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

Is there any reason for now having unsubscribe links on every entry? It's bizarre, confusing, and unnecessary. Surely they should only appear on entries to which you're subscribed?

I imagine the reason is that the database hit for checking this every time would be large, which is fair enough, so I'll shut up if that's so

Yes, I think you're right. It would take a lot of time to check the database just to find out if you're subscribed to the entry or not.

The new system is much better than the old one though. (I had to ask before I realised the unsubscribe was underneath the conversation list).

I know it's slightly at first but you'll get used to it!

It's precisely because we don't want to have to pull subscription information on each user on each guide entry.

I'd prefer a better way of presenting the options that two clumsily worded links - maybe in the next design phase.

I suppose if you had a confirmation window / page you could just have a 'Start / stop following this forum' link, or some such, which would serve as either, and then just have an intermediary stage when you click it which asks if you're sure you'd like to subscribe or unsubscribe respectively...

If only more people could get to grips with the word 'toggle'

Well, a start/stop toggle could take you through a page which checks what your current setting is and inverts it... then there'd only be a database check when you actually wanted to change your setting, whatever it was.