Originally Posted by chrislacey
Gretchyn...
The short answer (I believe) is that "unread messages" are just those messages that were posted since the last time you came to FlyerTalk. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have read them.
Yes, the cookie that's set when you visit the site, click on a page, etc., is what determines the "last viewed" status of a thread.
Personally, I open each new thread in a new window, rather than opening them in the same window. That way, I keep the original list of new threads separate (and not reloading, which may cause them to be considered as "read").