Categories + Recent Topics does not show any topics

[hellekin]

Version: latest tests-passed 2.6.0.beta6 ( dab2f2fdf4 )…

With desktop_category_page_style set to categories_and_latest_topics, and mute_all_categories_by_default set to true, with a bunch of “regular” categories,

I would expect to see the most recent topics from each “regular” categories.

But instead, the “latest topics” view seems to be identical to the “Unread topics” view and shows “You’re all caught up!”, instead of showing recent and new topics, which makes it difficult to find recent topics when you’re up to date with your reading.

[simon (Simon Cossar)]

@hellekin

with a bunch of “regular” categories,

When you say ‘regular’ categories, are these categories that are set to either ‘watching’ or ‘tracking’ by default? If so, I’d expect the most recent topics from these categories to show up on the latest list.

Can you double check to make sure that the user you are testing this with doesn’t have all categories on the site muted?

[hellekin]

Hi @simon, there are currently 4 ‘regular’ categories, and another 4 (default) muted categories (‘Uncategorized’, ‘Staff’, ‘Hangout’ – the one for TL3+, ‘Site Feedback’):

Note that these categories do not have topics except category descriptions. That may cause the recent topics to be empty, but since most of the category descriptions are unread, shouldn’t they appear in the ‘recent’ list anyway? – I just tested adding a topic and it does appear.

[hellekin]

So I guess category descriptions do not count as topics.

[simon (Simon Cossar)]

@hellekin

here are currently 4 ‘regular’ categories, and another 4 (default) muted categories

Thanks! That makes sense.

@hellekin

I guess category descriptions do not count as topics.

The category description topics are handled differently than other topics. They will not show up on in the latest list.

@hellekin

I just tested adding a topic and it does appear.

I think this is working as expected. What you are describing is similar to what I’m finding on my test site. When there are no topics other than the category description topic in the regular categories, the user interface might seem confusing to a new user:

I think the solution to that is to create some topics in the categories.