Hi everyone,

In the interest of not blindsiding you, I am giving fair warning that in a few days, the "show unread posts since last visit" function will be deactivated.

One reason is that a new strange form of spam is exploiting the function to sneak in posts. But the other reason is that I hate that function and despise its use here. It creates a two-tiered status among threads which marginalizes those which haven't received recent posts, even if they are perfectly good topics which could very well be continued. It necessarily fosters a value system in which one posts to a thread only upon immediately encountering it, and otherwise ignores it; also includes the notion that one's immediate reaction is sufficient intellectual engagement; and promotes a social dynamic based on flocking to where everyone else is flocking. This value system is inimical to thought and deeply disrespectful toward one's fellow posters.

I realize that this will be an unpopular change. "But I use it!" will be cried from the rooftops. My answer is, I don't care, you should stop using it even if it were still available. "But it's so convenient!" Yes, at the expense of your genuine intellectual engagement with topics on the basis of quality rather than novelty. And for those few who might try the card of, "If it goes, I go too!", I'm sure my response is obvious.

I urge that you curb your responses based on familiarity and habits, and try it my way for a while before passing judgment.

One of these days, I'll grow a spine and finally do away with private messages ... well, maybe not. I sure do waffle about that one.

Best, Ron

Question:

The forum also has two functions which might be related to that.

One is that the main page marks forums with new posts and the individual forum pages mark threads with new posts.

The other is that it is possible to click on the "new" icon on an individual forum and be taken to the first unread message in a thread.

Are these functions also being deleted?  Or is it just the global option to obtain a list of new posts?

Thanks.

--M. J. Young

Hi,

New post marking (the colored icons) will stay the same, and so will the clicking that takes you to the newest post. I think both of those are useful.

Vincent, can you confirm? (Vincent is the guy who does all this.)

Best, Ron

Confirmed!

-Vincent

Ron wrote: the "show unread posts since last visit" function will be deactivated.

David,

You can still subscribe to a thread by clicking on the Notify button on the bottom of a conversation page.  You'll get an email when someone makes a new post.  I don't believe that's going anywhere, and I have it set up to subscribe me to any thread to which I post.

- Tim

Thanks for that info, Tim.