When you come back to the site, we put a flower next to every conversation (thread) that has had new activity SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT. Right now, the flower stays even after you read the conversation. It will go away on your next visit if there isn't any new activity. This is a quick and obvious way for you to see what's changed since you last visited us.

You should also notice that the colors of the conversation titles are either blue or brown. If it's blue, that means the conversation has had new activity SINCE YOU LAST CLICKED ON IT. It will turn brown once you click on it and read it again. The color changes as soon as you click on the conversation again, so you can use it to keep track of what you've read and what you haven't read. If you read something and then refresh the front page and the title is still blue, then someone must have posted a new comment.

This feature is always a balance between performance and usability. We're trying to strike a good balance. Once you get the hang of it, we'd love your feedback!

Mike