 November 19, 2007 - 8:54pm | Actually, you've just demonstrated one of the strengths of the site and why it's so overwhelming. Everything is right there in your face and properly categorized. Navigation is simple, though takes a couple of clicks because of all the features, but it's standard. From a design standpoint, I'm going to disagree. I think having a setting option in my face all the time when it's not something I would be constantly using is a bad idea. It just ends up being clutter that my mind learns to ignore in order to focus more on what's important. I suspect that's why I didn't "see" it in the first place. Nothing has trained people better than on-site advertising to mentally "block" things we aren't going to use. It's the same with navigating my cable box channel guide... about 80% of the screen is data/advertising I ignore with about 20% being information I care about. It's tunnel vision that is shaped by the interface. |
 November 20, 2007 - 10:15am | Heh, I wasn't commenting on Drupal as a whole... just that one issue. ;) Though, I could probably find other ways to streamline what's visible on the screen. For example, I've become accustomed to using the "Quick Reply"... but I very rarely use any of the cool formatting tools below this box to pretty up my posts. If I could hide them until I needed them with a simple toggle switch at the end of the Quick Reply box, I would. Seeing 3 rows of tools (nearly half of which are grayed out and unusable unless I'm in certain circumstances) just isn't particularly attractive. Is it a deal breaker? No. Would I want to get rid of the tools? No. (I prefer them over only having an option to use BB-code.) Do I use them in 9 out of 10 "quick posts"? Nope. So, in at least 9 out of 10 posts (for me) it's just clutter. To get even more refined... I also don't need the words "First" and "Previous" at the bottom and top of the screen on multi-page posts. Just the symbols with a hover note would suffice. A nifty graphic would look even better. Is that splitting hairs? Sure is. But it just goes to show that even at a cursory glance, the interface could be "cleaned up" without losing any functionality. Again, this isn't to say I don't like Drupal. I really *do* like it. A lot. But I stand by the premise that it could be cleaner and should strive to be given its complexity and power. Give it a few more years to mature and I bet we'll see some awesome evolution. Heck, just look at the evolution of BB progs! I've been using "forums" since the days of 300 baud modems on single-line, computer-to-computer, local bulletin-boards. They've come a long way. ;) |
November 20, 2007 - 11:01am | Though,
I could probably find other ways to streamline what's visible on the
screen. For example, I've become accustomed to using the "Quick
Reply"... but I very rarely use any of the cool formatting tools below
this box to pretty up my posts. If I could hide them until I needed
them with a simple toggle switch at the end of the Quick Reply box, I
would. Seeing 3 rows of tools (nearly half of which are grayed out and
unusable unless I'm in certain circumstances) just isn't particularly
attractive. Having an "advanced options" button in the reply box for the extra formatting options would probably reduce clutter.Is it a deal breaker? No. Would I want to get rid of the tools? No. (I prefer them over only having an option to use BB-code.) Do I use them in 9 out of 10 "quick posts"? Nope. So, in at least 9 out of 10 posts (for me) it's just clutter. To
get even more refined... I also don't need the words "First" and
"Previous" at the bottom and top of the screen on multi-page posts.
Just the symbols with a hover note would suffice. A nifty graphic would
look even better. Is that splitting hairs? Sure is. But it just goes to
show that even at a cursory glance, the interface could be "cleaned up"
without losing any functionality. I would prefer to keep the "first" button in case a thread gets really long. Also, almost every other site has those buttons. Of course, it could be made so that the "first" and "last" buttons only appear if the links to the first and last pages aren't visible.Now, as far as reducing what you see on the screen, I could see turning the QuickLinks into a single link on Navigation bar that produces a popup menu when clicked or mouse-overed, and the same with the Buddy List. Who's Online, though, should remain visible. |
November 20, 2007 - 11:29am | I would prefer to keep the "first" button in case a thread gets really long. Also, almost every other site has those buttons. Of course, it could be made so that the "first" and "last" buttons only appear if the links to the first and last pages aren't visible. Oh I wasn't saying to get rid of the functionality. I'd just get rid of the words "First" and "Previous" leaving only the <'s, or better yet, some attractive button graphic/icon. One could put a hover note on the graphic with the words "First" and "Previous" that told what it was. Not some huge improvement, but I think it would be aesthetically more pleasing and less textual information for the user. This could also apply to "next" and "last." Now, as far as reducing what you see on the screen, I could see turning the QuickLinks into a single link on Navigation bar that produces a popup menu when clicked or mouse-overed, and the same with the Buddy List. Who's Online, though, should remain visible. I haven't really considered much about the nav bar... I believe there is even some "advanced setting/mode" that I haven't tried out. For the most part, it's out of sight and out of mind being off to the side. Though I'm sure you're right that it could be beautified. :) But, while you mention it... just a quick look over there and I see the redundancy of the word "Project" in front of Frontpage, Manager, Forums, Document, Downloads, and Members in the Project nav box. Using a word 6 times is textual overload. Even a small change like this would make it more visually attractive: Project Quicklinks: - Frontpage - Manager - Forums - Docs - Downloads - Members (Note: I can't get the above to format properly in the body of this message. Tabs don't seem to hold. So you have to imagine it as two well-spaced columns. ;) That would take up 2 less lines and not ram the term "project" down the viewer's throat. Even if you didn't put two links per line I bet it would look less... "dense"... and read better. Again, just tiny things to ever-so-slightly cut back on the visual/information-overload that's present in a fairly sophisticated environment. |
November 20, 2007 - 12:37pm | But, while you mention it... just a quick look over there and I see the redundancy of the word "Project" in front of Frontpage, Manager, Forums, Document, Downloads, and Members in the Project nav box. Using a word 6 times is textual overload. Even a small change like this would make it more visually attractive: It could work.Project Quicklinks: - Frontpage - Manager - Forums - Docs - Downloads - Members (Note: I can't get the above to format properly in the body of this message. Tabs don't seem to hold. So you have to imagine it as two well-spaced columns. ;) That would take up 2 less lines and not ram the term "project" down the viewer's throat. Even if you didn't put two links per line I bet it would look less... "dense"... and read better.
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November 20, 2007 - 1:44pm | I don't have "support" on my screen... that a manager option? |
November 20, 2007 - 1:52pm | I don't have "support" on my screen... that a manager option? No. It's available on projects with Support enabled. |
November 20, 2007 - 1:55pm | It just occurred to me that the double row format would cause problems for people who use larger fonts on their screen. |
November 20, 2007 - 2:05pm | Back to the issue of the "X New" messages links. I've found that it sends me directly to the new message when navigating from the Forum threads... but does not work on the Support Issues threads. In the Support forum, it just sends you to the beginning of the thread (as do the links to new activity from the Home page and What's New.) I actually wish the What's New links functioned like the "X New" links that are directly on threads within the forum (that is, I wish they sent me directly to the new responses.) |
 November 20, 2007 - 2:37pm | Are you sure that his is caused by where you start or the length of the thread? for me, it works if the new item is on the first page of a thread, but not if it is on the second or later pages. So, probably works best if you display 'Newest First' (which I don't use myself.) |
November 20, 2007 - 3:49pm | Are you sure that his is caused by where you start or the length of the thread? for me, it works if the new item is on the first page of a thread, but not if it is on the second or later pages. So, probably works best if you display 'Newest First' (which I don't use myself.) I am set up to have newest posts appended to the end of a message stack. Newest last, if you will. Conversations read more naturally for me that way (I don't like to read "up".) There are distinctive differences between where I am sent in a thread that has new activity based on which "New" link area I use. From "Whats New" and the "Home Page: Newest Topics" links, I am dumped onto the top of the first page of a topic. If there is one page I have to scroll down to read the new posts. If it is on a second or sucessive page, I have to page to the end of the post manually and read the new activity. Now, if I go into a forum using the Nav Tabs at the top of the screen. And then navigate into the actual forum, where I am looking at the thread titles. And if there is a link in the replies column that says "X New" (where X is the number of new posts), and I click on it, I am sent directly to the new responses in the thread, even if it is on a second or third page. This is the *only* place I've found that clicking on a link to new activity actually sends me directly to the new responses, regardless of the page. |
