[RFC] Combine Related functionality (UI Cleanup)

[keith10456]

... In my opinion, we could have killed the "View your posts" link. If we want to view our posts (why???) we can find them through our profile or the UCP. After all, now that we have notifications we'll be notified of replies to our posts. Viewing our topics is far more useful, in my opinion, but for some reason we never had that link available...

I agree with most of what you wrote but I disagree with you here. Members shouldn't have to dig through the UCP just to find the posts that they created. The link should be easy to find.

[keith10456]

At first I was really surprised by borders, but then I saw navbar which I dont like so much. It is good to group all related stuff to one right corner, but there is a room for improvement.

1. Quick links in left corner - why are most used links hidden under another click? Most of the users click on View your posts or New posts when they come to forum (I have proved this to myself by tool which tracks clicks on website). Now, they have to make one additional click. So most used links are grouped so that header is cleaner, but there is still Current time and Last visited time, which are used by only small % of users. That does not make sense.

I think it makes a lot of sense to group all of the similar icons instead of keeping the Nav bar crowded. If anything though, FAQ doesn't need to remain because it's hardly used.

2. If you really want to hide and group these links, at least the order should be changed. Most used link is New posts so ti should be first link in dropdown.

Agreed... The order should be changed. If not alphabetically, my recommendation would be: Your Posts, New Posts, Active Topics, Unanswered Posts, Unread Posts

3. Why Your posts and Unanswered posts have different icons?

Having different icons make it easier to differentiate the different links.

5. I believe, FAQ link should be moved down to Contact us, The team, Members and other not important links. If Members link was moved down then FAQ should be too.

I agree...

6. If FAQ link is moved down, then we dont need Quick links dropdown box but these links can be displayed all in top left corner of navbar.

I disagree... See #1.

[Louis7777]

Members shouldn't have to dig through the UCP just to find the posts that they created. The link should be easy to find.

Killing the "View your posts" would be a small sacrifice for a cleaner UI. And you wouldn't have to dig deep in the UCP since it is on the front page. See where Facebook (which is the platform with the most posts going on daily) has it. Burried in the user activity log.

There are tons of other useful links that we could have just one click away. And what about viewing our topics? Like I said, we don't even have a link for that.

But anyway, it's a personal preference. I always hide it in my forums.

[MattF]

I repeat:

FAQ should remain in the header. Not because of whether one person thinks it is important enough or not. But:
1. Newbies may look for a FAQ and they will usually look "above the fold" for such items, so it's placement is right.
2. The FAQ, which is a "page" is just the starting point for additional extensions to add their own nav-links to their "pages". IE: Board Rules, the logical place for that is not only in the header, above the fold, but adjacent to or as close as possible to the FAQ.

[keith10456]

... But anyway, it's a personal preference. I always hide it in my forums.

And I make it front and center in mine

[Kamahl19]

Take a look on FB, Gmail, Github or other apps with great UI/UX. Where do they have Help / FAQ links? In top menu or in footer? phpBB is used for 14 years and it is not so difficult to use even for new users. If somebody needs Help / FAQ page I am sure they would look for it in the footer as they are used to from other websites.

[Louis7777]

Take a look on FB, Gmail, Github or other apps with great UI/UX. Where do they have Help / FAQ links? In top menu or in footer? phpBB is used for 14 years and it is not so difficult to use even for new users. If somebody needs Help / FAQ page I am sure they would look for it in the footer as they are used to from other websites.

100% agree.

[MattF]

Take a look on FB, Gmail, Github or other apps with great UI/UX. Where do they have Help / FAQ links? In top menu or in footer? phpBB is used for 14 years and it is not so difficult to use even for new users. If somebody needs Help / FAQ page I am sure they would look for it in the footer as they are used to from other websites.

Facebook, Gmail and Github ALL have their Help / FAQ links in the HEADER.

Facebook's footer - nothing
Github's footer - non essential links and repeats of header links
Gmail footer - nothing except terms of service

We've moved too many useful links "below the fold", a big no-no in design circles. If you gotta scroll to get to something of any importance, it's been designed wrong.

With the exception of the delete board cookies, our footer should not contain anything that isn't also accessible from the header too.
There's no reason "The Team", "Members" and "Contact Us" can't also be in the "Quick lInks" menu, separated by a separator from the current links in that menu.

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[Louis7777]

Actually, Facebook has the help at the footer too... if we can say it has a footer at all (it's at the sidebar)

[bonelifer]

Move "New posts" to the top of quick link and move "Your Posts" above Logout in the other menu.