Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

Back to front blogs? Chronological query

mjbmjb
edited July 2016 in - Website Problems
I am a newbie here - so forgive me if this has been raised before - however I find it a bit odd that all the discussion blogs here are in chronological order, with the oldest stuff first, on Page 1. This means that if you want to see the latest postings you have to scroll to the bottom of Page 1 (which requires the awkward use of two scroll bars) then click on the last page number showing. Would it not be more sensible to present the material in reverse chronological order? With the most recent page of posts being the first thing you see when you click on the discussion link? Of course, I realise that I might be being a complete muppet, and someone will point out that there is a setting somewhere I can change to display the posts in reverse chronological order. Or that this has been raised before many times, but doing such a change would cause major disruption and give the IT dept nightmares.

Comments

  • The blog update post has been going a long time so the latest posts are on the highest page number.

    On the previous board we could set some things to display certain ways, but when that board collapsed and had to be replaced quickly, it's meant we have a less than ideal set-up, but once you get used to the way it works you don't notice.
  • The posts are in a kind of reverse chronological order, as the page will go to the last page that you looked at within a thread. So, as you are new, it will go to the earliest page, as you haven't looked at any of the posts before.
    Once you've been here a while that will make sense!!
    The two scroll bars are a pain, but unfortunately that is the way the forum works now.
    It will be worth it when you see how wise and wonderful we all are.
    There is a new members section if you would like to introduce yourself so everyone knows you are here.
  • The posts are in a kind of reverse chronological order, as the page will go to the last page that you looked at within a thread. So, as you are new, it will go to the earliest page, as you haven't looked at any of the posts before.
    Yes, that's how it works. Once you've looked at a thread it won't keep reverting to the first page - just the last one you looked at.
    Welcome, by the way. :)
  • Still pain the a*** having to use two scroll bars.

    I like the idea of the pages coming up with the newest comment at the top - wonder if that can be done? It takes ages to scroll down using the buttons or my scroll mouse - it's quick on my magic mouse but not everyone has one of those and neither do i on this computer.
  • But Liz - if we did it that way we couldn't read a thread the natural way from top to bottom, which is what we do now. Leave it as it is, with all its faults.

    mjb - I understand your frustration, especially as you have to wade through every discussion before you know which ones interest you, but this is the only way really. You;ll get the hang of it in time, including those bleeding scroll bars! And welcome :)
  • It would be like a blog, which always reads very naturally to me - and since i read the comments almost as soon as they are posted, it would save me a LOT of time as I wouldn't have to scroll anywhere..
  • I would rather read newer posts sooner as well - it must be a more common format, surely? Chronological order means that I will never be able to read the What Were You Doing Just Then thread as it has 9986 posts to get through before the latest one! If you fall behind with a thread it does put you off catching up with it again.
  • I get taken to wherever I had last read up to approximately, so I just read anything that's been posted since.
  • Same here. Not sure why it's an issue to some.
  • Thank you all for your replies. Having experimented I now see that once you have gone to the last page of a blog it does indeed return to that point on your next visit. So, another suggestion to maybe speed things up a little...I see there is a menu button on the bottom right of the screen that says "Top" that takes you to Page 1. Why not add a "Bottom" button to take you to the newest posts?
  • I think you're taken to the newest 'unread' post that you've seen. Skipping to the most recent comment would mean not seeing the other new ones and then you'd have to scroll up to find that point.
  • I'm not taken to the newest comment, and never have been, so THAT is why it's more of a pain for me. If the site worked well for everyone it would be better.
  • I am taken to my previous comment, and I only look in occasionally .
    I don't see each one as it comes up as my computer isn't on permanently.
    If I started at the bottom and someone said, for example, 'Oh heck! I don't believe it!' I'd have to scroll back to see what's going on. They're called threads for a reason.
  • As nice as it would be to have a super-duper forum that works perfectly, that isn't going to happen. We have what we have and live with it.
  • I am taken to my previous comment,
    Precisely.
    And if I click on a very long thread I've never read before, I click on the last page rather than wade through hundreds of comments.
  • So why am I NOT taken to my previous comment? As I said, it's more irritating for some of us than others!
  • Liz, when we had the old board and could set it to display certain ways for us individually, had you got your account set to go to the last post you'd read to?
  • I have no idea! Maybe not... didn't have any problems with the old board though.
  • Right, I'll leave a comment and see it it comes back to that next time.
  • I'm taken to the last post I read. So if I've never read a thread and it has 987 comments it is off putting. A 'go to end' button would be great.
  • I'm taken to the last post I read. So if I've never read a thread and it has 987 comments it is off putting. A 'go to end' button would be great.
    If you open a thread you've never read which has lots of comments/pages, scroll to the bottom and click on the last page.
  • Yes, it worked - so once you have read a post it doesn't start at the top. It still seems annoying when you find a new post with pages to scroll through but I can see the point.
  • I've never seen any forum where new posts on a thread appear in front of old ones. The idea of scrolling up from the bottom of a page to follow a conversation seems bizarre!
Sign In or Register to comment.