By the hand, let's bring them here...

[Ridgerunner]

The way I do it is to hit “Recent Posts” at the top left, then look at what I want to look at. Then, when I’m ready to leave this forum, I hit that “Recent Posts” button again, then hit “Mark Forums Read” button on the right and just above that green bar near the top. That way when I return I can see what I haven’t read.
Back when I was working, I’d occasionally ask IT to help me figure out how to do something. They were normally pretty responsive and would send pretty detailed information. My next comment to then was a thank you and all that, but could you please tell me how to get to the screen you started from. Usually I could figure it out if I could get to the starting point, but sometimes those starting screens are pretty well camouflaged.
So when you “geeks” (and most of you are geeks to me) give instructions and hints to technically challenged people like me and Mary, can you please be pretty clear how to get to the starting point? You don’t appreciate how much frustration that can eliminate.
Another point. Recently I lost my ability to put pictures in BYC posts. I’ve now got to where I can insert my downloaded photos over there but haven’t figured out how to download new photos. I know, too much information. I haven’t tried it yet on here but will eventually. The advice on BYC was to download Chrome or something similar. Great, but that did not solve the problem. The next step was to somehow link BYC to Chrome. All the advice and suggestions on BYC omitted that minor yet critical step. My step-son who is good on computers took care of that step for me.
So when you are giving help, please realize that not all of us are up on computer technology to the point that all that stuff is common knowledge and second nature to everyone.

 

[Smart Red]

New Posts -- in the line under Recent Posts -- at the top of the Forums Page has been working well for me. It automatically eliminates all the recent posts I've already read and shows only those unread since my last visit. That means I don't have to guess whether I have read a recent post or not.

As a once computer literate user who's been left behind by technology -- and really doesn't care -- I agree with Ridgerunner. SLOWER AND LOUDER for us, please.

 

[897tgigvib]

Hmmm, I saw the blue dots, but being half Neanderthal, I just figured that was some modern human contraption I'd figure out sooner or later.

I read Mary's and digit's explanation about the blue dots and the plants...heck, i see another similar phenomenon too, sometimes there is a small version of my avatar set at a corner of the author's avatar of their post..

ok, so I have 3 mysteries:

1. blue dots
2. plants
3. small avatar set in corner

Now, I know digit'll explain...and i know i'll get 50% comprehension of digit's 'splaining. so what i'll need after digit's 'splanation is someone elses translation into neanderthalese.

(((I VOTE FOR ONLY LETTING NEANDERTHALS WRITE USER MANUALS)))

Ever get a user manual for a gadget that was so poorly written that it is easier to figure on your own?

 

[ninnymary]

Ridgerunner, what you say is soooo true! I finally figured out that the plant before the category is like the red tomatoe! I am now painstakingly going through each post in each category and marking them as read. I'm sure there is a faster way but this forces me to use the computer more! As I've cleared each post the category empties and that plant goes away! Now I am so much happier. Still don't like the new smileys, they look kind of creepy to me. lol

And yes, my cousin corrected me that they are called imoges not smileys. But smileys sound so much better to me.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Dots? Plants? Miniature avatars running around? I must be seeing THE BIG PICTURE 'cuz I've not seen these smaller things on this site. . . yet. Now I am starting to feel out in left field again. Oh, look at the pretty dandelions. . . . . . .

 

[897tgigvib]

I know what ya mean Ridge. Hoo boy do i know what ya mean...

so I'm trying to go step by push the button step...

My basic operation here uses mostly the "recent posts" and the "alerts",
and i have to remember this...

"don't need to click on everything thing, alerts for example"

Mary, stick with just doing "recent posts" and maybe a few other things you have down.

Then come home here or to one of the other helping each other topics, and maybe get some new thing figured out.

Mary, howzabout you figure out those blue dots with everyone's help, and then you can explain the blue dots to me.

 

[Smart Red]

Okay, I went visiting. Gardening With Animals has a plant in front of the forum discussion. That means Jared77 wrote more about Coyotes.

Okay, What Are You Planting Today has a couple of books in front of the forum discussion. Oops! There is no little box with info on the newest post. What are the books hiding? I am puzzled. You won't like me when I am puzzled.

Finally, I opened the forum on Gardening With Animals and spotted a blue dot. That would be the newest post (or posts) that I haven't read yet. Now I'm ready to leave the dandelions in left field alone and play the game again -- or investigate what's hiding in those puzzling books at the bottom of MAIN forums.

 

[digitS']

Well, some are still calling them smilies - a spelling which must now be even more archaic!

I'm a little afraid to post too much (imagined) information. I am wrong on a regular basis. It doesn't slow me down too much in my own efforts - yeah, this crawl is just a matter of age and 1 or 2 other things . . . Oh look, a squirrel!!

Terminology is important. We could call Random Ramblings and Everything Else Garden, etc. "sub-forums."

When starting at the main theEasyGarden.com webpage - the little plants on the left show up. Those little plants indicate which sub-forums have unread posts. Clicking a sub-forum changes things. The avatars of the original poster of the topic shows up along the left and between the avatar and the topic title will be the blue dots that Mary found. Those blue dots now show you where the unread posts are.

So it goes main webpage with its little plants to sub-forum webpage with its blue dots.

Marshall, I "think" your tiny avatar that accompanies the larger, original poster's avatar, are there because you are "watching" that topic.

Steve
Edited: Linn, that What are You Planting Today is a "sticky." That just means it is a single topic thread that isn't going away. Nifty did that years ago.

 

[Smart Red]

Thank you for the explanation, DigitS. I remember stickies from the old TEG.

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, you said it so much better than me.

Mary