# There are two numbers in the upper right of each thread. What is the difference? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 22, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513 "2021-04-22T06:53:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/1 "2021-04-22T06:53:24Z")
I give up. When I open a thread I see a gray number and a blue number. I guess that one of these is the number of new posts since I last read it but what is the other? Why is the gray number sometimes larger and the blue number sometimes larger. I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/2 "2021-04-22T10:26:26Z")
You mean at the corners of your avatar? T he gray seems to be number of unread replies to your posts, depending on which Reply button the poster randomly selects… Darker number is unread PMs, most if which (for me) are mod warnings… ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/3 "2021-04-22T11:16:42Z")
The ones in grey are unread posts since you started tracking the thread that you have ignored, (not read the posts even though you opened the thread). The ones in blue are new unread posts, that have happened since you last opened the thread. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/4 "2021-04-22T11:58:13Z")
Exactly. Say you open a thread with fifty new posts, but only scroll through the first 25 before closing it. Then, another 10 posts show up – you’ll see 25 in gray and 10 in blue. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/5 "2021-04-22T18:52:29Z")
For clarity… [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iVsjxTbfMFxrH5Pfsqwgu7JHI7NcIpLr6PIHyNc4iBSRDAfRmHOGXrcqKdkmhViCcVX4n5IZSIf_5dc5xLIICbKdCg2qcm6cr-hqHYxDZcP43w7qENaLwUc4LbycRyDhJJOwOfKSDw=w600-h120-p-k "New item by K S") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ViYiwiyHWimMFC74A) I was reading that thread but closed it with 12 posts unread. Since then, 30 more posts have been added. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/6 "2021-04-22T19:18:36Z")
Oops on your part, this sends me to a page for me to sign into Google Pics. @RitterSport seems to have explained it pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-two-numbers-in-the-upper-right-of-each-thread-what-is-the-difference/940513/7 "2021-04-25T22:01:02Z")
Yes. The key thing to remember is, one of those numbers represents replies that are new to the topic since you last visited. (Over time I wonder if we should stop distinguishing between these two…)