@Jim Finn what you are describing as seeing in the extreme top right sounds like what I showed as seeing from my iPad when in vertical or "page" length - here is what I see from there - does it match what you are describing as seeing on your Windows 10 computer? If so, if you "hover" pointer over each of those - does it show anything. As I listed if I click on the far right 3 lines - I get a drop down menu with choices of things. Just above all of that I see the envelope and the bell everyone references. Try that and see if you see all of that. The magnifying glass icon is to search with - click on that and search bar area should open up to input terms to search for. The "page" with the horizontal lines with the box around it (reminds me of a folded up newspaper) - if you click on that it should show you all the recent activity - by past hour, then earlier today, then later, etc. to the top right side you have the option to show it in the "Expanded view" which shows the full details of each of the "posts" made - if you click on "Condensed" it will just show the title of the post, name of person who replied, name of person who started original post/thread being replied to, and the sub-forum it is in.
What Internet browser are you using when you access the forum? If @Travis knows what browser you are using that might help as well. I am not sure if there is a way for different browsers to let you "pick" which way you see it or not. Not sure why one would default to this view over the other general one that most of the rest of us see. This shows what most of us are seeing in the top right corner when accessing from a computer.