New messages

[Blue Crab]

Sitting at the main category page (the "home" page), there is a diamond-shaped icon that's green if there are new messages in a particular category, or it's dark if there are no new messages.

If you click on a category, read a few new messages (but not all the new messages), and then go back to the main category page, the icon for that category is now dark... even if there are still new (unread) messages.

Seems to me that the icon should stay "lit" until there are no unread messages in that particular category.

Whaddyathink?  

[Joseph Fung]

Sorry, but no - the point of it is to bring your attention to messages you haven't even acknowledged.  For instance - there are a lot of messages in Chit Chat I don't read.  So pop into Chit Chat look down the list and leave - it would be counter-productive to force users to read every topic.

[Blue Crab]

I thought that was the purpose of the "Mark as Read" button... you jump into Chit Chat, see nothing of importance, and click "Mark as Read". That would then "extinguish" the green new messages icon on the categories page.

[Joseph Fung]

It also requires an extra mouse-click.

Another reason is that this is how the YaBB UI has handled it since conception - and there's no strong argument to change it.

[Blue Crab]

My argument is that I'll occasionally click the browser's "back" button one-time too many, bringing me back to the main categories page. Then I forget which category I was reading prior to that and have to go searching for the new messages again. Having that new messages icon still "illuminated" would be helpful.

But, I can see your point too. Perhaps this could be worked in as a future enhancement... an option selectable from the admin page.  

[Joseph Fung]

As a future enhancement perhaps.  But then again, couldn't you just press the forward button once?

[David]

I never use "mark as read" since I havn't really read everything.

[Blue Crab]

True, pressing the "forward" button would work but my previous example was only one situation... what happens when a user doesn't have time to read all of the new messages in a particular category? The user closes down their browser and returns a few hours later only to discover that the forum shows no new messages for each category... when in fact there are.

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, I just think that my suggestion is a little more intuitive... think about it... if there are any unread messages in a particular category, then that icon needs to show that fact.... that's what the icon is there for. It's up to the user to click "mark as read" to clear the condition if s/he doesn't care to read any of the messages.

[Blue Crab]

Also... I just wanted to say that YaBB SE is a truly awesome forum... I've tried 'em all and Yabb SE blows the competition out of the water... great job, everyone!  

[Peter Duggan]

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, I just think that my suggestion is a little more intuitive... think about it... if there are any unread messages in a particular category, then that icon needs to show that fact.... that's what the icon is there for. It's up to the user to click "mark as read" to clear the condition if s/he doesn't care to read any of the messages.

Sorry, but what's so intuitive about clicking 'mark as read'? (I've been using YaBB SE for over a year and I've *never* done it!)

The user closes down their browser and returns a few hours later only to discover that the forum shows no new messages for each category... when in fact there are.

Eh?

[Peter Duggan]

if there are any unread messages in a particular category, then that icon needs to show that fact.... that's what the icon is there for.

Sorry to disagree again, but they're 'new posts' and 'no new posts' icons, not 'read' and 'unread' ones!

[Blue Crab]

Peter... I'm talking about the triangular-shaped icon visible from the main menu (when you click the "home" icon on the menu bar).

For example, try this:

• Click on the "Home" button on the main menu.
• Click on a category where the diamond icon indicates there are new messages.
• Observe that each topic that has new messages has a blue oval-shaped "new" icon next to it.
• Close your browser.
• Open your browser, and go back to the main menu.
• Notice that the same category now sports a black diamond icon indicating that there are no new messages... and there are new messages! If you click on that category you'll see the blue oval "new" icons next to the topics.

Anyway, it's clear that everyone disagrees with me on this

I'll crawl back into my corner now.  

[David]

It is only ment to mark new messages since the last time you visited that board.

[Blue Crab]

Exactly my point...

I suggested a mod that would change the behavior of the the icon... have it indicate, at the root-level, if there are any new messages in any given category.

Of course, that behavior would require that everyone start using the "Mark as Read" button.

Sigh.

[Daniel Hofverberg]

Sorry, but what's so intuitive about clicking 'mark as read'? (I've been using YaBB SE for over a year and I've *never* done it!)

I completely agree - I have never used "Mark as read" either. It just doesn't make much sense to mark messages as read when you haven't actually read them...

I also think the current solution makes most sense. If the icons on board index would only go dark when all threads in a board has been read, it would make the whole system pretty useless on larger forums (such as this one), as it is pretty impossible to actually read every single thread...