# view "first unread" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 26, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754 "2012-08-26T22:03:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/1 "2012-08-26T22:03:56Z")
how come sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t? for me, it usually works once and from then on it brings me to the “original” first unread, not the latest unread. sometimes, the option to click on “first unread” is just not there. can anyone explain this? ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/2 "2012-08-27T21:31:49Z")
does my question not make sense? sometimes there is a place to click “ **view first unread** ” which is nice, takes you to the first post you have not yet read. I like this. but, it doesn’t always work. sometimes it’s not there to click on and often it only works once. then, when I return to the thread later, it takes me to the first unread post again and not the latest. not sure if I am being clear. hearing only crickets…☹ ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/3 "2012-08-29T15:59:10Z")
Ok. Here’s a couple of quick things to try. - Force the page to reload. Your browser may just be loading a cached page. - If that doesn’t work, try clearing your cookies, then reload the page again. - Coat the crickets in batter. Fry in peanut oil until crispy golden brown. Season to taste. Serve with a slice of lime. Enjoy. - If the above tips don’t help, please include which browser you use with reply. Thank you, and have a lovely day. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/4 "2012-08-29T18:22:11Z")
I don’t use that feature, so I’m unfamiliar with it. It could be tying a cookie to your “status”, i.e. when you log on to a page, it refers all checks against that time. For instance, I first pull up a forum list, it gives me several unread at the top, then the read ones below. I click the first thread and read it. Now if I go back in my browser history, the links will show they way they were cached on that page. But if I go forward to renavigate to the forum list, it will update. Later, I pull up the next forum list, it acts as if I’ve been there more recently than I have. Some of the links are marked as read even though there are unread posts. I presume that is related, and that is has something to do with how the board tracks you being present when logged in, and how it determines which are “read” and “unread” is based off some cookie or something. But I don’t know how this crap works. So I didn’t post. _cricket_ ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/5 "2012-08-29T21:45:01Z")
thank you for your replies: thought I had my cloaking device activated for a bit there… I’ll try what you suggest, Snerky, but I have a Chromebook and I can’t say I understand it. if I wanted to “clear my cookies”, how would I go about finding them? 😕 and I should have thought of eating the crickets - good protein, I’m told. ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/6 "2012-08-30T04:26:08Z")
A Chromebook?? Oh golly. I wish people would stop inventing stuff… So, google says you should have dedicated keyboard keys for Forward, Back, and Reload. Is correct? If you are at a page that seems to have not updated, have you tried the Reload key? I think I may have misunderstood the original post. If you delete the SDMB cookies, it may just cause the same issue. A couple of other questions: -Do you log in when you first arrive at the SDMB, or lurk around for a bit before signing in? -Do you always log out before leaving? I’m just trying to get an idea of what you’re doing when you get the glitch. There’s always a chance it’s a board feature, not a bug, so keep that in mind as well. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/7 "2012-08-30T11:38:10Z")
thanks for your help, Snerk. actually Chromebook hasn’t been doing it since I posted sort of like a car will stop making a noise when a mechanic is listen for it. I never sign out so when I come here I am already signed in. yes, there is a button to refresh so I’ll try that next time. about having a Chromebook: anytime I go back to using windows I think, wow, this is annoying! ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/8 "2012-08-30T13:45:48Z")
Not a problem, Variety. Probably having a bit of Snerky in it’s circuits helped. Take that chromebook! I’m planning on trying chrome out this weekend - I’ll see if I can force the same the problems you were having. Cheerios. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/9 "2012-08-30T20:42:00Z")
“View first unread” seems to take me to seemingly random posts in threads I’ve never even been to. Fortunately my deductive skills are amazing. It seems it takes you to the next post made after your “last visited” time (see the top left of any page). ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/10 "2012-08-30T20:58:09Z")
And by left I mean right. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/11 "2012-08-30T23:09:42Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > “View first unread” seems to take me to seemingly random posts in threads I’ve never even been to. > > Fortunately my deductive skills are amazing. It seems it takes you to the next post made after your “last visited” time (see the top left of any page). hang on, I only find the “view first unread” option once I am already IN a thread. you are saying you have it for the whole forum?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/view-first-unread/632754/12 "2012-08-31T00:27:28Z")
If you’re on the [index page](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php) the links to threads there (each forum shows the most recently updated thread) go to the “last unread post”.