# Read Private Messages without destroying the new threads since my last visit?



## abdibile (Apr 29, 2012)

I log into TUG every few dasy or soemtimes only once  a week and enjoy the feature of all new messages since my last visit having the open envelope sign while all messages from before my alst visit hasve the closed envelope sign.

That way I know how far back I have to look at threads without knowing the date I last was on TUG.

As I only log in avery few days it is often more than an hour "work" to get up to speed and read everything intersting.

When I get an eMail about a private message having arrived and I log into TUG just to read this message (and not have time to read new threads for an hour or so) I later only have open envelopes since logging in to read the private message and I miss the threads between my last real "tug reading hour and briefly logging in to read the private message if I do not take a note on back to which dates I have to look at threads.

Is there a way to read aprivate messgae without resetting this open envelope signs for threads since my last visit?

Thanks!


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## Makai Guy (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorry, I don't know any way to do this.   New post tracking works off your previous login timestamp.   If you log in straight to the Private Messages, this is still a login and resets your timestamp for the board.


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## MichaelColey (Apr 29, 2012)

Some forums send the text of the PM in the email notification.  It's a fairly simple change to make on vBulletin.

You still have the problem of having to log in (and reset read posts) if you want to respond, but at least you can read/see your PM.

Another solution that some forums use is to use database tracking of read messages rather than automatically marking them read when you have X minutes of inactivity.  I don't really care for that myself, but it is another solution.


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## Makai Guy (Apr 29, 2012)

MichaelColey said:


> Some forums send the text of the PM in the email notification.  It's a fairly simple change to make on vBulletin.


We've done this in the past and it was found to be completely unworkable.  No matter how many caveats we attach to the beginning of the message, we'd get dozens of people a week sending a reply to the email, which of course just goes back to the bbs mail account and not to the writer of the PM.  We find the only way to keep this from happening is to force people to read the message on the board and not in their email.  (And even then we _still_ occasionally get somebody that goes back to the email to write their reply instead of hitting the Reply button in the PM.)





> Another solution that some forums use is to use database tracking of read messages rather than automatically marking them read when you have X minutes of inactivity.  I don't really care for that myself, but it is another solution.


We tried that in 2006, and it was a dismal failure.  http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22653


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