I tend to use the "Recent small" link.
Rendering this on the page is not dependent on conditions that SMF can mess up on
This listing places a
on the end of things you have not seen yet, but only adds that new if you are logged in so it knows who you are.
Click that little orange new, and it brings you to the first post in that Topic you have not seen.
But it also lists a number of the most recent you have seen as well.
If left open on that page it auto refreshes every few minutes, you can see new postings at a glance.
Ross and I have noticed however that it occasionally skips post that you create, or reply to,
however no one else has mentioned it yet if they have seen it.