# New posts are old **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507 "2010-01-26T14:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/1 "2010-01-26T14:10:46Z")
How much time does a post have until it has “no new post” status? I’ve notice this icon appears on posts I haven’t read. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/2 "2010-01-26T15:44:30Z")
my understanding is that “new” means “since you last viewed this thread” you can clear/reset that via the “mark forums read” link (bottom of the main page): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?do=markread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?do=markread) ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/3 "2010-01-26T19:37:55Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > my understanding is that “new” means “since you last viewed this thread” > > you can clear/reset that via the “mark forums read” link (bottom of the main page): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?do=markread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?do=markread) However, I haven’t viewed the threads. For example, the thread, “Etruscans and Pandas?” has a new post icon. I haven’t read this thread. “Why Doesn’t Mace (Tear Gas) Work On Dogs?” has a no new posts icon, but I haven’t read it either. There’s a 21 min difference between their last posts. That’s what I’m asking, is there some sort of time limit for new posts before they’re old (20 mins?)? ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/4 "2010-01-26T19:53:33Z")
It’s not since you last visited that particular thread, it’s the last time you visited the board. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/5 "2010-01-26T20:15:20Z")
> [@Santos\_L\_Halper](#): > > It’s not since you last visited that particular thread, it’s the last time you visited the board. Thank you. That cleared that up. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-are-old/526507/6 "2010-01-27T07:06:09Z")
There’s also a 20 minute or so time out. If you do not click on any board links in that time period, your “visit” is considered to be over, and all the threads you didn’t open are still considered visited. Knowing this, I still have a tendency to avoid clicking on threads marked read. meaning I miss out on conversations I didn’t mean to.