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Highlight (boldface) unread posts

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Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male
Edward Thurston Posted: 05-22-2007 20:37

In Outlook Express, unread posts are in Boldface. I can also assign a colour (red) to the subject / topic line to  posts that I'm either participating in or have an interest in. The forum post topic is also boldfaced if there is an unread reply but the thread does not highlight the "new" reply (no boldface for the unread reply in the thread). You have to check each reply separatly in order to find the unread one. All forum posts / topics with unread replies are in boldface black.

Can unread replies be boldfaced untill viewed ? Would that be possible?

Can Topics, where I want to keep track of the thread, be "user" assigned a different colour? Would that be possible? 

These, if possible to implement, would make keeping track of topics of interest much easier when searching.

Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 25 Contributor
Maine USA
Male

Yes that would be good, it's hard to track anything at the moment!

Alfred
Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male

Hello Alfred,

I didn't realize there was a reply here till I want back to OE and saw the "red"...

PS: You said before that using OE to access the forum caused &^%#$!($&^% to one of your computers. What exactly happened ?

PPS: have you tried to make a post in PP the last few days ? I got the "test" thru (on the 3rd try) but not the "reply" and can't create a post with an attachment (I can reply / attach to a post made three or more days ago, but not sooner).

Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 10 Contributor
Ottawa (ON), Canada
Male
CorelEmployee

To clarify, your question is related to using Outlook Express... e.g. you would like the threads with unread replies to be in boldface in Outlook Express?

This might be an option to select in that NNTP client. I am still looking at a few thing related to NNTP access and hope to get these sorted shortly. Most of them are specific to OE, but currently the NNTP access doesn't support extended characters, e.g. you cannot post with accents from a newsgroup client in the forums.

Gerard
 

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 (Service Pack 2)
Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 

Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 / Intel Core2 Duo, 4 Gb RAM, nVidia Quadro NVS140M graphics

Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male

Close, but not quite.

With the forum posts (Topics / Subject), all replies whether they have been read or not, look the same - black. In OE, unread replies are in boldface. You can go straight to the reply without having to open each one in the thread to find the new reply. With the forum replies, you have no way of knowing (when viewing the open thread) which one is the new reply. If the unread reply was in boldface, there would be no searching thru the thread to find it....much easier / faster.

In OE, when I click the space to "track this subject", the subject line changes to red. The Topic line remains black until a new reply is received, then it too changes to red (boldface). A new reply will also make the subject line boldface red. This is used by all so we know right away if there has been a comment made in the post since the Topic / Subject lines  have turned boldface red (because it has received a new reply). Once the unread replies have been read, the Topic line returns to black. On the screen print attached (Thanks for the ability to post an attachment from the forums' page), you'll see on the left a post (topic) in red. This tells me right away that there is a message waiting to be read to my particular question. When I open the Topic dropdown (like looking at the Forums Topic page), the particular subject line containing the reply to my message will be in boldface red. After reading the message, the subject line remains red but is no longer in boldface. All I have to do is "follow the red" directly to the reply. The whole thing takes only a few seconds...no searching thru subject lines or threads.

While I've got you here, would it be possible for writing replies (within the forum) in a new window automatically. When not using a new window to make a reply, you lose all that you've typed should you want to "check out" info from the thread or elsewhere. When a new window is used to make the reply (like I am doing now), I can navigate anywhere or use any other app to get onfo or check my answering machine (phone just rang now) and I will not lose the "Reply" window. Please believe me, I would not want to retype this entire message again because I had to switch windows.

Thankks again for your ear and efforts. Nice to know that the Bic "C" is taking an active interest with the forum.

 

Ted

 


Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 25 Contributor
Huntsville, AL
Female
OK, Ted wants the web forum to track read posts in Threaded view. At the
top levels, you can see icons for each post and those icons tell you
wheather you've got unread messages or not. Further down, the icons
dissappear and it gets difficult to see which you've read and which you
haven't.

Ted,

Have you tried using tabbed browsing? In newer versions of IE and
Mozilla and Firefox you can right click on a link and choose "open in a
new tab". For that matter, you can choose "open in a new window",
whichever is better for you. I'm not too keen on new windows being
generated automatically all over the place.

Thanks guys!
Val P.
http://www.lvsonline.com
Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male

Hello Val,

Like you, I prefer the KISS way of doing things...less open windows the better.

I had a big shock a few days ago when replying to a post. While composing the reply, I clicked the spellcheck and found I had to download one first. When I clicked to download it, the "Reply" window vanished. Later that night, while writing a reply, I checked a previous reply (from the thread of the same post) and, again, the "Reply" window disappeared. Clicking on the "Back" arrow brought up the mesage I was replying to but not the reply window. Rt clicking the "Reply" tab, gave me the option to open in another tab or window. I like the "extra" window because I can have it on the screen while checking any reference info without fear of losing the "Reply" window. Like a seat belt, it keeps the "Reply" window in place.....and I hate having to retype.....

 

Ted

Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 200 Contributor
Louisville, KY
Male
Another shortcut (instead of right clicking) is hold down the CTRL key while clicking will open a new tab and SHIFT key will open new window.
 
Also, look into the NNTP version for use in Outlook express and Thunderbird
<Val P.> wrote in message news:1206@coreldraw.com...
OK, Ted wants the web forum to track read posts in Threaded view. At the
top levels, you can see icons for each post and those icons tell you
wheather you've got unread messages or not. Further down, the icons
dissappear and it gets difficult to see which you've read and which you
haven't.

Ted,

Have you tried using tabbed browsing? In newer versions of IE and
Mozilla and Firefox you can right click on a link and choose "open in a
new tab". For that matter, you can choose "open in a new window",
whichever is better for you. I'm not too keen on new windows being
generated automatically all over the place.

Thanks guys!
Val P.
http://www.lvsonline.com

http://coreldraw.com/forums/p/387/1206.aspx#1206

boodahbellie
Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male
Hello Sean,
 
Thanks for reminding me about the (shift) shortcut key. I printed out a list of the shortcut keys......but if I could remember where I put the dang thing...(I need a shortcut to my brain !)
 
I'm using OE for most of my post readings (when I'm in a rush). I find it a simple, clean "in-your-face" format BUT definitely not as visually appealing as the web site Forum format.....sort of like DOS compared to GUI. Like any new piece of software, there's a period needed to get used to the "new and improved". I like the site and think there is a great potential for it...especially with the newer computer users who are more used to "surfin" and I think that the support for it from Corel has been nothing short of amazing.
 
Ted
 
<Sean Donnahoe> wrote in message news:1286@coreldraw.com...
Another shortcut (instead of right clicking) is hold down the CTRL key while clicking will open a new tab and SHIFT key will open new window.
 
Also, look into the NNTP version for use in Outlook express and Thunderbird
<Val P.> wrote in message news:1206@coreldraw.com...
OK, Ted wants the web forum to track read posts in Threaded view. At the
top levels, you can see icons for each post and those icons tell you
wheather you've got unread messages or not. Further down, the icons
dissappear and it gets difficult to see which you've read and which you
haven't.

Ted,

Have you tried using tabbed browsing? In newer versions of IE and
Mozilla and Firefox you can right click on a link and choose "open in a
new tab". For that matter, you can choose "open in a new window",
whichever is better for you. I'm not too keen on new windows being
generated automatically all over the place.

Thanks guys!
Val P.
http://www.lvsonline.com

http://coreldraw.com/forums/p/387/1206.aspx#1206


boodahbellie

http://coreldraw.com/forums/p/387/1286.aspx#1286

Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 10 Contributor
Ottawa (ON), Canada
Male
CorelEmployee

Ted, thank you very much for this detailed explanation. I fully agree with you, that would be a very nice feature to have, but this might be beyond what can be done in the short future. Let me explain a little the problem from what I can tell.

With an newsgroup client such as OE or Thunderbird, all the management of which message has been read, which is new, ... is handled by the software. The server only provides the information about what messages are on the site based on the request from the NNTP client. Web forums on the other side don't need anything on the client to be installed or configured (outside of the browser itself), which makes it much more dependent on the server in the background, especially if you want to be able to log in from different computers.

With the current implementation of CorelDRAW.com, the server knows and shows you if there are new messages in each forum compared to last time you logged in (they are color-coded) and you will also get an indication regarding which thread has new messages or not (the different icons are described in the site help). But at this stage, the server is unable to get you directly to the first message you haven't read. Keeping track of all that information would be great, but I can already see an IT nightmare to be able to manage the database access and size in a scalable way (yes Google can do it, but they also started fairly small).

We'll definitely keep in mind this request going forward, but for now, to get this type of feature for power-users, I recommend you use an NNTP client such as Outlook Express or Thunderbird. It would require quite a lot of changes in the background. For those who use the web forums, keep in mind that you always also have the link to the latest post in a specific forum and thread. By clicking on that link instead of the name of the forum / thread, you go straight to the end and that enables you to catch-up very quickly.

Regarding the option of opening a new window for replies, the feature is currently working as intended. Yes, power-users tend to have 10 or more browser windows / tabs open at a same time, but on average, usability for web sites indicate that you should avoid opening windows. I use Control-Click all the time, but then again, I put myself more in the power-user category Big Smile

Funnily enough, I currently mainly use the web-forums in Flat view and find them very easy to use. It's mainly because I switch from my private computer at home to my work computer, and information about what forums I've already read is not moving with me when I use an NNTP client.

I'll continue looking if there is anything that can be done here, but  I would like to get the NNTP server working perfectly first.

Gérard 

 

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 (Service Pack 2)
Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 

Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 / Intel Core2 Duo, 4 Gb RAM, nVidia Quadro NVS140M graphics

Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male

Hello Gérard,

I figured there had to be a programming nightmare in there somewhere as you guys have been able to take care of things (quirks) almost as fast as they are posted !

Although I do find it easier to keep track of the new replies via OE, it is unfortunante the the internet is the "playground" of those that would mess it up for everyone else. Because of all the safety precautions you have to go thru, it's, quite often, several hours before a reply generated in OE shows up in the Forum post replies. Makes for an "ongoing" response to a message difficult (made a half dozen replies about 5 hours ago, only one has shown up so far).  

One thing that I do like is in the threaded view; the line that connects the replies together...maybe Windows should take note an apply that in OE.

Keep up the Yes work, and if you're ever in my neck of the woods, I'll buy the Beer

Ted

Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 10 Contributor
Ottawa (ON), Canada
Male
CorelEmployee

Ted, one of the reasons why your answers that are posted with OE don't show up immediately is because they get moderated... try deleting some of the URLs in the signatures of the messages you quote (or minimize the amount of text from previous posts you quote). That should avoid your messages being put aside for moderation... Messages should normally be posted immediately, but if the automated spam-filter has a doubt, it puts it aside for a human to look at it.

Hope this helps.

Gérard


 

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 (Service Pack 2)
Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 

Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 / Intel Core2 Duo, 4 Gb RAM, nVidia Quadro NVS140M graphics

Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male
I'll give that a try with this one.
 
Ted
 
Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
Top 25 Contributor
Dollard-desOrmeaux (Montreal suburb)
Male
Yup....about three seconds !
 
 
Edward Thurston web: http://groups.msn.com/HSMPHOTOSportsPhotography
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