rex

More a frill than anything, though it could be useful if you are looking for a post by someone (for example, someone other than yourself) on a thread with a lot of posts.

Search on your own name (or anyone else's - - you'll see what I mean.

Best wishes,

Rex
[email protected]

Ruth

No, I can't see it. The name itself comes up in red though.

Andrea_expat

I can't see it either - I wonder if it's to do with which browser one's using?

I'm using IE6, and I've tried a couple of searches just now using my name and some topics, and don't see anything at all different!

Now I have no gift AND no special feature!

moonbeam

I'm using IE6 and i see it. click on your name and when the posts come up , click on one of them scroll down and your post is highlighted

BozoTheClown

I guess arguably what's more useful is the fact that you can now click on the thread title (in the list of messages for that thread), and that's a direct link to _that_ thread. For instance, in _this_ post, click on 'Interesting new feature: your post "highlighted" in gray if you do a search' and that is now a direct link that you can mail to someone, that will take them directly to this thread.

DixieChick

Mine comes up in red.

indytravel

It really isn’t a Fodor’s feature. It’s a function of the web browser (Explorer or Netscape) you are using. Since your name is now a “link” once you click on it your browser flags this as a previously visited link and changes it’s color. Mine happens to be red too. Any link works that way. If I click on poster “XYZ” then it is flagged as a visited link and will change colors too.

As always with those wacky computers there are variations. Your browser could be set to change visited sites to the same color as unvisited sites which would show no change. Your browser may be flagged to reset visited links after a certain number of days so if you didn’t click on “XYZ” for a week it would go back to being the first color. Your browser may be flagged to reset links as soon as you close the window, in which case “XYZ” would be it’s original color every time you started a new browser session. There are probably a zillion other factors that can effect how and why “links” change colors.

rex

I wasn't talking about the color of the type. I am talking about background. And it must be browser-related, since I am now using my wife's computer (IE 6 on Windows XP) and it isn't doing it. My computer is IE 5.5 on Win95.

The ability to link to each thread by way of a unique URL has existed for over a year now; maybe even over two or more. I post the URL for various threads in messages frequently, and poit out that it is more useful than topping, when you want to direct someone to something posted before.

rex

I take that back. It DOES do it on this computer, but only after a search (i.e., clicking on my own name).

Marilyn

I get the gray shaded area over the post of the name I clicked on (if that makes sense). I think it's a great feature. Fodors keeps adding these improvements -- who knows what's next?

By the way, Rex, I can't believe anyone else is running Windows 95 (with IE 5, no less). I've got a hand-me-down computer and plan to get a new one soon.

rex

Marilyn,

I know. I wondered if I should have disclosed that. But I "support" a total of 6 desktops (three away at college), and 3 laptops (2 here, 1 at college). The upgrading is a revolving process. My wife WAS at the bottom of the totem pole, now she is back up top again, and I am due next (I use computers away from home as much or more than at home). I may just switch entirely over to my laptop for a while, since it is at least Win98.

But I must say - - is Win 95 really all that inferior, on a 64 Meg (Ram) machine? Properly cached, I am not sure that it makes that much difference. But it does crash several times a week, especially when I get 10 or 15 windows open at once

God, how much MORE time would I spend on the internet if I had the best hardware!?

BozoTheClown

I think an easy to use link at the top is new tho. I know about being able to link to a thread by altering the URL via the tid. Also, the way you've posted in the past would send people directly to the right frame, rather than putting them inside the forums environment, as it does by clicking on the link at the top.

Witness the difference between
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...l&tid=34400942 and
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34400942

(I chose that URL, since it's an example where you've cited a fodors url.)

BozoTheClown

(Also, it's just nice to be able to just click at the top, instead of having to construct the URL...)

rex

Well, Bozo, this is a "hit-the-nail-on-the-head" demonstration:

Witness the difference between
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...l&tid=34400942 and
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34400942

My hoat goes off to you

The problem is - - I do NOT ssee either of these at the top of my browser! Is it browser specific, perhaps? I am back on "my" computer (IE 5.5, Win95).

I don't recall seeing this earlier today when using Win XP and IE 6.

BozoTheClown

It's at the top... Meaning, right before the "Post a reply to this message" picture and right _after_ the advertisement. On this thread it says:
"Interesting new feature: your post "highlighted" in gray if you do a search"

and _that_ is a link. See?

rex

Oh, okay. Sorry to be so dense. It's a subtle difference - - using "right click" there to "Copy Shortcut", versus in the lefthand column, where the same thing has been possible for a while.

but I agree it is a change, and nice to have it appear IN the proper frame-bearing screen, as you pointed out so clearly.

Still not really documented by Fodors anywhere, is it? or have I missed that as well?

rex

Follow-up that might be helpful to the less comouter-experienced users here who might want a bit more about locating a URL and how you use it - - this is a direct take-off from the fact that the message header is now a link.

If you highlight, cut and paste an entire thread - - and put into Mircosoft Word, you can easily retrieve the URL with "Tools, Options" and then click on "Field codes" - - the URL will be revealed to you.

More trouble than necessary, some would argue - - but handy for saving a thread you want to retain for the future - - and you can readily verify if Fodors really does delete it - - easy to make the distinction between a thread that really is gone, versus one that you just can't find.