I've been noticing that sometimes random posts get marked as unread randomly.
Is it just me?

I dont understand how to use this forum, but ive had read messages return unread

ROBOTS EVERYWHERE

I've started relying solely on the "Red arrow", which I assume means "new post since your last visit"

I don't understand why chunks of messages in a handful of threads will suddenly "go blue"

I've been noticing this as well. I'm fairly sure it's based on time, because I noticed it shortly after I did my initial read-through of all the posts from oldest to newest. A little while later, links at the bottom of the index page started going blue, and it moved upward.

As far as I ever knew, the link color is determined by the browser knowing whether I've visited that URL previously, but with most sites it doesn't seem to change this fast (HBO forum for example). I think it might be determined by how long certain cookies are kept, which I think the webserver can set? I guess it would make sense that this one wouldn't set those cookies to stay around for very long, since it has another mechanism to denote read/unread.

And on that note, I'm glad you pointed out the red arrows. Somehow, I hadn't noticed those, although they seem obvious now. That will make things easier.

I've started relying solely on the "Red arrow", which I assume means "new post since your last visit"

I think it just means 'new post' as I have several red arrows from my last visit still there, even though I read them last time.

Definitely not appreciating it turning my read posts blue. And more interestingly, as I've revisited threads from yesterday that clearly show the posts I've read, the forum starts turning the older, already read posts to unread as I read new posts in the threads. Change in real time.

And I have red arrows everywhere, whether I've read the posts or not. Also missing the "mark all read" button. I hope there's some sort of fix available.

Red arrows mean not "read" or "unread". I figure they mean "seen happened about 2 or 3 times", just like HBO's grey box.

In other words, if you see there is the message (not click on it, just load the page that contains it [the forum page]) the arrow will lose its red. Maybe not the first time you see it, maybe some views after, maybe some time after. Dunno.

Yeah, I don't know the exact meaning of the red arrows, but I use them as such:

Purple link, grey arrow == Old and read
Blue link, grey arrow == Yeah, I reddit already and it's old as shit
Purple link, red arrow == A little bit old, but very recently read
Blue link, red arrow == Alert! Alert! Unread post trying to hide!

Yeah, I don't know the exact meaning of the red arrows, but I use them as such:

Purple link, grey arrow == Old and read
Blue link, grey arrow == Yeah, I reddit already and it's old as shit
Purple link, red arrow == A little bit old, but very recently read
Blue link, red arrow == Alert! Alert! Unread post trying to hide!

It's almost certainly this.

Blue = Unread Post
Purple = Read Post

Gray Arrow = Reply
Red Arrow = Recent (New) Reply

The confusion is because the blue links are becoming purple in swaths for some people (as ZackDark had mentioned, and I can corroborate)

The confusion is because the blue links are becoming purple in swaths for some people (as ZackDark had mentioned, and I can corroborate)

Oh, now that is pretty weird. Maybe it's just an error? I personally haven't had that happen to me yet...

Go back to page 1. Almost all of those posts are blue again for me. And if I start clicking on some of the older threads that I've already read and still indicate it, posts within that topic start turning blue automatically. And all of them still have red arrows.

Same for me. Now that I've payed attention to it, it looks like only the posts I clicked on today are purple. Everything I've clicked on in previous days are blue.

If you hover your mouse over the button next to the *evil* refresh button, name "Order" you'll see a tooltip for the available ordering of threads.

By default it is set to "Order by date of thread". The only problem with this is that if a thread has fallen off the first page, and someone replies to it, you will have to navigate to the subsequent forum pages to notice the red arrow(s)

If you see "Order by date of thread (default)" in the tooltip, that means you've already changed it to the other option, which is "Order by date of Last Reply". This 2nd option is MUCH better, and similar to the HBO threaded ordering where threads with recent replies will bubble onto the front page.

Now after changing my order, I only have to check the first few threads on the page instead of scrolling all the way to the bottom hunting for red arrows and blue links!

By default it is set to "Order by date of thread". The only problem with this is that if a thread has fallen off the first page, and someone replies to it, you will have to navigate to the subsequent forum pages to notice the red arrow(s)

Aw, I'm going to miss those stacks of GV posts that pop up on the top of the forum every third day.

Probably a cookie expiring problem, then. Any word from the admins?

Go back to page 1. Almost all of those posts are blue again for me. And if I start clicking on some of the older threads that I've already read and still indicate it, posts within that topic start turning blue automatically. And all of them still have red arrows.

*Goes back a page.*

Dear God.

That seems rather off, now doesn't it?

I doubt this is working as intended, and must be an issue with it resetting what posts you view.

I don't even have to go back a page. I read almost all the posts in Rev's "What if Destiny sucks?" thread, and now they're all blue, even with them still on the first page.