Usability and Design advice

[DanQ]

1. I'm sure others have noted this, but why do things like Polycast and PolyCon merit BOTH an "announcement" AND a stuck thread???

That was an oversight. It was not intended to be this way anymore, that is, after the launch of "Apolyton 2.0".

Changed accordingly.

[-Jrabbit]

1. I'm sure others have noted this, but why do things like Polycast and PolyCon merit BOTH an "announcement" AND a stuck thread???

Announcement: ON ONGOING DOWNTIME ISSUE (UPDATED JAN. 3)
Announcement: POLYCAST CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2008: `HAVE A MERRY LITTLE HUMBUG`
Announcement: MAKE YOUR RESERVATION FOR `CIVCON '09`

Sticky: Forums upgraded (Multi-page thread 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 )
Sticky: Maintenance and Service Interruption Log
Sticky: PolyCast Christmas Special 2008: "Have a Merry Little Humbug"
Sticky: CivCon '09: Make Your Reservation Today (Multi-page thread 1 2 )
Sticky: ModCast Episode 24: "Crickey-Off"
Sticky: Name Change Log

That's just a pure waste of space. All above the fold. So this stuff - as opposed to active threads - is all I can see when I tune into Community. All fresh content is out of sight below.

2. This problem is epidemic on the site. An "announcement" or "news" item should be timely. If it sits up there, eating space for weeks at a time, it has NO IMPACT. As a result, site regulars basically are being trained to ignore the very items you are trying to make prominent. On my screen (15.4-in), all it takes to push all new content unseen below the fold is 3 Announcements and 6 Stickies (3+6) -- less if there are sub-forums.

3. On the main forum index page, again at the TOP OF THE LISTING, the following are all somehow classified as "GENERAL" --
Community
Civilization Series General
Civilization: Revolution
Civilization: Colonization
Civilization en Español

Um, one of these things is not like the others. And perplexingly, it's the only "General" topic in the list.

IIRC this is a Civ site. The only "Miscellaneous" or "General" forums we have are Community (Site Feedback/News) and the OT. Everything else belongs in one of the game-type categories.

My main suggestion is to keep the announcements fresh, and not to repeat them with sticky threads. It's repetitively redundant.

4. The right-hand column that's got 5 recent PMs, a worthless poll and #online, I can't think of a single thing that's worth my attention. (Seem to recall seeing birthdays there -- that was OK.) This is prime real estate. I would suggest that this is the place for announcements -- maybe in a news-ticker format. It would also be a great spot for tower-style ads.

This is very basic site architecture stuff. I know people are workiing hard on the basics of the vB change. But if you don't start with smart architecture, your site is broken before it's coded.

I have deep thoughts about layout of the posts themselves, but I've got to get back to work now. Thanks for all your work on this, Gramphos. More later.

[DanQ]

I reviewed your presentation earlier this weekend, Siro, and thank you for it. It and other comments and suggestions have had and are having an impact in the tweaking of, as we have dubbed, "Apolyton 2.0".

[TCO]

Quick reply is now white. Siro had an effect.

[Asher]

I help by pointing out what needs to be done by other people.

[TCO]

If you would just get off your ass and pitch in and help some.

[Asher]

To be fair, no one ever asked me for my help or opinion. As usual.

I just like to critique.

[Sirotnikov]

To be fair, I was asked to participate and denied the request due to time constrains.

[Jeje2]

In all seriousness, that Siro presnetation shows me someone with an understanding of design and a feel for user ergonomics. I would in all seriousness, like Siro to join the tech team and to create the Poly look.

Hear, hear - I second this nomination!

[TCO]

I see sort of a Cartman poop swatch green, not lime, myself.

[Wiglaf]

DanQ, lime green is not ugly enough, please change the site color to yellow if you want to silence these whiners. A man who buys a yellow car or paints his house yellow or listens to Daft Punk on his yellow iPod is one pinata I'd hit, no questions asked. Lime green is just too indecisive, the ugly color that you pick if you are making a nondescript 7Up knockoff soda or lost your dark green crayons. Yellow is whole hog butt ugly, and it'd send a message that frankly you don't give a **** what people think of the design or their criticism. Make the change.

[TCO]

I'm cereal.

[TCO]

One positive thing that I am starting to like is having recent threads be subscribed and viewable in control panel. allows quickly checking on replies for active discussions across multiple fora.

[TCO]

In all seriousness, that Siro presnetation shows me someone with an understanding of design and a feel for user ergonomics. I would in all seriousness, like Siro to join the tech team and to create the Poly look.

[TCO]

Siro, it was obvious that work went into it. I also feel that it was very well done. Very Tufte like. Don't take Asher too seriously.