I don't ever look to see if I'm getting those messages
!
All I do is when I get online and check this forum, I hit 'New Posts' and all the new ones pop up.. I then just read them starting at the top and working my way down.
What I also do is click on that little arrow on the left hand side of the title of the thread, to get to the first new post in that thread since I last logged in, which speeds things up a bit.
This way, I get not only any replies to threads I've posted in, but all the new threads of the day. If I take too long to read through them and the new posts 'disappear'.. I go over to "quick links" and click on 'today's posts'.. and work my way through them.. once I'm done with those, depending on my mood or inclination, I sometimes go back and look for topics that interest me, particularly under recipes & nutrition.