Thread/Forum Read Marking

Based on this thread I have changed the Thread/Forum Read Marking at LQ from Inactivity/Cookie Based [1] to Database (automatic forum marking) [2] on a BETA basis. While this is enabled we'll be monitoring the performance impact to see if the change is viable long term, but I'd also be interested in as much member feedback as possible. Thanks.

Old System: [1] Once a user has been inactive for 900 seconds all threads and forums are considered read. Individual threads are marked as read within a session via cookies.

New System: [2] Uses the database to store thread and forum read times. This allows accurate read markers to be kept indefinitely.

--jeremy

I have a little problem from yesterday. Every morning I'm used to click on "View new post" and go through all the 3/4 pages of new posts still marked as unread. Now, just the time to scroll the first page, about 3 seconds if nothing captures my attention, and when I go to the next page the threads are already marked as read. If I click on "View New Posts" again, it tells me that there are not new posts. This all happens in 10 seconds at most. I've tried to logout/login to clear cookies but the issue still persists. I can live with that anyway.

colucix, I'm not able to reproduce the issue you're having. Are any other members?

--jeremy

Oops... the opposite problem right now! Viewing New Posts now brings up some real new posts plus 12 pages of "The threads below have not been updated since your last visit but still contain unread posts." all marked as unread (in bold). But I have already read them! Or at least many of them.

Edit: and I cannot see this thread in the list, maybe because I've read/written it.

Originally Posted by colucix Now, just the time to scroll the first page, about 3 seconds if nothing captures my attention, and when I go to the next page the threads are already marked as read. If I click on "View New Posts" again, it tells me that there are not new posts. This all happens in 10 seconds at most. I've tried to logout/login to clear cookies but the issue still persists.

Sounds like the same thing I mentioned here, it seems to be an occasional glitch in the session timeout code. I guess it won't happen using the Database (automatic forum marking) method (or rather, even if the session times out early, it won't be noticable unless you pay really close attention to the "You last visited:" message).

Note that the first time you visit LQ after we made this change, you'll see a large number of "unread" threads that you may have read. See http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ml#post4533785 for the explanation. If any of the issues you had were before 41 minutes ago, they are unrelated to this change (and may actually be addressed by this change).

--jeremy

I just logged in and find 12 pages of unread posts when previously the most I have had is 6 but I usually have 4 or 5 depending on how long between log ins (usually between 10 and 14 hours). I start going through the pages and page 4 then has a thing saying these posts have not been updated since your last visit (about 9 maybe 10 hours ago) but still contain unread posts.

EDIT: Just read your other post, will mark as read and see how it goes.

@ colucix
I can confirm both of your experiences, but I understand that it was changed just a few minutes ago, so hopefully this will fix things.

I'm still getting the "these thread have not been update but still have unread posts" even after marking all as read.

I've got 54 threads marked as unread, whereas in fact it should be around 4 or 5.

I fixed my issue by revisiting the links I've already read so it can be marked as read by the cookie. I then logged out for 3 minutes and log back in. All links that were previously there are gone which I assume is now in sync with LQ's beta read marking system.

Am I being monitored in some way?

Revisited all threads and everything seems fine. When a thread spreads over multiple pages you need to visit the last page to mark it as read.

It correctly says "You last visited yesterday at 18.11", but everything posted since 11 November is marked bold.

lugoteehalt, there is no new "monitoring" that is being done as a result of this.

DavidMcCann, that's explained in the link contained in post #6.

--jeremy