How do you browse the forum?

[harper]

I'm still looking for how to "view all unread posts" on the full site. It's an option on the mobile version of the site.

Where do you see that on the mobile version?

Tap the magnifying glass on the top right.

I realized that the reason I didn't see it is because apparently you have to be logged into the mobile site in order to see all of those options. I usually only use the mobile version to casually browse when "on the go", since it'd be a pain in the ass to post or send PMs via my shitty phone.

[Ivo]

Two things:

I think "View active topics" will not catch all threads that "View new posts" will if you are away for a while - but I'm not 100% sure. The point is that "View new posts" should register all threads that received new posts since your last visit (that is why you need to login for it) - I have had a "VNP" with over 10 pages after longer breaks from checking the forums, whereas I think "VAT" would only keep threads that have received new posts in the last X hours. Correct me if I am wrong.

Other than that, when I am checking regularly, "View new posts" stops at the pages that I care to check about, whereas "View active topics" will show extra ones that in principle I already checked and had no new posts since my previous visit.

How does that make "VAT" strictly superior to "VNP"?

Ivo.

[irixith]

I only use the "View active topics" link. Never really thought about why, or doing it differently. Maybe I'll live on the edge today and click "View new posts". It's all the way over on the right-hand side, this is gonna be an adventure!

[Haoie]

Casually, once every 1-2 weeks. Not big on any forums nowadays.

[Hobie-wan]

Just to further my opinion that using the "unread posts" and "new posts" exclusively to read the forum is wrong, you're pretty likely to miss stickied posts and announcements unless you happen to catch them right after they're posted or get an infrequent reply. It is so easy to miss things that way as opposed to going to the actual sections, reading what threads interest you, then making the rest read. Since the current announcement is locked in its section to prevent commentary, I wonder how many people will actually see it.

Maybe this is why we get so many new people that post in BST without reading the rules and seeing the 2 week limit. They follow an "active forum topics" link from the front page after reading a "most valuable" article and jump right in.

[CRTGAMER]

Just to further my opinion that using the "unread posts" and "new posts" exclusively to read the forum is wrong, you're pretty likely to miss stickied posts and announcements unless you happen to catch them right after they're posted or get an infrequent reply. It is so easy to miss things that way as opposed to going to the actual sections, reading what threads interest you, then making the rest read.

Since the current announcement is locked in its section to prevent commentary, I wonder how many people will actually see it.

Maybe this is why we get so many new people that post in BST without reading the rules and seeing the 2 week limit. They follow an "active forum topics" link from the front page after reading a "most valuable" article and jump right in.

I just spotted the announcement stickied in the Buy Sell Thread after reading comments in other Threads leading up to it. I think many will miss it since most do not click each category every day. Maybe something as important as the Announcement Sticky (if possible) should appear at the top of any page such as View Active Posts or New Posts?

[Michi]

^ And that's why I go to the index and browse from there. I have a lower chance of missing important things that way.

[Ivo]

Just to further my opinion that using the "unread posts" and "new posts" exclusively to read the forum is wrong, you're pretty likely to miss stickied posts and announcements unless you happen to catch them right after they're posted or get an infrequent reply. It is so easy to miss things that way as opposed to going to the actual sections, reading what threads interest you, then making the rest read. Since the current announcement is locked in its section to prevent commentary, I wonder how many people will actually see it.

Maybe this is why we get so many new people that post in BST without reading the rules and seeing the 2 week limit. They follow an "active forum topics" link from the front page after reading a "most valuable" article and jump right in.

This is an issue with "new people" not checking the rules before doing something rather than an issue with the method of regularly browsing the forum. I think you will get that sort of stuff even if these modes do not exist at all, many (most?) people simply do not read stickies with rules before posting and that is just that.

I use VNP almost exclusively, but e.g. when I want to explicitly look for a post I remember seeing a while ago I do a Custom Search or try to find it through the sections.

Ivo.

[gtmtnbiker]

This is an issue with "new people" not checking the rules before doing something rather than an issue with the method of regularly browsing the forum. I think you will get that sort of stuff even if these modes do not exist at all, many (most?) people simply do not read stickies with rules before posting and that is just that.

I agree. If I'm new to a forum, I always look for FAQs/stickies to familiarize myself with the site's rules. I also lurk for awhile before posting if possible.

[Hobie-wan]

This is an issue with "new people" not checking the rules before doing something rather than an issue with the method of regularly browsing the forum. I think you will get that sort of stuff even if these modes do not exist at all, many (most?) people simply do not read stickies with rules before posting and that is just that.

I agree. If I'm new to a forum, I always look for FAQs/stickies to familiarize myself with the site's rules. I also lurk for awhile before posting if possible.

Ok, but did you notice there's a new sticky in the BST section? If you're just using the unread/new and didn't check at about the right time in the later afternoon on Tuesday, you would probably have missed it.