For the most-part, threads are listed under the Home tab in exactly the same way they were listed in the old format. The difference is the way the posts are listed inside each thread.
Inside a thread, the posts are listed in reverse order, with the newest comments first. We’re used to seeing them start from the first post. I, too, prefer the old way so I played around with my own personal view settings until I got things to list in a way that’s more familiar to me.
When we are logged in, we have a few options to customize the way things are listed for us.
We can make those settings permanent (as I have) or we can change them "on the fly" depending on our mood and needs at the time.
For a permanent change:
Go to Settings
Go to General Settings
Scroll through to personalize the way you want threads and comments to be displayed for you.
Set Thread Display Mode: Linear – Oldest
Threads will still be listed in reverse order, starting with those that have been most recently updated by "replies".
When you open a thread, however, you will find yourself at the beginning of the posts within that thread.
Another difference between the old and new formats is that
the new system is set to automatically display only the titles for those created during the past 100 days. Why? Consider the following:
Members: 42,859
Threads/Topics: 152,865
Posts/Comments: 4,424,924
2,324 Users Online Right Now (776 members and 1,548 guests)
If the system displayed all 152,865 thread titles (therefore all 4,424,924 comment posts) for all 2,324 viewers, it would slow things down for everybody. During peak hours, when the Online Now numbers shoot up into the mid-to-high thousands, it can create serious traffic jams and headaches for all of us.
As of this weekend, a total of 5 servers will be dedicated to supporting us here at The QuiltingBoard. Even so, having all settings "maxed out" would almost certainly still be problematic.
Here's a tip to remember when you want to see the whole Thread/Comment history in a section.
Go to the bottom of the Forum/Section page. There you will find some adjustable view settings. Use them to call up as much or as little as you want at the time.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]289281[/ATTACH]
If your preference is to focus only on the newest Threads (Topics) and comments, try the steps below. It takes a few extra clicks of the mouse but only a few seconds overall.
Go to What's New
Click on "Mark Forums Read"
Click again on “What's New”
It will give you the following "error" message:
vBulletin Message
Sorry, there are no new posts to view.
“You may search for posts updated during the previous 24 hours, here”
Click on the word "here" and you will see a list of things created or updated only during the previous 24 hours.
Another easy way to view only the newest threads is to use the Archive link, which can be found in the menu bar at the bottom of every page. Several members have reported that they find it most convenient for going straight to the newest goodies in all of the archived sections.
Have a look to see if you also prefer that option. If you like it, I recommend you add it to your browser’s list of favorites/bookmarks. (I haven’t found a way to bookmark/subscribe to it within our personal board options.):
http://www.quiltingboard.com/sitemap/
I have also added a sticky-post within each Archived section that provides a convenient link.