# Go to first unread post **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 27, 2000, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878 "2000-08-27T01:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/1 "2000-08-27T01:15:41Z")
What determines whether or not you see that? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/2 "2000-08-27T02:00:14Z")
You _won’t_ see it if you’ve got cookies turned off. ---
**Author:** ![La\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@La\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_King)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/3 "2000-08-27T02:07:07Z")
It doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/4 "2000-08-27T02:20:40Z")
I’ll get the message for a thread I’ve never visited, but often _won’t_ get it for a thread I’ve been reading all day. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/5 "2000-08-27T02:36:33Z")
I’ll warrant that the E-Vile Aha and his Space Alien Minions (Masters?) are behind it. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=36149](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=36149) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/6 "2000-08-27T02:42:12Z")
It is all determined by your _last visit time_ that you can see on the Forum list page. If there is a post to a thread after that time it will show as unread. Very simple, it has nothing to do with whether you have read it or not. I haven’t figured out exactly what changes the _last visit time_ while you are reading post, but at some point, either after a certain number of minutes or not requesting a new page within a certain period of time, you will be logged in again and your _last visit time_ will change. And so will all your _unread threads_ and _go to first unread post_. It is simply a matter of comparing the _last visit time_ to the time of the post. Jim ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/7 "2000-08-27T02:46:39Z")
And Aha has nothing to do with it? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/8 "2000-08-27T02:49:38Z")
Nope, not this time. I’m sure he is to blame for several other things, but not this one. Jim ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-first-unread-post/30878/9 "2000-08-27T02:54:43Z")
Darn straight. From the Franco-Prussian War to Bosnia. Hmmm. Has anyone ever seen Gavrillo Princeps and Aha \* At the same time? \*