# Question 'bout envelopes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 24, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970 "2001-06-24T15:08:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970/1 "2001-06-24T15:08:17Z")

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Why do the envelopes change colour once I post to a thread? I thought they were based on the status of the threads when you log on, but as soon as I post to a single thread they all change from orange to grey, in all the fora, which I find a bit confusing.

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**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970/2 "2001-06-24T17:12:18Z")

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Did you log into the MB before you posted your… post?

Do you leave your cookie active?

If you log out or delete your cookie, and then want to post, the MB doesn’t know you’re “here” till you run through the “sign in” page. Then it says to itself “Ohhh, Northern Piper is back. Here’s all the stuff that’s new.” And all the envelopes change color.

Of course if your cookie is still active (not deleted) and you are already signed in… I have no idea.  
-Rue.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970/3 "2001-06-24T19:06:20Z")

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It’s the latter, **Rue**.

I cruise along, reading threads, decide I want to post to one, do that, then go back to the fourm page, and all the envelopes have changed, except for the thread I posted to, and any that have been posted to after my post.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970/4 "2001-06-24T22:35:04Z")

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Almost anything you do _can_ make the server think it’s a new visit. Nobody’s quite sure what the actual pattern is to when it does and doesn’t; it seems to have something to do with the phase of the Moon, the current salmon population in Oregon, the cumulative rainfall in the past week, and when the last time was that the President was on the news.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-bout-envelopes/69970/5 "2001-06-25T00:13:54Z")

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well, as long as there’s a scientific reason for it… :rolleyes:

[sub]I think you forgot eye of newt and toe of frog[sub]