h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sometimes a new thread (with a single starting post not by me and not previously seen in any way) shows up in the MP list (in brunel) as no new posts and no replies, eg:
Celebrity Suicides (no new posts) h2g2 No Posting No replies
( F150575?thread=1155495 )

This has also happened with an announcement forum thread before. Obviously it can only happen if I see the MP listing before anyone else has posted to the thread. Yet it doesn't seem to happen with all forums and threads even then, eg not for the mbsn ones I saw today with just their starting post showing up as 1 new post.

Does it only happen once? If you refresh the page does the 'one new post' appear?

I think so, from the first time I noticed, but I'd have to recheck (on something else!) to be sure.

If so, it's probably 'dirty reads' - the MP page reading from the table while the post to forum is still happening. If it reads between the row being created and it having its data fully written, you might see this. I've seen it occasionally, and it always goes away on the next read.

It's the downside to allowing dirty reads, which we do to reduce the amount of locking in the database, and improve throughput.