Resolved - Implemented Watched threads should default to showing only unread rather than all watched threads

[JP]

Got it! A weekly email to let me know which of my watched threads have been updated would go down a treat. Thanks JP.

Should add to the list that watched threads here seems to now be defaulting to all rather than unread, which makes it decidedly less useful.

 

[Jason]

On my UI watched threads shows all watched threads, bolded if not read, by most recent post date. If I understand correctly you'd like an option to just see unread watched threads and have all read ones hidden?

 

[JP]

On my UI watched threads shows all watched threads, bolded if not read, by most recent post date. If I understand correctly you'd like an option to just see unread watched threads and have all read ones hidden?

It should default to showing unread threads only, with an option to 'show all'.

 

[Jason]

Is that a XF1 or a XF2 forum?

I see discussion about this feature being removed in XF 2: https://xenforo.com/community/threa...n-to-view-only-unread-watched-threads.158661/ with no new comments since May 2020. It appears the only way to get to that view now in XF2 is using the filter.

I think it's a good view to have, and will add investigating what options we have for this to the roadmap. There might be a plugin, or we can access it via a filter URL, etc, and then add it into the nav or UI.

 

[Jason]

@JP I have split these posts into its own issue.

 

[JP]

That's SHF. I don't see a version but copyright is through 2019, so perhaps XF1. Strange that they changed it - I can't imagine why people would want to add the noise of what they've already read to a default view.

I don't see any way to add a filter to that view here.

 

[Jason]

That's SHF. I don't see a version but copyright is through 2019, so perhaps XF1. Strange that they changed it - I can't imagine why people would want to add the noise of what they've already read to a default view.

It seems you are not the only one.

I don't see any way to add a filter to that view here.

You can access the filter on the front page.

I think the order by stuff should be at the top, then probably these checkboxes, and lastly the categories. IMHO.

this then gets you:

 

[JP]

Right, but that changes that view, which I didn’t want to do, but will take it over a noisy watched threads list.

 

[Jason]

You could bookmark this, or we could add it to the nav, but I agree it's a bit ugly:

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/feeds/all?filters[unread]=1&filters[watched_threads]=1&display_style=condensed&force_empty=1

 

[Pano]

@JP Are you talking about the list of watched threads list that drops down from the bar at the top? Mine shows the read in bold, the others not bold. For me that is great because it allows me easy access to all my watched threads.

 

[JP]

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/watched/threads
There are three ways I explore forums:

1. Watched threads, where I only want to see watched threads that I haven't read
2. New posts, where again I only want to see new posts that I haven't read
3. Forum list, where I'll go to specific forums to see what's going on

Once in a while if I'm looking for something in a thread that I know I'm watching, but is stale, I'll go to all watched threads to find it, as I've found that much quicker than search in most cases. The XF1.5 implementation of Watched Threads gave you both worlds, with a default filtered view of unread, and a single click to see all. Similar to the New Posts page.

Using the filters on /community/aud-feeds works, though is device specific, and more hoops to jump through.

Looking from the outside in, I think a lot of functionality is never explored as people try to use XF the same way they used vB, which is either a global view of threads by last post date, or a forum view of the same, and a heavy reliance on e-mail notifications and summaries. I've not seen a migration occur where I've felt the staff were up to speed on or embraced the UX paradigm of XF, nor where the community was given hints on how to get on. Granted, the juice is likely not worth the squeeze on the latter, as it'd be a very small net.

 

[Jason]

Our XF-expert dev team was keen to do a webinar to demonstrate the new paradigms and we were going to do this but just ran out of time as we embraced a definite pre-Christmas migration date. We haven't sent out a mass-email yet announcing that the new forum is "ready", and I won't be doing so until I do feel that it is time for the non-hardcore members to come and check it out. IMO we have a solid month of improvements before that time. When everything is in place then a saved webinar to demonstrate the new paradigms / metaphors would be a great addition to the onboarding experience and help documentation.

And again JP I do agree with you that easy access to a nice clean list of "Unread watched threads" rather than having to have to pick through the leftovers of what you have read, is a good idea. There's a number of ways it might be implemented. Putting this as "on roadmap".

 

[wintermute]

Is that a XF1 or a XF2 forum?

I see discussion about this feature being removed in XF 2: https://xenforo.com/community/threa...n-to-view-only-unread-watched-threads.158661/ with no new comments since May 2020. It appears the only way to get to that view now in XF2 is using the filter.

I think it's a good view to have, and will add investigating what options we have for this to the roadmap. There might be a plugin, or we can access it via a filter URL, etc, and then add it into the nav or UI.

Yep that sounds like exactly what I want. Shame it had it and they removed it! usercp on VB did exactly that. Showed you all the threads you were subscribed to that had unread content, and took you to the first unread post if you clicked on the little first unread icon beside the thread. I'll see if I can get a filter to do it, but based on the replies in that thread, it sounds like it's not possible. and it also had the option to toggle on all (not just unread), though the watched threads option here does do that.

 

[Pano]

On the other hand, I like being able to see the whole list. Any that are active pop to the top and get bold text until I've read them.

 

[wintermute]

I hadn't even noticed the bold vs not bold. So that may help a bit. on VB you had the option to turn on ALL threads. It just wasn't the default. Default hid the ones you were up to date on, making a visually less cluttered list to make your way through.

 

[Pano]

Dark Theme strikes again.

 

[gerardv]

Dark Theme strikes again.

Hey Michael - where has it struck - and what was the effect of the strike? Is it something that reverted or which we can fix?

 

[Pano]

That was in reference to bold text not very visible. I don't use the dark them, it's too hard to navigate see things. But Mooly loves it.

 

[AllenB]

I like being able to see the whole list

Yes, I use the viewed ones as a bookmark. (How else would I know when to stop reading )