Previously read messages' icon color.

[JohnV]

I am using Firefox and when I leave the forum I do not log out.

Yesterday went immediately to "View new posts" and read many. I left the forum and shut down my computer. Today I fire up my computer and go to the forum and again go immediately to "View new posts". (Now I think I have covered all the "how did you do it questions".)

Problem 1: None of the icons on the previously read messages are blue.

Problem 2: If I now read a new any message and click the back arrow to return to the listing of new messages the icon for the just read message does not turn blue.

At oooforum.org in both these situations the message subject of previously read messages change color. Isn't that the way the icons here are expected to work?

I note that I get the behavior I expect if I enter the forum, go to say the Writer forum, read a single new post, click "Return to Writer" (now the icon is blue), and use the back arrow to return to where I can "View new posts" (now the icons on all previously read posts are blue).

[acknak]

No clue for #1. I never use the "auto login" and I always log out when I leave. Old habits die hard.

As for #2, I think the link colors (oooforum) and the icons will behave differently. The links are colored by the browser, which tracks which links you've followed through it's own local list--nothing needed from the server to correctly color the links.

OTOH, the icons are controlled by the server. You must re-load the page in order to force the server to check which threads you've read and then display the properly-colored icon. Although sometimes a "Back" click on the browser will trigger a re-load of the page, most of the time it doesn't: browsers try to avoid re-loading pages unless absolutely necessary. For me, using Mozilla Seamonkey on this forum, "Back" never seems to cause a reload. I just make a mental note not to depend on the icon colors until I refresh the page.

[DrewJensen]

Well I also don't know what to say on #1 - just haven't had that problem. Is there any chance that folks actually posted to all those threads

As for #2 Acknak is correct - a browser does not reload a page when you use the 'prvious page' function.

However - the CSS file that controls the Topic Line ( link ) needs to be changed so that this link changes color in a way to is obvious. As for the icons, I don't think there is any way around just having to click on page re-load. You may notice that not only does the round icon go from red to blue but the small document icon "First unread post" disappears also.

Anyway, there should something we can do about the link color change.

[JohnV]

acknak,

As for #2, I think the link colors (oooforum) and the icons will behave differently. The links are colored by the browser, which tracks which links you've followed through it's own local list--nothing needed from the server to correctly color the links.

Doesn't this mean if I click a link here in the new post list that my browser should changes that link's color here when I back arrow to the list the same as it does in the other forum without refreshing the list page. Is something happening here to override what you are indicating is a default function of my browser? Not arguing with you but this inconsistent functioning just doesn't make sense if it's solely a browser function.

The same type of question comes up when I observe that when I go to new posts all links are red but if I do the same in the other forum previously read threads' links are black and previously unread threads link are blue. Why would my browser act, all by itself, differently in the two forums?

Drew,

Well I also don't know what to say on #1 - just haven't had that problem. Is there any chance that folks actually posted to all those threads

Of course they have or else they would not be on the new posts list

This, however, may bring up a difference in the way we think about what a blue icon means. To me it means a tread I have previously viewed whether it has a new message posted to it or not since my last viewing. You and others may think it means a thread I have viewed since the last message was added to it, thus all icons on the new post list should have red icons by definition.

Either way I would be happy if just the link color changed.

[DrewJensen]

The color change for links does have a default setting in your browser - but it can also be set when a CSS file is loaded. phpBB makes heavy use of CSS and I am almost 100% certain that - no I am certain - that the value is being set. It just doesn't seem to be set to anything useful :>

So - we should change that.

The icon color is, TBTOMK, set to red whenever there is a thread with a post that you have not read.

Your may have noticed that on the top right hand side of most topic lists ( browse a forum, etc ) so if the red icons get to yo just click Mark Forums read from the index page - all blue now.

Something else - and you may already be using this - but I made a few changes to the default topic and post settings in my User Control Panel that I find helpful.
On the Board Preferences tab under Edit Display Options I set

Display from prvious days = 7
Order topics by = Number of Replys
Order direction = Ascending

I find that more efficient for me then using the View Unanswered Posts display where they are all bunched together.

[DrewJensen]

Alright just to let you folks know - I am able to change the color of the font now when you use the browsers page back function - the current change on my test base makes the change for all topic titles on all pages, that have been visited.

That really isn't what we want - but I know now how to put it in for just the new post and un-answered post pages. I'll try to have that change in ASAP.

Everyone OK with the font color changing to black, a pretty standard for this function I believe?

[huw]

Everyone OK with the font color changing to black, a pretty standard for this function I believe?

So long as, especially if it also affects links inside posts, they are still distinguishable as links

[DrewJensen]

Actually in this case they are not the same. A link is a link, but a topic title and a URL in a post not and each are treated differently.

[foxcole]

The icon color is, TBTOMK, set to red whenever there is a thread with a post that you have not read.

Yes, and unlike oooforums, you do have to read posts on the second (or next) page here in order to get the "read" icon color. That confused me for a bit, too. So now if I've been following a thread and know I've seen most posts, I just click on the last page icon instead of the topic title, and I know the thread will be marked as read when I'm done with it.