Is there a way to focus on what's new since last login?

So I've tried out the forums a little bit, and there are a few issues I'm finding with regards to navigation and saving time.

The forums are multiple levels deep, and getting through the new contents in a forum is tedious.

There doesn't appear to be a way to focus on forum topics that have NEW content in them since last logon.

Additionally, I'll get to the end of a thread, and use the Next Thread link and it tells me there are no more topics. Huh??? So I'm forced to either use the hierarchical link at the upper left to move up and then over, or I use the back button and pick another topic. You want another forum altogether? That's TWO back button presses or using the hiearchical link.

Maybe I'm used to the PHP based bulletin boards which aggregate the newer topics to the top, and have a few layers as well.

Small comments....

Justin

If you click "New Posts" at the forum navigation bar, you will see both new posts since last login and any unread posts whether since the last login or missed before. The previous and next thread links at the bottom of a thread go to the previous or next in order of "new" from what I can tell. I typically use the "New Posts" more often than the Previous/Next links. Hope it helps!

jmasters wrote: Maybe I'm used to the PHP based bulletin boards which aggregate the newer topics to the top, and have a few layers as well.

In addition to kgthunder's tip, have you checked out the Options in your User Control Panel? There are many Thread Display Modes and also a Thread Age Cut Off. Perhaps one or both of these options will help improve your experience.

Good luck.

If you look at the bottem of the page of posts there is a place to jump to any Forum Topic. Just click on the little drop arrow and choose the subject you want and it take you to the beginning of that Forum subject.

To follow up with mkmurray's suggestion:

Click on the "User CP" link in the menu at the top of the forum (CP stands for "Control Panel"). In the menu at the left of the User Control Panel, under the "Settings & Options" section click on the "Edit Options" link. In the Edit Options section scroll down to the "Thread Display Options" section.

Here you can set the "Thread Display Mode." I set mine to "Linear - Newest First." When I visit the forum I can click on the "New Posts" link in the forum menu to show me those threads that have new posts since my last visit (as kgthunder suggested). Then I use the Snap Links addon for Firefox (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/4336/) to open all of those threads in new browser tabs. Then, because of my Display Mode selection, I see the newest posts in each thread at the top.

If there are particular threads that you are especially interested in following, you can click the "Thread Tools" link at the top of the thread and then the "Subscribe to This Thread" option. That will take you to a page where you can choose to receive email notifications whenever the thread has new posts, or at a more lengthy time interval (1 notification daily or weekly). Once you have subscribed, you can manage your subscriptions for a section in the User Control Panel.

Hope that helps.