# What should be used for a "you read this" indicator on each post?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-should-be-used-for-a-you-read-this-indicator-on-each-post/16125
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [31 mei 2014 om 04:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-should-be-used-for-a-you-read-this-indicator-on-each-post/16125 "2014-05-31T04:37:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![mcwumbly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mcwumbly/32/103861_2.png) [@mcwumbly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcwumbly)
#### Post date: [31 mei 2014 om 04:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-should-be-used-for-a-you-read-this-indicator-on-each-post/16125/1 "2014-05-31T04:37:24Z")

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Continuing the discussion from [Move some post actions to “extra drawer”](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-some-post-actions-to-extra-drawer/16094/18):

> [@Move some post actions to "extra drawer"](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-some-post-actions-to-extra-drawer/16094/18):
>
> Think item: I really wish we had a nice “Discourse knows you read this post” indicator on each post. The feeling of seeing “read it, read it, read, it” marked on a post as you scroll down is a good, positive one. A glass half full indicator. Reading is fundamental!
> 
> But what could that indicator be? What subtle but visible indicator could be used for a “you read this” indicator on each post?

This seems to warrant its own discussion. A few thoughts I have regarding the current indicator and its history:

1. By the time you can see the current bookmark indicator, you’ve probably already read the post, since its below the post.

2. Its not _that_ useful as is because the indicator is really only visible on the last post you’ve read in a topic. You have to scroll up and down to find it if you’re not already there or entering the topic from the topic list.

So, there seem to be two main goals out of this:

1. The indicator should show which posts are read and which aren’t.
2. It’d be nice to have a way to jump to the last read post from within a topic.

So here’s an idea:

First, for the ‘subtle but visible indicator’… ‘a “you read this” indicator on each post’, follow some conventions from email clients. Just style the name and date on each post differently for read vs unread: **bold = unread** normal = read

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/3/3/33cff4ddfc8e43cf8481425fd7e3c34d50f13003.png)  
 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/7/1/7107014696ef6fdcc3048d2383e125e78c8acc59.jpg) 

(Ignore the funky outline/dropshadow… just a quick and dirty mock)

Having this indicator back at the top would help make it more clear that the state changes as you read the post like in the old days.

Then, to answer the issue of losing your place, what if the progress bar showed which the last read post was in a darker shade of green?

![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/9/e/9ebdc26be15cd38fa1411543821d1f018991c586.jpg)

Clicking anywhere in the dark green region would bring you back to the last read post.

(I realize this second part of the discussion [overlaps with the one going on here](https://meta.discourse.org/t/topic-jumper-style-suggestions/15994) as well…)

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