Sequence of postings

[Torsten.]

I noticed today when I open a random thread the order of postings is from newest to oldest, it was vice versa before.

What happened?

Example:

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Storage-Area-Networks-SAN-Small/P2000-G3-firmware-update/m-p/5977615#M6932

on top:     15 hours ago

at bottom:   08-07-2011 10:03 PM

[Steven Schweda]

   Perhaps some team of experts tried (at long last) to get the
all-topics listings to appear in the order of most recent posting
instead of the order of first posting, and this was the best they could
do.

   One is left wondering how the world-class talent running this
operation can make a change like this and not notice it.  (Or think that
it's an improvement.)

[Torsten.]

I visited some thread and all looked normal, then again in a wrong order:

[Torsten.]

On next reload again different:

[Dennis Handly]

>order of postings is from newest to oldest

Looks ok to me but I use oldest to newest AND absolute time in ISO 8601 format.

Some of your examples looks like a mixture of relative and absolute.

Other than the cookie problem trying to login, I'm not having any problems.

>to get the all-topics listings

I would assume the order of posts in a topic is separate than the order of all-topics.

They already have N different options to order topic posts and one should make anyone happy.  ;-)

[Torsten.]

The order inside a single thread is the problem (see screenshots).

It is from oldest to newest, on next reload from newest to oldest - without changing any option.

[Robert_Jewell]

I noticed this as well this morning.   For me all posts that I visit show the latest post at the top of the page.

I dont see any options to change the post layout order.  

If this is considered an improvement, then I disagree.  To read a post new to you, you now have to scroll all the way down and then read up through the replies.  Annoying!

-Bob

[Dennis Handly]

>I don't see any options to change the post layout order.

As I said, there are zillions of options.

There is linear vs topic.  And order by time.

Some are in the User Preference and some are on the Topic Options.

>To read a post new to you, you now have to scroll all the way down

I have mine jump to the first unread post.

[Robert_Jewell]

OK, I see now.  Thanks.

The wording isnt very clear, but to adjust the order of the posts within a topic when viewing that topic:

...versus changing the order of how posts appear if you are viewing the board using the 'List By Topics' view:

Fun fun!

-Bob

[Torsten.]

This is soooo confusing!


I open a thread, see posts from newest to oldest, post my comment and now see oldest to newest!!!

[Dennis Handly]

>but if not, then you'll get the default (which apparently has changed).

This is obvious to me and I immediately login because I don't like that non ISO 8601 format.

>Just when you think that things can't get any lamer,

I assume you also ran into the case where you have to change your HP Passport password every 6 months too?  ;-)

[Chris H]

Thansk to Robert_Jewell for telling us which of the large number of options affects the order of responses within a topic (the default for which appears to have changed without notice).

[Robert_Jewell]

I certainly appreciate the number of options available.  

However, it seems that "they" did not realize that just about every other discussion board out there has a format where the original post is displayed at the "top".  This certainly should not be the default setting, IMHO.

[Dennis Handly]

>This certainly should not be the default setting

Which "this" is this?  Having the new default or having the oldest at the top?

[Robert_Jewell]

LOL..sorry, that could have been worded better (and here I am complaining about how things are explained!).

What I meant was the default view should be as it was:  From within the topic, the original post is shown at the top of the page.

[Rainald T]

I agree with Robert Jewell's opinion.

To me the sort order with the newest on top is true nonsense.

It's really difficult to follw a thread being sorted upside down.

Rainald

[Dennis Handly]

Has anyone figured out the exact way to duplicate this?

1) Is it because you aren't logged in?

2) Or the default was changed and people who noticed took the default instead of explicitly selecting the option of what they wanted?

None of the above two cases is true for me.

[Torsten.]

I see the newest first or oldest first randomly, no matter if i logged on or not.

[Dennis Handly]

>I see the newest first or oldest first randomly, no matter if I'm logged on or not.

Randomly in that it changes on a refresh with no other posts?

If you sort by topic, new topics mess up the "order".

[Torsten.]

If I open this topic (thread), sometimes my initial post is on top, sometimes on bottom ... this started last week, never happened before.

[Robert_Jewell]

When I view this, or any, topic without being logged in, the latest post is at the top of the page.  This was a change that occurred last week as Torsten states (I was prepared to start the same topic if I didnt see one already there).

If I login, the post order within the topic changes to show the original post at the top of the page.  However, this is because I changed the setting "Linear Layout Settings - Linear Format: Sorting order within topics" from "Use default (newest first)" to "Oldest first".

For me this behavior is consistent.

-Bob

[Torsten.]

>> For me this behavior is consistent.

But still nonsense - every other forum board in the world will show the newest comment at the bottom...

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

Dear Moderators,

consider to change the default back to what it was for so many years , show the newest post at the end of a thread!