Activity Stream - can't return to departure point

[NewRockRabbit]

I'm not sure if this is a bug, a design fault or an intentional feature. Therefore, I will also post this as a bug report.

In AS, with the first 25 entries, a user go to the AS, then click through from AS to the actual topic/post, and then return to the AS (using browser back button). This is a quick and effective way of going through all the new content since a user's last visit, and is how most of my users expect a forum / blog to work.

However if the user 'loads more activity', and then clicks through from the AS to an entry beyond entry 25 (say for example activity 37), clicks through to that entry and then returns to AS (using the back button), the user returns to the first 25 entries, not entry 37 (or whatever the point was that they left from). This means the user is (a) a bit lost as they haven't returned to the point they left from and (b) once / if they work out what has happened, they have to go through the process of loading more activity again, find where they had got to and then repeat the process.

On a busy forum, where there may 50+, or 100+ items of new activity to go through, this becomes a very confusing and slow process for the user, involving multiple loading of more activity, and the busier the forum is, potentially the worse the user experience is.

Therefore, can AS be improved so that the point you leave AS is the point you return to once you have read a specific entry and returned to AS by using the back button?

Thanks

NRR.

[Day_]

Agreed, it also creates another issue and I hate to bang on about it but on mobile/tablet if you miss press the unread post dot and click the link instead you have to go thorough the entire thread looking for the unread line, If this is a 10+ page thread it can be a real pain in the..... I have threads which are 50+ pages long and my memory isn't good enough to remember the page I'm on in each topic. If you press or swipe back the stream reloads and the thread has gone from the stream. Wasn't an issue in the old VNC, annoying still but would it would be still there if you swiped back and you could try again.

2 suggestions would be not to reload the page when you hit back as the OP suggested, also add a unread posts link next to start new topic on desktop and to the left of Moderation Actions on mobile/tablet.

 

[chilihead]

Yes please.

If they use the back button it should show the loaded results.

And there could also be a return to stream link in bottom content nav where it says:

< GO TO TOPIC LISTING

If you came from the stream if could say:

< BACK TO STREAM

instead. And go to exactly the entry you left from.

Just ideas, but something please. Thanks.

[NewRockRabbit]

As per the bug tracker, IPS are going to discuss this matter internally.

 

[Murmel]

cool I support that too

[NewRockRabbit]

Still no news on any resolution to this problem - ie, it doesn't appear to be coming in 4.1.6.

IMHO, this is a significant core functionality usability issue for any busy forum / big board which must be resolved before the 3.4.x end of support kicks in, in just over two months time.

[NewRockRabbit]

Above should read advanced support ends in 2 months time, basic support in 5 months. (not clear what the differentiation is between advanced and basic though).

[karl-os]

pagination would fix this