# Bug report: A bug in the forum software



## Al Stevens (Apr 4, 2004)

(I apologize if this is the wrong place for a bug report.)

The forum php code has a bug somewhere. The bug is related to when the code decides that a member has already read messages. I see it most often in New Posts. I'll look at New Posts and see several pages of threads with new posts listed. After I've read only a few of them, I return to New Posts to find only 10 or 15 unread threads listed.

The other place is in User CP where it lists the subscribed threads with unread messages. I'll read the first message in the list and sometimes when I return to the list, only that message is listed, and it's marked as having been read. The others are no longer listed. I have to go to my list of all subscribed threads and guess based on date of last post which threads I need to read.


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## gworthey (Apr 10, 2004)

Al, instead of selecting New Posts again after reading one, use your Back button to return to the list. (At least it's worked for me so far.) May be a time-out thing causing the New Posts flag to reset. I dunno.


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## Al Stevens (Apr 4, 2004)

The Back button has disadvantages, although that is my present workaround. First, it doesn't mark the thread you are coming back from as having been read, because the page is usually simply refreshed from the computer's cache. Second, it doesn't refect traffic that has occurred since you left New Posts. Probably for the same reason.

That's not how caches are supposed to work, but I think something might be going on here with respect to local time zone and server time zone. I'd have to get into the PHP code to know better, and if I could do that, I'd probably just fix the bug.

Sometimes Back followed by F5 (refresh) works. Other times it refreshes to the reduced list display that I am reporting as being a bug.

Workarounds are usually tedious, and they are good for only until the bug gets fixed.


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## tjontheroad (Dec 22, 2005)

I always open threads in a new window in order to keep the last new post search valid. Post your replies in that window and then close it. When you re-hit the crack button (new post), it'll then list threads you've looked at unhighlighted.


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## jmartin (Feb 18, 2006)

how do you get threads to open in a new window?


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## tjontheroad (Dec 22, 2005)

jmartin said:


> how do you get threads to open in a new window?


Right click your mouse on the link


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## gworthey (Apr 10, 2004)

Al Stevens said:


> Workarounds are usually tedious, and they are good for only until the bug gets fixed.


Agreed. The problem needs to be fixed. Just sharing what works for me until then.


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## jmartin (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks TJ. That is easier. :thumbrig:


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## odsum25 (Apr 5, 2006)

Or you could just open all the tabs you want in firefox. That's what I've always done, but I see your point. Just wanted to offer another solution for anyone wondering.


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## hakukani (Jan 10, 2007)

odsum25 said:


> Or you could just open all the tabs you want in firefox. That's what I've always done, but I see your point. Just wanted to offer another solution for anyone wondering.


I can't remember what I did before tabbed browsing...


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## odsum25 (Apr 5, 2006)

Even better was when I learned that middle-clicking did it even faster. I was in love.


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## Al Stevens (Apr 4, 2004)

It just happened again. I was in New Posts with 4 pages of threads that had new messages I haven't read. I read some from the 1st page and started to compose a response to one. I changed my mind and clicked New Posts again. All I get are 1 page and 7 threads. I was too deep to want to do several Backs.

This really needs to be fixed. No one from management has reacted to this bug report. Is anyone tuned in?


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## Grumpie (Mar 21, 2006)

Al, did you have to log in again before hitting the 'new post' for the last time. That happens to me sometimes, reading sotw....phonecall....coffee....oops need to log in again and then you will see lesser posts because I think it only shows new posts since last visit. Just a thought.
If you use Quick Links and todays posts you should see them all.


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## Al Stevens (Apr 4, 2004)

Grumpie said:


> Al, did you have to log in again before hitting the 'new post' for the last time.


Nope. Never left the site.


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## Hurling Frootmig (Mar 24, 2003)

Interesting bug. Thanks for the heads up. We'll investigate it and see what the recommended fix might be.

For the moment I would recommend opening new posts in a new tab (if you are using Firefox or IE7).


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## johnnysax (Apr 9, 2004)

I have seen this as well. Does this happen when you use the "Today's Posts" link? I think this link may search properly.


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