Getting bounced while reading a profile

[Lynneski]

Jim, I don't know if there's a way to mend this, but ....

When I was catching up on reading new posts, before I replied to a topic I checked into the previous respondent's profile, just to see who I was talking to. Unfortunately, when I went back to the topic to add my 1.341 cents (CDN), all the coloured "new posts" flags were reset to blank.

Is there any way to get around this, aside from reading all the new posts and then going back to each one you want to reply?

Lynne

[Lynneski]

Oh, I forgot to mention that once I clicked on the profile, the back button on my browser went out, so I had to reenter the forums from my bookmarks. Mayhap it's my browser?

-L

[Jim]

I've noticed similar browser behavior. Sometimes the lightbulbs stay on until I leave the site, sometimes they go out after reading only one forum... When I go back to the main forum display, all the lightbulb indicators are off. I honestly don't know what causes it, but it has to have something to do with your browser and the cookie.

The cookie records the last time you visited the forums. When you come back, the server checks your cookie (on your hard drive) and figures out which forums you couldn't have read (due to the time they were posted) and it assigns them the 'lit' lightbulb designation. They should stay lit for the entire session that you're at the site. Then you leave, the time is recorded in your cookie and everything starts over again for the next session entering the forums.

I guess sometimes there's a weird cookie/browser/refresh thing that screws up the way your browser displays things.

The only way to be sure you have or haven't read forums is to scan the "date posted" column for posts since your last visit. This is easy for me because I check in almost every day. If you're only checking once a week, it's more difficult.

Another solution would be to log in (or simply click in) to the forums and then open any forums or posts in NEW browser windows. That way the main forum display will stay open and the lightbulbs will stay on until you close that (original) window.

I only have the problem about 5-10% of the time so it's not too important to me, but if you're having the problem every time, this may be a solution.

Jim