That feature is present in the skin titled Default (not necessarily [Default]), which is the one I’m using for that very reason. However, it is not pretty like the AGH one and also unbranded, and I would prefer to use the pretty one. So I googled it, and it looks like an easy fix in the admin panel. Here’s a copy and paste:

Template Verification: If the feature isn't working as expected, an administrator may need to check the forum's templates. Specifically, in the forumdisplay and header templates, the relevant variable (e.g., {$gotounread}) should be present to enable the link/icon that directs users to the new post.

It's definitely on the list! It trips my brain up too.

But believe me that everything that seems easy can be anything but when one really isn't experienced in these sorts of things. The lengthy delay in getting the forum launched in the first place gave us plenty of proof of that. So we need to be prepared in case tinkering causes things to unexpectedly start breaking.

Rest assured, changes will come. We're very much a WISP! (Work in slow progress. )

I have worked with forums before as well (phpBB though, somehow this one became my favorite for administration) and remember it felt much more tedious than for example a wordpress cms these days. Haven't touched them in 20 years or something though, so I don't know how it is today (I mean WP has changed very much as well over the years).

Good luck with fixing the little issues and thank you for your patience with that stuff. 

Jackal, is it only you responsible for the back end? I’m kinda torn about saying this, but I have a lot of, admittedly out-of-date, experience with PHP forum setup (not this particular flavor, but they’re all substantially similar). If you were willing to make me an admin for a day, I’d be willing to poke around and see if there’s anything I can do. The reasons I hesitate are, first, I don’t want to overstep, second, I try to eschew responsibility to the largest extent possible, and, finally, I’m not sure if I would be able to deliver any results.

There is a much simpler solution that hasn't been mentioned yet. Click on the button "Full Reply" in any thread of your choice. Next, click on the gear icon labelled "Post Options". You will now have access to a variety of thread subscription options. Hope this helps.

   

That feature is present in the skin titled Default (not necessarily [Default]), which is the one I’m using for that very reason. 

I'm using that skin. Exactly what do you mean about "the feature is present"? Sample listing for the new-posts search result:



Clicking the thread title takes me to the first post. I can go directly to page 11, but that might or might not be the last post I personally saw. If I click "Last Post:", that's literally the last post, from which I have to go backwards. Are you saying there's something I haven't configured properly in my personal control panel...? I don't see anything which looks like it might relate to this, but maybe it's not named clearly.

@Legerdemancy, I'm not trying to subscribe to threads so as to track specific ones.

Click the little green arrow to go to the first unread post in a thread.

The styling of the forum circles and threads with posts you haven't read should be more intuitive now. Also the small arrows next to the thread titles were added that take you to the next unread post. Thank you for your feedback!

Awesome! Using the AGH theme again already.

Woo hoo! Thanks to all who made it happen ❤️