View First Unread

[Peter Wilson]

Is it just me, or are other users experiencing occasional problems with the View First Unread function?

I noticed it after the permalink thingy began.

[Musashi]

I have had problems also. Sometimes it works, other times it just leads me to the first post of the thread.

[NEOWatcher]

Originally Posted by Peter Wilson

Is it just me, or are other users experiencing occasional problems with the View First Unread function?

I noticed it after the permalink thingy began.

I wasn't quite sure if there was a problem...I noticed something, but couldn't even say what it was.

I just chalked it up to the fact that my browser hesitates before scrolling to the proper location sometimes.

EDIT: Afterthough...
It could be related to the new Search option changing the page width, and the browser trying to determine, or changing the horizontal before getting the vertical correct.

[agingjb]

I was having trouble; but then I was viewing forums "newest first". Since I switched back to "oldest first", I've not noticed the problem - yet.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Yep - problems here as well.

[Musashi]

I am finding it happens more often with older threads.

[ToSeek]

I noticed the problem and was getting set to complain about it, then couldn't make it happen again, so I assumed it was some sort of temporary glitch.

[Fraser]

Hmm. The recent change was this new software that makes the forum more friendly for search engines. I'm wondering if there's a glitch happening between the old names for the threads (with just numbers) and the new names which have keywords for the thread in the name.

Since it seems intermittent, let's see if the problem goes away.

[Musashi]

Yeah, I think it will work itself out.

[Peter Wilson]

Took two aspirin last night, and feel fine today

[Nicolas]

I just had the problem again today, this time with the mars rover news thread.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by Nicolas

I just had the problem again today, this time with the mars rover news thread.

Yep, I had the same problem there too (and in several other threads). I think the difference seems to be with older threads that have a new entry and newer threads. I haven't figured out the exact difference, but certainly threads that haven't had a new entry in a few months seem to have this problem, whereas, if it is only been a day or two they are fine.

[Swift]

I just had the error with this thread. Before today's entry, the last entry was Sept. 17, 2006.

[Nowhere Man]

I've seen similar at ApolloHoax. If the last read message is old enough, and someone posts a new msg, the clicking on the "New" link takes you to the first post in the thread.

This is very annoying as I have to then guess when the last-read message was.

I don't know how old "old enough" is, though. I just saw it with the Banned Users thread. I've been off-line since 7/15.

Fred

[Van Rijn]

Whatever is causing it, I've had a lot of it lately: I click on the "unread" button, only to be taken to the first post of the thread. I never noticed it until just the last couple weeks. Some are really old threads, but others are only a month or so old, and threads I've read before. I'll try to pay attention to details more (how old, for example) and see if it drops off or not.

[Grashtel]

I've had this problem a few times, including rather ironically when looking at this thread. One thing I noticed was that the link used by the button was: bautforum.com/about-baut/61954-view-first-unread.html#post1028086 which seems to be what caused the problem (or at least a symptom of the underlying problem) as Josh's opening post is post #1028086 so it goes there rather than Nowhere Man's post which is #1035150.

[Trebuchet]

I hope Fraser can get it fixed, it's pretty annoying. It doesn't seem to take more than a week or so for a thread to be "old enough".

[Christopher Ferro]

I've noticed that it often will jump down to the middle of a post rather than the top of the last unread (when it doesn't just totally flake out and choose the first post or just the bottom of the page).

CJSF

[hhEb09'1]

I'm wondering if this problem doesn't have something to do with the permalink page problem. Does the View First Unread link have the permalink structure? (I forget, where do I find the View First Unread function? )

[01101001]

Originally Posted by hhEb09'1

Does the View First Unread link have the permalink structure? (I forget, where do I find the View First Unread function? )

I don't think so. I went to General Science and found a new article in a multi-page topic. The URL for first unread (the little arrow-icon) was:
http://www.bautforum.com/general-sci...-new-post.html

PHP Code:

http://www.bautforum.com/general-science/62252-gw-sea-level-new-post.html


It didn't have a page number in the URL.

===

Edit:

Hmm... but if the -new-post.html URL was indirect to the actual new post (it has to be; it can be different for different people) and that was referenced by a permalink... then it could actually be the permalink problem, just hidden from view. I'm getting more suspicious. When I click on the arrow-icon, and go to that new post, then the address bar contains:
GW and sea level

PHP Code:

http://www.bautforum.com/general-science/62252-gw-sea-level-2.html#post1036185


That does have the page in the URL. However I got there, might have been through a permalink. That might be the problem. I don't know how it's implemented, though.

Edit: Yep.

PHP Code:

http://www.bautforum.com/general-science/62252-gw-sea-level-new-post.html


For me, is redirected to

PHP Code:

http://www.bautforum.com/general-science/62252-gw-sea-level-2.html#post1036185


If posts-per-pages were different from that used for the redirect (how is that determined?), then I'd have a good chance of going to the wrong place.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by hhEb09'1

I'm wondering if this problem doesn't have something to do with the permalink page problem. Does the View First Unread link have the permalink structure? (I forget, where do I find the View First Unread function? )

The timing seems right. The first link in the thread about what is permalink is dated July 9 (so I assume it roled out around then) and the first report of this problem (judging by the first posting in this thread) is July 11. Given that it is an subtle problem (only older threads), I can believe a two day gap.

[01101001]

In the "OMG Permalink" thread, this article (not a permalink!), I report on a vBSEO forum complaint that seems to be the same issue: Just installed vBSEO, users complaining about "first new post" links

[01101001]

Question: does anyone experiencing the first-unread-post issue have their posts-per-page setting (User CP :: Options) to Use Forum Default (or 30)?

Question: if you have had a setting different from the default, does setting your posts-per-page setting (User CP :: Options) to Use Forum Default make the problem go away? (Be sure to save the change, and refresh any screens you might have had open.)

[Van Rijn]

I'll try it for a day and let you know. I had mine set to 40 per page.

[Grashtel]

Originally Posted by 01101001

Question: does anyone experiencing the first-unread-post issue have their posts-per-page setting (User CP :: Options) to Use Forum Default (or 30)?

I've been using the forum default setting and I've been having the problem.

[Van Rijn]

And I switched to it, but just had the problem again. This thread:

Sextuplets dropping like flies.

The only unusual thing about that thread is that I haven't visited it in a couple weeks.

[01101001]

Originally Posted by Van Rijn

And I switched to it, but just had the problem again. This thread:

Sextuplets dropping like flies.

The only unusual thing about that thread is that I haven't visited it in a couple weeks.

OK. Thanks for the experiment. I really thought it would help.

If you wanna feel picked on: I rushed over to Babbling, saw that topic with an unread article, clicked the arrow icon, and I was transported straight to Doodler's article #68. The software hates you.

[Van Rijn]

Another odd thing: I clicked on the "go to last post" button for the "MESSENGER's Farewell Venus" item and it brought up this:

The End of Everything

I thought I had made a mistake, went back, and it repeated. However, if I actually go into the "Universe Today Story Comments" subforum, and click on "go to last post" there, it works correctly. From the main menu, the link looks correct, so it seems there is something going on in the background.

[01101001]

Originally Posted by Van Rijn

Another odd thing: I clicked on the "go to last post" button

When the article is the first in a new topic, in Universe Today Story Comments subforum, by Fraser, I don't think I've ever seen the go-to-last-post button (the right-arrow icon, over by the contributor's name) work. I usually get: no thread specified. I think it's some problem in the way the automated postings are made.

[Van Rijn]

Ah. Okay. I'm problably noticing other problems more now, even though some are probably not related the the permalink issue.