topic Re: Forum page change request in Community Site Feedback

Forum page change request

MauriceC — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:17:02 GMT

On the main Forum page there is the very useful feature allowing you to 'fold' the various lists of available boards. I tend to keep a number of lists defaulted to folded to give me better focus on the boards I have an active interest in following. This way of working does however have a downside in that there is no visible indication that one or more of the 'folded' boards has a new post.

To illustrate the point I'll use the 'News & Announcements' section. This section has very little traffic so I default to 'folded', but when something is posted it usually needs to be read with some priority.

The simple change would be to change the colour of the arrow on the RHS from 'blue' to 'red' or alternatively add the 'red dot' used as an unread topic marker.

A more complicated change would add a count of unread items in the 'folded' boards, but that may be OTT?

Maurice

Re: Forum page change request

Oldjim — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:20:50 GMT

Already requested in the beta forums and apparently it isn't possible

Re: Forum page change request

jaread83 — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:23:06 GMT

We discussed this in the beta stage with the test users. They asked for a 'X new posts' on the top level category which is a great idea but this is not something I am able to implement as it would require writing an entirely custom component for the forum boards as I can't update this standard component.

Alternatively, when you visit a board you can click the options menu and 'float this board to the top' and it will place that board above everything else independent of the structure.

Re: Forum page change request

MauriceC — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:30:50 GMT

Thanks, but I already use the 'float a board' option to migrate a number of boards to the top! But they still also appear in their natural place in the page hierarchy making an already crowded page more cumbersome to navigate? It also doesn't address the issue I identified for sections that have low traffic but high priority when there is a new post.

A change suggestion to Lithium.

Re: Forum page change request

rongtw — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 11:09:31 GMT

For fear of sounding obstructive , i must say that all these settings folding and floating whilst are great for the experienced users here .

For a new poster its too much messing about ! i am all for a forum that is SIMPLE for anyone to use not just experienced people , i believe this forum is getting over complicated for a basic user to be able to comprehend !!!!

Re: Forum page change request

jaread83 — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 11:27:11 GMT

The collapsed board stuff is my own enhancement (javascript seperate from the structure) as all the boards were displayed in full before. The testers requested a way to collapse each board individually and that it would remember what was collapsed and open when returning. New users will see all boards as open and have the option to collapse any if they want.

I don't think its too much messing about really, you don't have to collapse boards but when you do it will remember the state for when you come back.

Re: Forum page change request

Townman — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 11:33:50 GMT

Surely you are not implying that the forum functionality should be dumbed down here?

Just because some users would not know how to or care to use some functionality is no reason for not making it available. By the logic you reason, none of use should have computers at all!

Implementing this request would only 'appear' to those who choose to use the rather obscure (not very visible) collapse sub-area button. I do not think its quite the problem you understandably fear.

What is a real concern is that the clunkyness of what is here will (indeed has) put off a number of the experienced users spending as much time here as they did previously helping out - I suggest that is far more detrimental to the community.

Re: Forum page change request

rongtw — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:58:13 GMT

Townman yes your explanation was better than mine