A button for "Go To Last Unread Post In Thread"
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
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A button for "Go To Last Unread Post In Thread"
Maybe this is an issue for vBulletin, but if I'm reading a long multi-page thread in which I've posted halfway through, it would be nice to have a convenient way to pick up where I left off.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt


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Uhh, it's there. Look above the first post in the thread and there's an arrow down that says "view first unread"
#3
Original Poster
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My bad.
/thread
/thread
#4
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges


Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,114
More importantly, as I finally discovered in the past few days, to the left of the thread title on the forum's list of threads is a sort of down-arrow icon that takes you to the first unread post: 
I can't begin to estimate how much wasted time and frustration I've experienced from clicking either the thread title then the first unread link, or the last post (
) link (only to find there were many posts I'd not yet read, while causing the software to think I had now read all the posts), or the last page link (only to find the last page was beyond my first unread post). I had also briefly dabbled with right-clicking the thread link, pasting it to the browser URL line, then editing it to insert -new-post before .html. (That is the target URL for the down arrow graphic link.)
I only stumbled upon this when a browser extension incompatibility caused the icons to be replace by the alt text links.

I can't begin to estimate how much wasted time and frustration I've experienced from clicking either the thread title then the first unread link, or the last post (
) link (only to find there were many posts I'd not yet read, while causing the software to think I had now read all the posts), or the last page link (only to find the last page was beyond my first unread post). I had also briefly dabbled with right-clicking the thread link, pasting it to the browser URL line, then editing it to insert -new-post before .html. (That is the target URL for the down arrow graphic link.)I only stumbled upon this when a browser extension incompatibility caused the icons to be replace by the alt text links.
#5
Join Date: Aug 2006
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I have run into an issue where my take me the first unread post button does not function properly. Instead of taking me to the first unread post, I am being taken a post much further back often on a page or two before, but not to the first one unless the there are very few posts in the thread. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks.
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 52,802
I have run into an issue where my take me the first unread post button does not function properly. Instead of taking me to the first unread post, I am being taken a post much further back often on a page or two before, but not to the first one unless the there are very few posts in the thread. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks.
The thread is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ewed-post.html
#7
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: PHX (live by CHD and work next to DVT)
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Posts: 1,292
There is a thread in Technical Issues discussing this. As of right now, there are no working solutions. The suggestion has been made to clear cookies and cache, but at least in my case, that hasn't worked.
The thread is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ewed-post.html
The thread is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ewed-post.html
#8
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 52,802
#9
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges


Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,114
Update for those not following the other thread:
While not a complete solution, this workaround minimizes the inconvenience:
While not a complete solution, this workaround minimizes the inconvenience:
We can slightly reduce the hassle of this bug by setting our posts-per-page to the max (40, IIRC). Then if instead of clicking the first unread link from the thread list page, we:we will end up at the right post. By setting the posts-per-page to 40 we reduce the number of multi-page threads as well as the number of times we end up on a page that is before or ofter the one that actually contains our first unread post. It does take two clicks instead of one, but it is far better than trying to find the first unread post by scanning the page, or adding yet another click to get to the right page after the first click failed... (I don't like setting posts-per-page as high as 40, but it is the lesser of two evils while this problem exists.)
- first click a link that takes us to our correct first unread page;
- then click the View First Unread link on that page;
#10
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 52,802
#11
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges


Join Date: Mar 2008
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It will only take you back several pages if you made a mistake on step 1 and ended up at the wrong page. You need to watch the status bar (or the status non-bar in more recent browsers) to see what the link is before you click it. If the link is to http://flyertalk.com....-new-post.html, it will take you the exact same place clicking the
on the forum index page would have taken you. Before clicking you need to be sure the link is to a real thread page with an anchor similar to #post1234567 at the end of the URL.
Also note that a bookmarklet and a GreaseMonkey script to circumvent this problem from the user side are now available. ^
on the forum index page would have taken you. Before clicking you need to be sure the link is to a real thread page with an anchor similar to #post1234567 at the end of the URL.Also note that a bookmarklet and a GreaseMonkey script to circumvent this problem from the user side are now available. ^
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 52,802
It will only take you back several pages if you made a mistake on step 1 and ended up at the wrong page. You need to watch the status bar (or the status non-bar in more recent browsers) to see what the link is before you click it. If the link is to http://flyertalk.com....-new-post.html, it will take you the exact same place clicking the
on the forum index page would have taken you. Before clicking you need to be sure the link is to a real thread page with an anchor similar to #post1234567 at the end of the URL.
Also note that a bookmarklet and a GreaseMonkey script to circumvent this problem from the user side are now available. ^
on the forum index page would have taken you. Before clicking you need to be sure the link is to a real thread page with an anchor similar to #post1234567 at the end of the URL.Also note that a bookmarklet and a GreaseMonkey script to circumvent this problem from the user side are now available. ^
#13
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges


Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,114
It's not so much a question of knowing you are on the correct page, it is a question of looking at the target URL when you hover over the link. If it says -new-post.html you can be sure you will end up at the wrong place.
Also note that clearing your cache is another workaround.
Also note that clearing your cache is another workaround.
#14
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There is a thread in Technical Issues discussing this. As of right now, there are no working solutions. The suggestion has been made to clear cookies and cache, but at least in my case, that hasn't worked.
The thread is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ewed-post.html
The thread is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ewed-post.html
I'd suggest posting there instead of here if you have any updates related to this problem, as that thread is monitored by Internet Brands.



You're welcome.