What happened to the "mark forum as read" button?

[JoJo]

The last few times today the button for marking the forum as read for the things I'm not interested in reading on the"new content" the button has not been there.

ALSO: I only want to see unread content. But lately when I click on the heading it takes me to the very beginning of the topic, not the unread part. I end up having to scroll through everything trying to find the "new" content.

Every time I think I have this site figured out, something else changes. While it keeps me on my toes, I do have other things to do besides learning this site over and over again. 

[Admin_01]

JoJo, I see three different issues in this question: (a) marking a posting or a forum as read, (b) configuration of the activity stream, and finally (c) navigating to the first unread reply within a topic. We will tackle those one at a time.

First, regarding marking a single topic or an entire forum as read. These actually are two different actions, and depends on what it is that you wish to mark as read.

If you are talking about marking an entire forum as read, then you must be in the forum (as opposed to in the topic). Your question makes reference to the activity stream. You cannot mark a forum as read from the activity stream. You have to be in the forum. If you are in the forum (meaning you see a listing of the topics that have been posted, but you are not looking at a specific posting), then just to the left of the "Start a new topic" button is a button that will mark all topics in that forum as having been read. (You might want to use that capability in the online repository for News Boquete postings, as an example.)

If you are talking about marking one particular topic within a forum as having been read, then you must be in the appropriate forum, but not within that topic. You will then notice a bolded icon just to the left of the name of the topic. That bolded icon normally will appear as a double "talk cloud" (similar to what is used in newspaper cartoons for the words that are being spoken). If you click on that icon, it will flag that topic as having been read, and then gray itself out.

Second, regarding configuring the activity stream. When at the forums index page, you will see both an "unread content' button (on the upper right side next to the "mark site read" button. That is a shortcut that displays the unread content following your configuration parameters of the activity stream. If instead, you click on the Activity tab (next to the word browse) at the top left of the forums index page, you will see all of the options within the activity stream: (a) all activity, (b) my activity streams (note the use of the plural form of that word), (c) unread content, etc. By clicking on my activity streams, you will find several pre-configured options, and toward the bottom the ability to create your own custom criteria.

Going further, if you look at all activity, or my activity streams, etc., you will see an icon just to the right that sets that option as your default option. And then you will see under the my activity streams that you also have the ability to set the default parameters to be used.

JoJo, I fear that I will loose you and many others who read this answer. That fear comes from the fact that this is very sophisticated software and with many options. I can't say with certainty, but it is highly likely that an inadvertent mouse-over or a undesired mouse click has changed your default options for the unread content button.

Third, regarding going into the first unread reply within a topic. That question has already been asked and answered in a different Q&A topic. Rather than repeat it, here is a link to it: http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/148-how-do-i-find-the-first-unread-post-within-a-forum/.

If you will allow me to go philosophical for a moment, we have an observation that seems to be repeated many times among our members in getting comfortable with some really sophisticated software. People want options, and they want them done their way. But with hundreds of members, the software is trying to please many masters. The most painless way to satisfy the majority of the members is to provide configuration options, and then let each member make things work the way THEY want it to work. That leads to a fairly high learning curve. The solution is to "poke around" and see what works best for your needs. There is little damage that you can do to the website or its database, with the possible exception of your profile (but even that is not catastrophic because if you break something there you can always fix it back).

I hope this helps clarify the issues that you have raised. If not, please give me another try. We are always here to help. That is my job.

[JoJo]

What I'm referring to is when I come to the site from the icon on my desktop it's to the "unread content" only. All of the stuff you are referring to is not in my vocabulary. That's all stuff named by your site which is pretty meaningless to me, a novice, and tends to just confuse me.

Anyway, I'm looking at the "unread content" much of which is things I'm either not interested in or already was emailed by News Boquete. There used to be (a couple of days ago) a place at the bottom of the list of topics where you could tell it to "mark the site as read." That is no longer there. WHY?

I don't go to any of the other "activity streams" you refer to. I'm a member of at least 8 or 10 sites and don't have time to explore yet another site. To be honest, there hasn't been much worth reading on CL lately. I mean no offense, just stating a fact.

Thanks for trying to help but I only wanted a nickels worth and got $100 worth of information that I really didn't want.

[Admin_01]

I am not trying to add to your frustration level. Was just trying to help.

.

[JoJo]

I understand Bud, but you haven't answered my question. Where did the function of "mark forum as read" go? It's suddenly just not there.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I believe it was you that pointed it out to me in the first place but I'm not positive of that. When you look through all the "new content" and click on the ones you want to read and leave the others you don't want to read behind, you want them to go away, not linger on. I was able to click on "mark forum as read" and then when the popup says CANCEL OR OK, I could click on OK and they were gone. That function is no longer there.

[Admin_01]

Perhaps you overlooked the very first answer that I wrote in response to your question. In case you missed it, I quote here again:

Quote

If you are talking about marking an entire forum as read, then you must be in the forum (as opposed to in the topic). Your question makes reference to the activity stream. You cannot mark a forum as read from the activity stream. You have to be in the forum. If you are in the forum (meaning you see a listing of the topics that have been posted, but you are not looking at a specific posting), then just to the left of the "Start a new topic" button is a button that will mark all topics in that forum as having been read. (You might want to use that capability in the online repository for News Boquete postings, as an example.)

Two amplifying comments:

•  you cannot mark a forum as read from within the activity stream (which is what displays after you click on the "Unread content" button), and
•  you must be looking at the entire forum, not one specific topic/posting.

Try this and let me know how it works for you. Also see the annotated screen capture (below).

[JoJo]

Thanks anyway Bud. This just isn't there. You've circled it in red and I'm not blind (yet anyway ) but it's just no longer there on my computer. I haven't changed anything on my end but it's not worth wasting your time or mine.

[Admin_01]

JoJo,

I went through every forum on this website -- as a non-privileged user (the status that you and all other members have) -- and verified that every forum that has at least one topic posted in it does in fact display the "mark this forum as read" link. There were no exceptions.

I repeat, every forum, except those that have no content, on this website has the link to mark that specific forum as having been read.

What you are telling me can only logically be explained by one of three possibilities: either (1) you are not actively signed into this website, or (2) the forum listing that you are looking at has no topic posted in it, or (3) operator error.

In order to resolve this matter, please take a screen capture when you see a forum listing that is missing the "mark this forum as read" link. Then send that screen capture to me by one of three methods: email, private message, or posting as a reply in this forum. My contact information is in the signature block at the bottom of this reply.

By working together we will get to the bottom of this matter. We are going to solve this.

[Admin_01]

Rather than continue with a public discussion about all the details, be advised that this matter has been successfully resolved. The 'mark forum as read' link now displays on the subject computer.