Is it correct to state that when presented with a list of topics in a particular PBS Discussion Forum, all topics that I have posted comments to will show up in black-colored print and those that I haven't will be in blue?

As long as your comment was posted within the last 14 days, you are correct.

"As long as your comment was posted within the last 14 days..."

Really? That's kind of an odd exclusion. Are you sure about the length of time? If you're sure, then there is a bug in the forum software...

I certainly don't see the black on the posts I made in 2007!! lol

yes, this was confirmed for me recently when I asked the same qt.

Okay, well then there's a bug in the forum software. I have a list of watched topics; several of them have posts by me in them within that 14-day window and are listed in black text.

Ed,

They will only turn blue if you haven't posted in the last 14 days.  Any thread where you have a post in  less than 14 days old will be black.

Okay... there's no bug. I was counting the days incorrectly.

But, I'm not sure that I like this whole "14 day" thing... When you asked, Jeanne, what reason were you given for that?

Ed, if I remember correctly, when they first implemented the feature of turning threads that you posted black, they applied it to all threads you'd posted in.  What ended up happening is that for people who had thousands of posts, it severely slowed down the load times for the forums.  So they adjusted it so that it would only look back two weeks for postings.

"for people who had thousands of posts, it severely slowed down the load times for the forums."

I have to say that's kinda thin. I participate in more than one vBulletin-based forum where the participants also have thousands of posts. While vBulletin has its own set of issues, it doesn't seem to have much problem indicating which threads have topics posted by me, nor with speed in loading. If that's really the case here, perhaps the developers should take a look at that model...

it doesn't seem to have much problem indicating which threads have topics posted by me, nor with speed in loading. If that's really the case here, perhaps the developers should take a look at that model...

Does that other forum you post in purge old threads? PBS does not. So there are 8 (?) years of threads here that would be blackened for all the active members that posted. Many of us that answer questions around the forum, or just talk a lot , don't have just thousands we have cleared ten-thousand. The history here is quite voluminous. 

"Does that other forum you post in purge old threads?"

Nope... no purging. In the General Chat forum alone on one of the websites, there are more than 120,000 posts in almost 8,000 separate threads (topics) going back to April 2004. On another website, the Politics forum has almost 400,000 posts in just under 24,000 threads going back to June 2005.

In the General Chat forum alone on one of the websites, there are more than 120,000 posts in almost 8,000 separate threads (topics) going back to April 2004. On another website, the Politics forum has almost 400,000 posts in just under 24,000 threads going back to June 2005.

most active PBS forums:

CMT = 1.4million+ posts, 69K+ threads

Games = 2.1million+ posts, 3K+ threads

Bazaar = 276K+ posts, 67K+ threads

Questions = 150K+posts, 15K+ threads

PBS still seems like it has a lot more threads to index for the function.

"PBS still seems like it has a lot more threads to index for the function."

Okay... I'll concede that there is a lot more volume here. And, that perhaps that's part of the problem. Maybe a different indexing approach is what's needed. Or, maybe I'm just seeing an issue that doesn't really exist..

I just think that 14 days is just a way short period of time to lose the black text.

I actually like the 14 day rule.  The thread doesn't disappear from my watch list, it just shows me that I haven't posted in it for a while.  So especially for games I'm playing in it reminds me it might be time to go and check in and make sure i'm not missing anything. 

If you have suggestions about ways you think the site could be improved Ed, you're always welcome to offer use the Feedback feature to contact the Admin Team.  They do listen to member suggestions. Use the blue "Contact Us" link under the Community heading at the bottom of the page.