In casual conversation this distinction is starting to fade, and "was" is often used in both the above situations.

This reminds me of my dislike of modern usage/blurring of 'may' and 'might'. 'If I were to read the board more often, I may have posted an answer earlier.' and similar abominations.

Bingley's 3rd person examples make it much easier to follow - a tip I'll remember for the future!