Hi Folks,
I believe most of us forumers are heartlly sick and confused with the upgraded main Community page. Looking at it, there is very little on there that is necessary. Much of it is repeated within the main sections and forum pages. It is cluttered, confusing and irrelevant.
I wonder if it might be better to scrap the "Latest Forum Posts", "Recent Blogs" and "Activities". These are all repeated elsewhere on the site and serve no purpose. Maybe it should just have the Navigation Tabs across the top, a Welcome to the Commuity logo, a visible link to the Terms & Conditions and Forum Etiquette, and absoutely no other text at all. The blank space could be used to show a few members' photos taken from the Galleries that perhaps could be changed every month.
The Navigation Tabs across the top should be altered to have proper drop down menus (as suggested by Tee-Jay). These should include links to each of the forums, blogs and other contents within that section. As an example, the current (as it is now) Chat section could have drop down menus with links to:
This could be repeated for each of the sections. The lnks would take you direct to the page you select. The section home page should be kept as simple as possible.
What does anyone else think? Please feel free to shoot me down if this idea is rubbish! I have broad shoulders!!!
Cheers, Linda.
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I personally like having the latest/unread/your forum posts and blogs on the front page, I like going straight to what threads I haven't read and I'm reading a lot more of the blogs now all the latest ones are listed on the front page because it is easy to see what new blogs have been posted and possible to just go straight to that blog. It also makes it a lot easier to keep a track of what threads I've posted in :-) I never used to bother going to the different sections on the old forums, I just went to unread to see what new posts had been made. Now there is a your threads option it makes it even easier to find threads I've replied to too without having to look in the different sections.
The only thing I don't really use is the activities list, but I'm sure others will use it more than me.
Though I do agree having a drop-down list that covers everything would be a brilliant way of imprving navigation - though I personally would have a "leap to forum" box thing above the latest forum posts rather than have a big long list on each of the navagation tabs because that could include blogs etc which would make the list a mile long!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Anything else on it, Doggie, or blank space?
Hi Sparrow
I like your ideas, and I'm sure they would improve the Community greatly if implemented. It's a good idea for a thread.
I would like to keep the 'Latest Forum Posts' on the Home Community page, because that's the way that I have always used the Community in the past, and I like to be able to see all of the most recent posts from all of the Forums together in order rather than having to go to each Forum individually to find Latest Posts.
In order to get rid of the current problem with announcements and 'stickies', I think that those should only be pinned or 'sticky' in their original forums. It makes no sense having them pinned on the Home Community page as well.
That way the Home Community page wouldn't have all of the rubbish in front of the Latest Posts. After all Latest Posts should be exactly that. They shouldn't include at least 2 pages of old announcements in front of them. They never used to on the old Community, so they shouldn't now.
I don't often read Recent Blogs or Activities, so I'm not concerned about having all of those taking up the Home Community page. I think links or tabs could easily be provided so that they can be accessed by those who use them.
I think the Tab 'Chat' definitely needs to be changed. Newbies seem to see the word 'Chat' and think that's the only place where they can post their questions or observations. They don't realise that Wildlife, Places and Get Involved Tabs also have Forums within them.
Best wishes Chris
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