Envelope Coding for Threads

[Guerri Stevens]

I have been trying to improve my efficiency by using clues provided by the envelopes to the left of the thread titles, but I find that I don't understand them and I wonder whether using them to decide what to read isn't going to work. So I've been looking at the last post dates too.

On the first screen of the threads for this forum (Forum Use and Help), I see the following kinds of envelopes:

Closed blue envelope
Closed blue envelope with arrow
Closed orangey envelope (maybe you'd call it red)
Closed orangey envelope with arrow
Open light yellow (tan?) envelope with papers sticking out

Closed blue envelope: my theory was that thread has no new posts. But the forum bug thread is a closed blue envelope, yet there was a post today at 9:16 p.m. And if the "no new posts" idea is right, does that mean since I last logged on (i.e. is it keyed to me), since yesterday (not keyed to me), or something else? I don't remember how this envelope looked when I logged on.

Any color with arrow: my theory is that these are topics in which I've posted messages.

Closed orangey envelope: new material??? But does this just mean there are messages I haven't read? The blacklisted thread has the orangey envelope and the last message (as I write this) was 11:07 pm on the 16th. I don't think
I was up that late, so this probably does mean at least one message I haven't read, but that could be true of the bug thread, so why the different colors?

Open light yellow envelope with papers sticking out: can't find this one now. Possibly it means a new thread? And new since when - really another question of whether this is keyed to me (i.e. new to me) or to something else.

If I'm right about the arrows, that would imply that what shows (color, etc.) is indeed keyed to me.