Also, the "view recent post" pages aren't automatically updating after I view a thread. The page updates when I manually reload it, but doesn't do it automatically like 1.0 did.
Indeed that is a change, but not due to the upgrade. 1.x had the same functionality in this regard. There's an option to prevent browsers from caching pages, thereby causing a refresh on every hit, even when hitting the back button. So instead of going back to the page you left, you're technically going back to a newly generated page.
I disabled this option during the upgrade. There are several reasons...
1. It greatly reduces bandwidth. For example, a user might hit the Unread Replies link, then click a given link to read the content. Once finished, the user may hit the back button to go back to his list of unread replies. The user simply wants to hit the next post in the list. By allowing the browser to cache, we can reduce the bandwidth used as well as lighten the load on the processor due to new SQL queries. This adds up to an overall net gain in performance across the entire system for everyone. and the user can still click the next link in his list.
2. Helps prevent dropped post data. Ever type out a big post, maybe a range report or something, then hit the wrong button or accidentally click a link before posting? Then you frantically hit the back button hoping your the text will still be in the box? Of course, it isn't. Because we've prevented your browser from caching it. You now have to type it all over. That sucks. But now that we are allowing caching, you can get that text back by hitting the back button. WOOT.
3. It prevents missing posts in the Unread Posts/Replies list. Many times people maybe be using several methods for accessing the site, like their computer and a cell phone for example. Or sometimes people will be using a read-ahead browser, like Opera or IE9, that tries to predict your habits and download content before you click the link. In cases like these, every hit refreshes your session and tells the server to send you the most up-to-date content. You'd think that would be good, buuuut... every hit also causes the forum software to mark post read. As such, you may have 10 posts, click one, hit back, and somehow have 7, even though you only read one because either your browser or another device hit it before you. So you miss the content. Now though, you can safely hit back and get what was there before, even if another device marked it read.
The down sides here are...
a) You have to click something to get an updated page; and...
b) There is slightly higher potential for double-taps (posting the same post twice) if not paying attention.
For the downsides though, I think the upsides easily outweigh them. Your browser caches for a reason. Better to let it do it's job while we do ours, hmm?
And it's also how the vast majority of forums run anyway. So of course while it will take a small amount of getting use to for our long-time members, it's not THAT big of a deal, and for most forum junkies out there it really shouldn't be unexpected behavior.
-T.
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