Recent Threads, page 2

[NickC]

When going to the main virtualdr.com page, I like the Recent Threads section. However, I couldn't find a way to continue the recent thread list past what is shown on the page.

Is there any way to see more of it? The closest thing I could find is the New Posts link in the menu, but that doesn't give the same results - only new unread posts.

[SpywareDr]

Try this:

1. At the top of the page, click Search:
   
2. On the Search page, in the "Search Options" section on the left:
   1. Under "Find Threads with" select At Most,
      
   2. and just to the right of that, type in 9999 as the number of Replies.
      
   3. Below that, under "Find Posts From", select A Month Ago and you're done.
      
   4. Click the Search Now button at the bottom.
   

[NickC]

Right, that works, and thanks for the detailed description!

But I guess my point was that I liked just going to virtualdr.com and seeing all the latest posts without having to go through a separate search. Probably should have been more clear: I thought it would be nice to have the Recent Threads which show up on the main page include more than just the one page of threads.

[Steve R Jones]

EVERYTIME I leave the site I click the Mark All Forms Read...Next time I come back - sections with new posts stick out like a sore thumb and I can easliy find em.

[NickC]

Yup - same here!
(I remember a couple years ago before the VDR format change, it would automatically mark forums read just when a user visited the site)

If a few days go by though, then the Recent Threads section can get filled up more than the one page. I guess the solution is to visit more often! And I can always do the search as SpywareDr suggested. Anyway, it seems like some sections don't show up in Recent Threads. e.g., new posts in this Feedback forum don't show up.

But I have seen other forums which have a Recent Thread list that goes for more than one page, so I thought I'd make the suggestion.

[Steve R Jones]

Some some sections are blocked from showing on the recent list...Like this discussion wouldn't be as much interest to many as regular pc related posts...

[JPnyc]

Nothing gets marked read until you read it. Why should it be otherwise?

[Welshjim]

NickC--If you want lists of all posts in a decending order of newness, start at discussions.virtualdr.com and click either New Posts or Quick Links (Today's posts).
Otherwise just click on each category, which will limit posts shown by forum.
Today's Posts does not hide those posts you have looked at or been involved in but New Posts does.

[NickC]

Nothing gets marked read until you read it. Why should it be otherwise?

I don't disagree with that feature. I think most forums just assume that upon visiting, you will read all the posts of interest to you, so when you leave they automatically mark all posts as read. Like I said, I recall VDR was the same way prior to the forum change a couple of years back.

Welshjim: using Today's Posts is a good idea as well. Thanks.

Steve R. Jones: Didn't realize it was planned that way.

[JPnyc]

Well prior to the upgrade of the software, the read/unread feature was cookie based and used a timeout. This meant that lots of threads you didn't actually see would get marked as read. It's now marked in the database itself and won't change unless you actually view it, or until 10 days expires. The option to have it return to cookie based behavior exists, but most people I don't think would prefer that.

[NickC]

I see the advantages to both. Cookie based is nice cause you don't have to remember to select "Mark Forums Read" when you're done.

But then the database setup of VDR is nice cause you get the control of the unread marks!

[foxy]

I use a Firefox trick, but not just for Vdr. In usercontent.css, I added these line to make ANY links I've visited on the web a bright garish red. Yeah, I know FF is supposed to do it by default, but it doesn't. Close your FF, copy and paste this into the file, then Save. Reopen FF, and a magical thing occurs, but only if you keep your history for a while.

/*Color of visited links */
a[href]:visited { color: #fe2423 !important; }

If you use FF, get all sorts of self-editing tips at www.forums.mozillazine.org, the premier Mozilla products help site.

[SpywareDr]

Right, that works, and thanks for the detailed description!

You're welcome.

But I guess my point was that I liked just going to virtualdr.com and seeing all the latest posts without having to go through a separate search.

Instead of setting up the Search page each time, you could create a Bookmark|Favorite named "VDr30" (VirtualDr last 30 days worth of posts) and use the following l-o-n-g URL:

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/search.php?do=process&s=&securitytoken=&do=process&searchthreadid=&query=&titleonly=0&searchuser=&starteronly=0&exactname=1&replyless=1&replylimit=9999&searchdate=30&beforeafter=after&sortby=lastpost&order=descending&showposts=0&tag=&forumchoice%5B%5D=0&childforums=1&dosearch=Search+Now&saveprefs=1

FWIW, I have the following five Bookmarks on Firefox's Bookmarks Toolbar for navigating VirtualDr:

• VDr - (VirtualDr's main discussions page)
  http://discussions.virtualdr.com/
  
  
• VDrCP - (VirtualDr User CP [Control Panel])
  http://discussions.virtualdr.com/usercp.php
  
  
• VDrGD - (VirtualDr Get Daily)
  http://discussions.virtualdr.com/search.php?do=getdaily
  
  
• VDr30 - (VirtualDr last 30 days worth of posts)
  (see above)
  
  
• VDrWO - (VirtualDr Who's Online
  http://discussions.virtualdr.com/online.php

[NickC]

foxy: thanks for the FF trick. I use FF almost exclusively, and tricks & customizations like this are a big reason why!

SpywareDr: great bookmarks! I had actually bookmarked the Today's Post section, but I like the one for multiple days even better.

[foxy]

You're welcome. I can't code a single line, get it all from Mozillazine.org forums. Note, NOT the Mozilla.org forums which are dreadful.

Re: the connection between history and visited links:

I do believe that as your history ages and drops out, though, the older links are no longer seen as "visited." Anyone know?