I understand how it works technically, but I think this illustrates a classic debate between developer and user/customer.
As a developer I can see the functional beauty.
As a user, I think it sucks and I don't give a damn about "session indexes". As a user I just want to see the next page of cool links. I think most people here are 'users'. So why not just have a stateless solution? (aka just linking to ..page=2 as suggested?)
The reverse. :)
> So why not just have a stateless solution? (aka just linking to ..page=2 as suggested?)
You seem to have missed the point that, if you wait long enough to advance to page 2, the page that logically follows from the page you're viewing no longer exists (along with the page you're viewing). In other words, assuming that the HN content changes between your initial view and clicking "More", the new page 2 may contain what page 1 contained, and people will complain that they're looking at the same items on page 2 that they viewed on page 1 just five minutes ago.
[I'm putting my "User" hat on here.]
Lets look at two "user cases" here:
1. I'm on page 2 and I want to look at page 3. I click "More", and I get page 3 but with a few greyed out links I have already seen.
2. I'm on page 2 and I want to look at page 3. I click "More", and I get "Unknown or Expired Link". I firkdanggurbleblast and manually delete the fnid out of the URL and hit enter which takes me back to the first page, then I click on the second page, and then click on the third page, which also contain greyed out links.
Which of the above user cases do you think is preferable?
As I said previously, I'm really just trying to illustrate the difference between technical beauty and what users perceive as beauty.
At the very least, the expired link page should provide a button to reload the page. The reloaded page will contain articles I've already seen, but it beats having to start on page 1 again, after manually editing the URL, and clicking "more" until I find my place again.
Ideally I'd like the site to try to load the index link, and if it's timed out, fallback seamlessly to loading the page by number.
WHy are we debating on 'or' of the option. Expired message or latest page. None of them alone gives satisfactory use experience. Have them both, tell them link has expired and serve them default.