The thing that shows new posts since my last visit is broken. Well, I'm betting you say it's a design decision and not a bug, but it sure feels like a bug.

When I come to the site, how long can I sit in one spot before the site assumes I have left?

More than once I've started reading new messages, gotten a phone call that lasted a while, and then when I go back to the main list the red coffee cups are gone.

How about changing it to "New Posts Since You Last Logged Out" or something else that lasts longer than what it's set for?

Jay Jennings

Jay, the thing that shows new posts have arrived since your last visit is not broken. It's working exactly as it always has. The system automatically refreshes itself approximately every 15 minutes to keep the information as current as possible. At no time does the Café assume you have left.

The tech folks can explain the exact working of the red cup/white cup process.

If the system doesn't assume I have left, then the red cups should stay red until I go view them -- and I don't *think* that's what I'm seeing.

Wait, so is it a "New Posts In Last 15 Minutes" or "New Posts Since Last Visit" if it updates every 15 minutes?

Also, "It's working exactly as it always has." doesn't mean the implementation is a good one. =;)

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

That's correct except that it has been operating this way for 10 years without a problem. You said the process was broken and I'm saying it's working fine.

The Café refreshes every 15 minutes to update new posts with a red cup. It doesn't change your red cups automatically to white just because you haven't read them.

Again, the tech folks can give you a full explanation of how all this works.

Okay, maybe I was just imagining stuff. I'll go do an actual test instead of just being pretty sure.

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

Jay, as far as I know *something* has to keep track of where you left off, and that something is your own computer by way of cookies. If your browser purges cookies either on closing a browsing session or periodically based on time or some other parameter, it might explain what you're experiencing.

Other forums save that for you in their own database, but not this one.

The cups have never worked right for me. For example, I haven’t logged on in several days, and the cups are ALL white. I don’t even look at them. There are other clues, such as whether a link is orange (visited) or yellow (probably something new). The date of the last post is also visible at the far right. I’m just grateful the info is here; I’ll work with it!