Forum Index - Last Post Search Query

Hi Paul,

Would it be possible for the forum index “Topics” lists to retain all recent posts along with any new topics in “date/time posted” order at the top of each forum index list?

For example, on the General Discussions” forum, when a new topic is created, that topic stays at the top of the index list until such time as another new topic is created, at which point the newest topic takes over at the top of the index list.

Consequently, all recently created topics remain, as would be expected, at the top of the index list for quite some considerable time.

However, when a reply to an existing (much older) topic is posted, the only way that people would be made aware of that reply, is if they happened to notice it as the “Last Post” on the general Forums Index page.
As soon as another topic or reply post is created, that new topic/post appears in the “Last Post” position.
Once that happens, there is no visible evidence of the previous reply, even though it would be the second most recent post on the entire forum.
That second most recent reply would only then be found by searching down the full index of topics for the most recent dates when replies have been made. (And most people wouldn't routinely search down an entire index list to see if any recent replies to older topics have been submitted).

e.g.: - Earlier this morning, I added a reply to the Lake District Webcams topic that was originally created on 17th January 2018.
That reply briefly appeared as the “Last Post” on “General Discussions” forum line of the main “Forums" index page. But as soon as I posted this "new topic" this topic became the Last Post, and my reply on the Lake District Webcams topic could only then be found by searching down the entire topics index E.g.: -

As can be seen below, this topic is now at the top of the index list, but there is no indication that any reply has been made to the Lake District Webcams topic (which at the time of writing this, was the second most recent post on the forum). E.g.: -

That reply on the Lake District Webcams topic wouldn’t now be found or seen by anyone, unless they specifically searched down the entire list of topics in that index. (I.e. the index is in date order of topics created, and not in date order for posts made).
Currently, you would have to scroll down the General Discussions index for some considerable way before you would come to the “Lake District Webcams” topic, and only then would you see that a new reply post had been made to that topic.

If it would be possible to have the indexes such that whenever a new topic is created, and also whenever a new reply to an older topic is posted, the new topic, or the existing topic with the new reply, goes to the top of the index list, it would solve that problem.

Sorry this ended up as quite a long-winded post, but hopefully everything I've tried to explain makes sense.

Regards,
Mike.

By TallPaul on 01/12/24 at 10:56am

Hi Mike. You make a good point.

I've re-worked the software so that:

1. When viewing the forum list, either all of them or a group like General Forums the first column is now headed "Forum" rather than "Topic" although the contents have not changed. The last column's contents have not changed either but are correctly labelled as "Last Topic" rather than "Last Post".

2. Ordering in this view remains unchanged.

3. When viewing a forum, e.g. General discussion, the first column is now headed "Topics" and the last column is now more correctly headed "Last Comment" because ...

4. ... in this view topics are order by date of last comment, not date that topic was first posted. (The only exception to this new sorting regime is that "sticky" topics which Beth and I create, like General, remain above ordinary posts.)

So, as you will see, the old Lake District Webcams topic has now bubbled up to close to the top when viewing General discussion, which is the thing that lead you to raise this as an issue in the first place.

Thanks for bring this to our attention.

Lancashire Lad likes this post

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