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PunBB Forums → PunBB 1.2 discussion → proper "mark as read" functionality
In the tread 'Read' topics not marked as read Rickard says:
1.3 will have proper "mark as read" functionality. Yes, I give up
I have read that tread and the tread Mark New Posts as Read as well, but I don't understand what this "proper 'mark as read'" is.
Could someone please tell me? 
It means that when you have read a post (or at least visited the page where it is located) then it will automatically cease to be be marked as a new post.
OK
Now
You have x amount of posts unread on your site....
You log in... but dont do anything just sit on the front page of the site.
After x minutes it will clear the flag and will mark the posts as read.
So you dont know what the new posts are now...
Logging out will clear the unread posts to read.
1.3
You have x amount of posts unread on your site....
You log in... but dont do anything just sit on the front page of the site.
After x minutes it will NOT clear the flag and will NOT mark the posts as read.
Now all your new posts will stay flagged as unread until you read them.
Logging out will make no difference to the flags.
Above is my understanding of the difference...
You beat me paul... mine explains a little better for the simple people though. So might benefit someone. 
Thank you both of you.
But what happens with the "flags" when I log out.
But what happens with the "flags" when I log out.
Updated previous post.
Ok, then it will be like most of the other forums out there, right?
Actually, that the new post flags are reseted when I have logged out is something that I like because then I don't need to hit "Mark all topics as read" now and then.
Wouldn't it be possible to change a couple of things in the flaging system, and make a system that is almost like today.
I understand if you don't find this interesting since this has been discussed before. But since the old system maybe will be a option in 1.3, suggestions for the old system still could be relevant..
I see two problems as it is today:
A topic should be marked as read when you have read it and your own post should never be flagged as unread.
The "Mark all topics as read" should be taken away, because you don't need it.
Also, that the unread posts disappear could be solved. There could be a "Show unread posts"-link under "Show new posts since last visit"
that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order..
... mine explains a little better for the simple people though. So might benefit someone.
Only because I don't know exactly how it will work yet so I'm not saying anything I don't know to be correct.
The "Mark all topics as read" should be taken away, because you don't need it.
This one will probably still fill a function.
Also, that the unread posts disappear could be solved. There could be a "Show unread posts"-link under "Show new posts since last visit" that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order..
I don't know how the system will work in detail, but I don't think this will be possible. Imagine how much data that would require to know exactly which post (of lets say a million) a user have read. Then multiply that with a few thousand users 
But it wouldnt really make sense any other way.... would it!?!
the new way that is.. whatever that may be.
sparq wrote:The "Mark all topics as read" should be taken away, because you don't need it.
This one will probably still fill a function.
Fill which function? Why would you want to "Mark all topics as read" when you know this will be done when you log out?
sparq wrote:Also, that the unread posts disappear could be solved. There could be a "Show unread posts"-link under "Show new posts since last visit" that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order..
I don't know how the system will work in detail, but I don't think this will be possible. Imagine how much data that would require to know exactly which post (of lets say a million) a user have read. Then multiply that with a few thousand users
Ok, but lets say the "Mark all topics as read" link will be used... then it wouldn't require more data than the new system (if it will be like StevenBullen wrote that will say), right? Because the forum need to know which posts that haven't been read by the user anyway...
Ok, but if you keep the "Mark all topics as read"... it wouldn't require more data than the new system (if it will be like StevenBullen wrote that will say), right? Because the forum need to know which posts that haven't been read anyway...
I don't think it will work like that though, but it's just me guessing.
sparq wrote:Ok, but if you keep the "Mark all topics as read"... it wouldn't require more data than the new system (if it will be like StevenBullen wrote that will say), right? Because the forum need to know which posts that haven't been read anyway...
I don't think it will work like that though, but it's just me guessing.
But it wouldnt really make sense any other way.... would it!?!
the new way that is.. whatever that may be.
Is it possible that Rickard just meant that a topic will be marked as read when you open it, and no other changes?
Mark all as read would still be needed because there might be tons of new posts in forums or topics which you aren't interested in so there will be lots of new post indicators cluttering up the place.
I'm not sure this conversation serves any more purpose than debating Swedens tactics when they meet Brazil in the World Cup Final. Best to get there first and then see what happens.
Mark all as read would still be needed because there might be tons of new posts in forums or topics which you aren't interested in so there will be lots of new post indicators cluttering up the place.
Does it matter if it's tons or just ten, the flags are there anyway. I get like 10 flags but I don't mind. But that's me
I'm not sure this conversation serves any more purpose than debating Swedens tactics when they meet Brazil in the World Cup Final. Best to get there first and then see what happens.
Maybe not, but I would
What I mean by "proper" mark as read functionality is that when you read a topic that has been posted to since your last visit, it will no longer be marked as containing new posts (for that session!). It does not mean that you're "unread" topics are marked as such forever. I can't really think of a situation where you want to save that data for that long. When you are away from a forum for some time and then come back, you're interested in which topics have been posted to. You're not interested in which topics had been posted to the last time you were there.
In short. The only difference between the way it works now and the way it will work in 1.3 is that in 1.3, when you read a topic that was marked as containing "new posts", that indicator will turn off.
There is to my knowledge no fast and elegant way of implementing a long term read/unread posts marking system. Thus, it won't be in PunBB.
What I mean by "proper" mark as read functionality is that when you read a topic that has been posted to since your last visit, it will no longer be marked as containing new posts (for that session!). It does not mean that you're "unread" topics are marked as such forever. I can't really think of a situation where you want to save that data for that long. When you are away from a forum for some time and then come back, you're interested in which topics have been posted to. You're not interested in which topics had been posted to the last time you were there.
In short. The only difference between the way it works now and the way it will work in 1.3 is that in 1.3, when you read a topic that was marked as containing "new posts", that indicator will turn off.
There is to my knowledge no fast and elegant way of implementing a long term read/unread posts marking system. Thus, it won't be in PunBB.
Really, that's about the only thing I can think of or want to add to PunBB. I'm very pleased with the way everything else works except for the way it handles "Mark as Read". If I can log in to a forum, see the new stuff since the last time I was there and as I read that post, it then gets marked as read, then you got me very excited indeed.
What I mean by "proper" mark as read functionality is that when you read a topic that has been posted to since your last visit, it will no longer be marked as containing new posts (for that session!). It does not mean that you're "unread" topics are marked as such forever. I can't really think of a situation where you want to save that data for that long. When you are away from a forum for some time and then come back, you're interested in which topics have been posted to. You're not interested in which topics had been posted to the last time you were there.
In short. The only difference between the way it works now and the way it will work in 1.3 is that in 1.3, when you read a topic that was marked as containing "new posts", that indicator will turn off.
There is to my knowledge no fast and elegant way of implementing a long term read/unread posts marking system. Thus, it won't be in PunBB.
That's the way I like it
Rickard: Will there be any changes of the marking of your own posts in 1.3, so that they will not be marked as a new post?
There is to my knowledge no fast and elegant way of implementing a long term read/unread posts marking system. Thus, it won't be in PunBB.
No fast way - This one I understand, it shouldn't be implemented if it will slow down the forum.
No elegent way - What do you think of taking away the "Mark all topics as read" link and put a "Show unread posts" link there instead that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order (like "Show unanswered posts")?
Also there is one thing I would like to know: is there a reason for why "Show recent posts"
has a time limit while there is no time limit for "Show unanswered posts"?
Let's say that you log in to your account but you don't have time to read all new posts, then the posts will not be marked as unread the next time you log in. Then you can find these posts with "Show recent posts" but not if you wait to long to log in again, because of the time limit. Because of this I think it would be great to take the time limit away. But maybe there's some other reasons for keeping it?
No elegent way - What do you think of taking away the "Mark all topics as read" link and put a "Show unread posts" link there instead that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order (like "Show unanswered posts")?
How big would he database have to be to store the id's of every post that every user had never read. Or are you talking about a global list of posts that nobody had ever viewed?
Also there is one thing I would like to know: is there a reason for why "Show recent posts" has a time limit while there is no time limit for "Show unanswered posts"?
Because recent is a finite period of time though exactly what consitutes recent is a matter of opinion. Unanswered is a state of being which is fixed until the post is answered.
Let's say that you log in to your account but you don't have time to read all new posts, then the posts will not be marked as unread the next time you log in. Then you can find these posts with "Show recent posts" but not if you wait to long to log in again, because of the time limit. Because of this I think it would be great to take the time limit away. But maybe there's some other reasons for keeping it?
If you take away the time limit then you have a search for all posts on the forum regardless of when they were posted, in other words a search which returns every single post ever posted.
One option would be to remove the recent posts link alltogether and add a predefined period search to search.php via a dropdown e.g. 1 days, 2 days, 7 days, 1 month etc. That would be a really easy mod if not a feature.
One option would be to remove the recent posts link alltogether and add a predefined period search to search.php via a dropdown e.g. 1 days, 2 days, 7 days, 1 month etc. That would be a really easy mod if not a feature.
That would solve everything.
You can have a bookmark with let's say the last 8 hours of activity, post indicators firing off illuminating what you haven't read.
I give it a thumbs up!
Rickard: Will there be any changes of the marking of your own posts in 1.3, so that they will not be marked as a new post?
I'll look into that. I can't really say now.
No fast way - This one I understand, it shouldn't be implemented if it will slow down the forum.
No elegent way - What do you think of taking away the "Mark all topics as read" link and put a "Show unread posts" link there instead that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order (like "Show unanswered posts")?
See Pauls reply. There's significant database storage involved in that.
Also there is one thing I would like to know: is there a reason for why "Show recent posts"
has a time limit while there is no time limit for "Show unanswered posts"?Let's say that you log in to your account but you don't have time to read all new posts, then the posts will not be marked as unread the next time you log in. Then you can find these posts with "Show recent posts" but not if you wait to long to log in again, because of the time limit. Because of this I think it would be great to take the time limit away. But maybe there's some other reasons for keeping it?
It's the same issue. We would have to keep track of the viewing of all topics from all users. It's just not feasible from a database standpoint.
Thinking about it, I'm rather surprised that nobody has produced a mod which adds time to the search criteria. On a big board it might be quite useful to say list all posts/topics in a particular forum which are less than 2 weeks old. That way if you've been away on holiday you don't have to trouble about new post indicators, you just do a time limited search. Like I say, I'm surprised it hasn't been done as anybody who knows a bit of sql could do it easily. In fact, its probably just a cut and paste job on the existing search functions.
No elegent way - What do you think of taking away the "Mark all topics as read" link and put a "Show unread posts" link there instead that would show all unread posts ever, in chronological order (like "Show unanswered posts")?
How big would he database have to be to store the id's of every post that every user had never read. Or are you talking about a global list of posts that nobody had ever viewed?
Global, no wouldn't that be like the already existing "Show unanswered posts" feature? What I understand of what you are writing, what I meant is compleatly impossible ok
Also there is one thing I would like to know: is there a reason for why "Show recent posts" has a time limit while there is no time limit for "Show unanswered posts"?
Because recent is a finite period of time though exactly what consitutes recent is a matter of opinion. Unanswered is a state of being which is fixed until the post is answered.
Ahh I see, it's a matter of semantics.Good explanation by the way. Thanks
Let's say that you log in to your account but you don't have time to read all new posts, then the posts will not be marked as unread the next time you log in. Then you can find these posts with "Show recent posts" but not if you wait to long to log in again, because of the time limit. Because of this I think it would be great to take the time limit away. But maybe there's some other reasons for keeping it?
If you take away the time limit then you have a search for all posts on the forum regardless of when they were posted, in other words a search which returns every single post ever posted.
And I suppose that's not good, right?
But I want to ask you this: What is the advantages of defining the days to search for, I mean, it's still sorted by time, so why not just search for let's say 2 weeks no matter how old posts you are looking for?
Thinking about it, I'm rather surprised that nobody has produced a mod which adds time to the search criteria. On a big board it might be quite useful to say list all posts/topics in a particular forum which are less than 2 weeks old. That way if you've been away on holiday you don't have to trouble about new post indicators, you just do a time limited search. Like I say, I'm surprised it hasn't been done as anybody who knows a bit of sql could do it easily. In fact, its probably just a cut and paste job on the existing search functions.
This is not a mod but you could check it out:
http://punbb.org/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=69325#p69325
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