Cookies Timeout

[HenryJ]

This seems to be the only forum that I frequent where the cookies for the main page never expire.
I look for the highlights and posts that I have not read. I do not read all posts and have to manually mark all posts read (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?do=markread) for new posts to be highlighted.
There were no options in the user CP to adjust this setting.
After a day they could expire, or expire after each visit would be nice.

Maybe it is just my preference? Thoughts?

[HenryJ]

Guess there is either no option to set this in the administration configuration, or no interest.

[WhiteThaiGer]

This concerns settings that only Jack has access to and he is extremely busy right now.

I actually like the fact that the cookies do not expire and don't mind the 2 clicks to mark everything as read. I suppose it would be ideal if the user could configure this setting.

[alanh]

I guess I never use New Posts (assuming that is what you're referring to) so I don't notice it. I haven't a clue if there is anything that can be changed.

I think this is something that Jack will have to answer. It may take a while for him to get around to it, but don't give up yet.

I don't know what the answer will be. It looks like very few people on the forum have read the topic, so you may be correct in your assessment that there isn't much interest.

[4RUNAMOK]

I asked Jack about this, and he said the current setting is intentional.

Not everyone is able to read all of the new posts in one sitting. But it doesn't work quite like that either.

A user configurable setting would be ideal, but that would depend on the settings available to Jack and what the message boards' programmers allow in the settings.

[JackSilb]

Hello,

I say that all the comments here are correct including the one on me being busy. Work is doing its part on being the way as probably true for everyone.

The "not marking all the post as read" is intentional. Lots of people like to be able to know what posts they have not read yet. As people have time to read them, they are marked as "read". The other way around would not be possible as far as I can see on the options.

I personally like to know what I have not read yet. As time allows, I got back to the Threads that have new posts.


I agree that it would be nice if a user could configure that on their own. Have you seen this option on another forum running vBulletin? That is, users can set the Forum to mark the previous post as read once that user visit the forum? and vise versa?

Therefore, you seen something in another forum, please let me know. I will do some homework.


Thanks,
-JACK

[HenryJ]

They never clear other than manually on the main page. Even when all threads in the forum have been read. This is for the main page only. In the forum you arrive to find that they have all cleared after they have been read.

If that works for everyone else, fine. It annoys me to have to clear them in order to know if there have indeed been new posts in a forum. Either that or I have to click on the forum to see if there were any new posts.

It seems to me that the current setting defeats the purpose. You do not know if there are new posts and they eventually all show as new posts unless you clear the marked forums. Then you miss those that were not read.

Probably just me.

[WhiteThaiGer]

They never clear other than manually on the main page. Even when all threads in the forum have been read. This is for the main page only. In the forum you arrive to find that they have all cleared after they have been read.

If that works for everyone else, fine. It annoys me to have to clear them in order to know if there have indeed been new posts in a forum. Either that or I have to click on the forum to see if there were any new posts.

It seems to me that the current setting defeats the purpose. You do not know if there are new posts and they eventually all show as new posts unless you clear the marked forums. Then you miss those that were not read.

Probably just me.

Wait, I may have not read your initial post carefully enough :blush:. I think I have the same issue that you describe: After visiting a thread/post via the "new posts" the main page icons do not reflect that, they still show new posts even after I read all of them.
This seems to be an issue with this particular installation of vbulletin since I don't get it with other vbulletin forums.

[JackSilb]

This seems to be an issue with this particular installation of vbulletin since I don't get it with other vbulletin forums.

Let me take a look on it from home tonight.

thanks for the ideas and feedback,
-JACK

[4RUNAMOK]

Wait, I may have not read your initial post carefully enough :blush:. I think I have the same issue that you describe: After visiting a thread/post via the "new posts" the main page icons do not reflect that, they still show new posts even after I read all of them.
This seems to be an issue with this particular installation of vbulletin since I don't get it with other vbulletin forums.
I also have this problem.

[HenryJ]

Seems to be working now?

I read Jack's test post and went back to the main page. When I refreshed the forum no longer showed a new post in the test forum.

What did you do? Just curious and want to learn. Thank you!

[WhiteThaiGer]

The issue I observed is still there. Here is what I just did:

1)Went to 4WDtrips (no login required since it remembers)
2)Click on New Posts
3)Read the two new posts
4)Went to the main forum page

-> The threads with the "new posts" I just read are still marked with the icon indicating that there are new posts in the the thread. To clear this I'll have to do: Quick Links->Mark Forums Read.

[HenryJ]

did you try a refresh, or reload of the main page? When I did that they cleared. before they would not.

EDIT: Ok, that is weird. You are right. Read article>back>back>refresh , still there. Forward, all topics show read, back>refresh and the highlight is gone.

Weird.

[JackSilb]

Hello,

Sorry on the delay. I have been having high priority issues to take care that are distracting me from my personal life in general. Not health related thanks God.

Let me check on the options. I would not leave something annoying like this on purpose. But hey, just ask my wife, I have been wrong many times.
I need a 4WDtrip bad!
-Jack

[JackSilb]

I changed the cookie name. Lets see it that helps.
The refresh always worked for me to show that a post I read was marked as read.

I need to do some homework on the support page of VBulletin.
We are running the latest forum release.


-JACK

[JackSilb]

Hello,

I posted a question on the support forum for vBulletin.
We will see what we get.

Thanks again for the feedback and attention to details. We want this place to be fun for all of us. If there is a way to fix it, we will do.
-JACK

[HenryJ]

It really is strange. I view all the unread articles. Select back on my browser and hit refresh. It still shows unread atricles in the forum. I check and they are indeed all read. I select back and refresh again and the unread mark disappears.
Weird. Must be a vbulletin bug?

[4RUNAMOK]

The problem might be the back button.

Because when I use the "4WDTrips.net Forums (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/index.php) > Others (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=48) > What would you like to see on this site (http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=60)" at the top of the site, it works just fine.

[JackSilb]

And now that you guys mentioned, I noticing it more. If I refresh the page it seems to work. I am using Firefox.
But other sites don't have this issue, I am wondering if there is a setting on my server that I need to change. Something on the PhP / Apache side. The good news is that we have full control of the server.
-JACK

[JackSilb]

Hello,

I may have found an answer. I already changed the setting.
Please give it a try and let me know.

This option controls how threads and forums are marked as read.
Inactivity/Cookie Based - once a user has been inactive for a certain amount of time (the value of the session timeout option) all threads and forums are considered read. Individual threads are marked as read within a session via cookies.

This option is how all versions of vBulletin before 3.5 functioned.
Database (no automatic forum marking) - this option uses the database to store thread and forum read times. This allows accurate read markers to be kept indefinitely. However, in order for a forum to be marked read when all threads are read, the user must view the list of threads for that forum.

This option is more space and processor intensive than inactivity-based marking.
Database (automatic forum marking) - this option is the same as a previous option, but forums are automatically marked as read when the last new thread is read.

This is the most usable option for end users, but most processor intensive.

thanks,
-JACK

[WhiteThaiGer]

I think you got it. Seems to work now the way I expect it. :ok-kewl:

[JackSilb]

Nice,

Nothing than better for our friends at 4WDTrips.
Now, just if we get a better PhotoGallery software..
Come-one people find a nice Linux based Open Source product for us.


thanks,
-JACK

[HenryJ]

Well Done!
It seems to be working like it should now. Thank you!

[JackSilb]

Glad it worked. Happy you took the time to make our Forum a better place.

thank you.
-JACK