# Thread symbols

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [May 13, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762 "2002-05-13T06:47:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/1 "2002-05-13T06:47:24Z")

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This has probably been asked before, but I was too lazy to look beyond the first page:  
What do all those different thread symbols mean? That is, the symbols to the left of each thread? There’s one that’s just a blue closed envelope, one that’s a blue closed envelope with lines coming out of it, a yellow open envelope, and an orange open envelope with a bunch of pages stuffed in it.

I assume they’re of the nature of “you haven’t read this thread since the last message”.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/2 "2002-05-13T06:59:31Z")

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Jeez you’re even too lazy to scroll to the bottom of the first page.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/3 "2002-05-13T14:25:36Z")

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As don’t ask says, the icons are explained at the bottom of the forum display page.

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**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/4 "2002-05-13T18:32:13Z")

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"As don’t ask says, " that should be “As don’t ask alludes to”.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/5 "2002-05-13T18:52:19Z")

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I stand corrected.

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-symbols/108762/6 "2002-05-14T22:36:19Z")

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HAHAHAHA

**Ryan** rulz! I love it love it love it. If they won’t listen to you, my man, the least you can do is act like they say you do! 😃