.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Kevin:
I've reset the session limit to 2 hrs. Let's see if this helps. I'll also have to see if it has a detrimental effect on the server, but I seriously doubt that from what the icdsoft folks tell me.

Chas.

[KBCraig]

Thanks, Chas. It shouldn't have any effect at all on the server.

[ELB]

Charles,

So far it seems to be working better for me, the original complainer. I am back in the same situation - - been away for a few days, came back, hit "view new" and got three pages and about 60 new posts -- but this time half of didn't disappear the after a I read a couple posts and replied. I was able to go through all three pages without problem.

thanks!

elb