Unread message count

**phej** · 10-22-2009, 12:01 PM

Can there be an unread message count on all of the tables that enumerate threads?

Rudy · 10-22-2009, 12:17 PM

Sorry, could you clarify what you mean? I confess myself unsure.

**Synamon** · 10-22-2009, 12:21 PM

I confess the same. The whats that do who?

**phej** · 10-22-2009, 12:42 PM

Rudy · 10-22-2009, 12:44 PM

That might be kind of neat, but I'm unsure how useful it would be, let alone how feasible it would be. If you can see whether or not a thread has unread replies, how would it be useful to you to know exactly how many unread replies there are?

**Synamon** · 10-22-2009, 12:50 PM

Ah, so you want to be able to see how many new posts have been made in each thread since you've been in the thread? The tally of replies and views is unique to the thread (and the information displayed is the same for every user) while the unread posts are unique to individual users, so I'm not sure such a count could even be displayed in the forum index.

**phej** · 10-22-2009, 12:55 PM

Syn, yes. Why can't the information be displayed, when I click on the little triangle, it takes me to the oldest unread post. When the triangle is not there, it means that I've fully read that thread. So that means that when the page is generated from the database, it knows that I've read or not read some of the thread, so it almost already has the count. Whether or not this messes with the load on the server, I don't know.

phej added to this post, 10 minutes and 28 seconds later...

	Originally Posted by Rudy
	That might be kind of neat, but I'm unsure how useful it would be, let alone how feasible it would be. If you can see whether or not a thread has unread replies, how would it be useful to you to know exactly how many unread replies there are?

I'd like to use it as a proxy of how interested the community is in the thread. For some topics, I won't have any interest unless its a vigorously debated topic.

Rudy · 10-22-2009, 01:16 PM

	Originally Posted by phej
	I'd like to use it as a proxy of how interested the community is in the thread. For some topics, I won't have any interest unless its a vigorously debated topic.

Hmm... I guess that might be mildly useful, from time to time, though given that you could just open up the thread and see how many new posts there are with a glance, I can't see it as being too important.

You'll have to wait to hear from Jez. or stasis, of course, as to how feasible it is, and their willingness to make that change.

**LionsPride** · 10-22-2009, 02:23 PM

	Originally Posted by Rudy
	Hmm... I guess that might be mildly useful, from time to time, though given that you could just open up the thread and see how many new posts there are with a glance, I can't see it as being too important.

I think it would be handy for me. As a mod, if I have a limited amount of time I might want to concentrate on the hot topics rather than the 15 threads that have one new post in them. Not that one new post will never moderation, but if there is mud slinging going on, it's likely going to be in threads where there has been a lot of back and forth going on.

Also, sometimes clicking the triangle doesn't tell me what I'm in store for. If I knew I had 30 posts to read I might pick a time when I can read them all. It's annoying to jump in, find yourself halfway down the page (I see 100 posts per page) and know that if you hop out you won't know where you left off.

It's not a must have, but I would likely use it if it was available. Hell, if it had the same link as the replies column, I could even check who the new posts are from. Not that I select threads because my favourite posters are in them or anything...*whistles innocently*

**phej** · 10-22-2009, 02:56 PM

	Originally Posted by LionsPride
	It's not a must have, but I would likely use it if it was available. Hell, if it had the same link as the replies column, I could even check who the new posts are from. Not that I select threads because my favourite posters are in them or anything...whistles innocently

Ooh... Someone likes stalking.

Why can't we have a condensed stalking list also? A search that finds all recent posts of people on the contact/friends list...

*whistles innocently also*

stasis · 10-22-2009, 05:20 PM

Assessing projects like these will have to wait until vBulletin 4, which is being released soon. If I were to fuck with it now, I'd have to re-code everything in a couple of weeks anyway.

**Tough Love** · 10-23-2009, 03:30 AM

I really like the idea. That's my tuppence worth.....

**Solaris** · 10-26-2009, 02:33 PM

I see how it could be useful, but I think "views" is just as good a way to measure interest. Since we don't allow "me too" and "I agree" as posts, sometimes people read and don't post.

I do agree with LP about its use for mods. Sometimes I forget if I've read a thread over the weekend, especially if it's a recurring topic.

**phej** · 10-26-2009, 02:35 PM

	Originally Posted by Solaris
	I see how it could be useful, but I think "views" is just as good a way to measure interest. Since we don't allow "me too" and "I agree" as posts, sometimes people read and don't post. I do agree with LP about its use for mods. Sometimes I forget if I've read a thread over the weekend, especially if it's a recurring topic.

"views", I think includes past information that includes past interest and interest since the thread was last read.

**Solaris** · 10-26-2009, 05:03 PM

Phej, so you are really mean interest since you posted last? Not overall interest?

**phej** · 10-26-2009, 06:04 PM

	Originally Posted by Solaris
	Phej, so you are really mean interest since you posted last? Not overall interest?

I mean since unread count since I last read. I auto-subscribe (and usually read) to all threads that I post to.

10-22-2009, 12:01 PM	#1
phej Core Member [144%] MBTI: InTj Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,799	Can there be an unread message count on all of the tables that enumerate threads?
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10-22-2009, 12:17 PM	#2
Rudy Administrator MBTI: INfJ Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 21,722	Sorry, could you clarify what you mean? I confess myself unsure.
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10-22-2009, 12:21 PM	#3
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	I confess the same. The whats that do who?
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10-22-2009, 12:42 PM	#4
phej Core Member [144%] MBTI: InTj Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,799
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10-22-2009, 12:44 PM	#5
Rudy Administrator MBTI: INfJ Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 21,722	That might be kind of neat, but I'm unsure how useful it would be, let alone how feasible it would be. If you can see whether or not a thread has unread replies, how would it be useful to you to know exactly how many unread replies there are?
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10-22-2009, 12:50 PM	#6
Synamon Core Member [465%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 18,616	Ah, so you want to be able to see how many new posts have been made in each thread since you've been in the thread? The tally of replies and views is unique to the thread (and the information displayed is the same for every user) while the unread posts are unique to individual users, so I'm not sure such a count could even be displayed in the forum index.
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10-22-2009, 05:20 PM	#11
stasis Administrator MBTI: INTP Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11,536	Assessing projects like these will have to wait until vBulletin 4, which is being released soon. If I were to fuck with it now, I'd have to re-code everything in a couple of weeks anyway.
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10-23-2009, 03:30 AM	#12
Tough Love Veteran Member [95%] MBTI: eNTj Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 3,828	I really like the idea. That's my tuppence worth.....
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10-26-2009, 02:33 PM	#13
Solaris Core Member [178%] MBTI: ENTJ Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 7,152	I see how it could be useful, but I think "views" is just as good a way to measure interest. Since we don't allow "me too" and "I agree" as posts, sometimes people read and don't post. I do agree with LP about its use for mods. Sometimes I forget if I've read a thread over the weekend, especially if it's a recurring topic.
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10-26-2009, 05:03 PM	#15
Solaris Core Member [178%] MBTI: ENTJ Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 7,152	Phej, so you are really mean interest since you posted last? Not overall interest?
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