New Site Menu Implemented - Test Run

[Admin]

As you no doubt would have seen by now I have implemented the new site menu. This has been tested the best I can however I need to know if you:

 

1. Find any bugs with it

 

2. Have any comments about it

 

Hope it is all ok and you like the fact that you now have line of site to all the different features the site provides.

 

The mobile menu is basically the same but enhanced with the search being accessible from the top bar instead of the flyout menu.

 

 

[IBob]

Ive got a little red box with 35 in it over the end of 'Media' at the left there. What's that about???

 

 

[Admin]

That tells you that there are 35 new photos or videos in the Media section that you have not seen yet

 

 

[IBob]

That tells you that there are 35 new photos or videos in the Media section that you have not seen yet

Okay. Hm. Many parts of this site are great, and even more so as I'm mid-build.

I can't see visiting that media, though: there are a lot of pics there I don't want to look at, but the only way to get that number down so it is usable is for me to bring them up...is that correct? Or am I missing something (else)...

 

Oops, okay....I found Mark as Viewed....I take it all back!!!

 

 

[Peter008]

Ian - I read this forum on iPad and find the spacings a little too close together when selecting the title, due to big fingers I s'pose. I also need an extra step to read each topic now.

 

E.g. I select NEW to get new posts to the forums, get the NEW menu, then select the top line to show all unread. I'm not sure how others read this forum but I do that after each topic is read so that only the unread ones show. Is it possible to have an UNREAD button so it can be selected after each topic is read?

 

Otherwise, it appears to be a well thought out change.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Admin]

Oops, forgot one menu item...Tutorials. There are so many versions, code changes, testing environments, backups etc on my PC it is hard to keep track of which is the final version...Tutorials is now added. Real estate is at a premium in the menu column and must suit as a minimum 1024x768 display on PCs...The shop isn't in the menu as yet either which will fill it up considering that the Expo when done will need to be added as well. One version has the "Groups" feature removed from the site but I am 50/50 on that...did users even know the site had private groups whilst hidden in the slide out menu?

 

Peter, I understand about big fingers and as the menu system is designed for Mobile, Tablet and PC, and gioven the above paragraph, I am unsure what I can do.

 

One version that I scrapped simply due to real estate but was my preferred option, was to have the section titles as direct links to the section and beside each menu link a little drop down arrow that pops the sub menu items out as they do now. BUT, that means the menu column would have to be wider to allow for the extra arrow. When you see the link "Classifieds" or "Resources" having an arrow next to it a - makes it even harder for a user with big fingers if they just wanted to go to a sub menu item like "New" or "New (14 days)" plus b - adding an arrow next to those section labels requiring a wider menu column just takes that little bit more away from the width of the page content.

 

One thing though that you don't see but myself and Moderators see is an extra icon under the "Up" arrow at the bottom of the column to alert us to any post reports and other admin or Moderator functions. This takes just a little more of the vertical real estate away but necessary even though you can't see it.

 

 

To put it bluntly, I am still not 100% sure on it which is why I always like feedback which I then consider in terms of the majority or it opens up different thought processes for me to help you. So keep the comments coming

 

 

[turboplanner]

In a current discussion there are often lapses of a couple of weeks or more, then the discussion re-ignites.

 

I understand if there's a technical reason for cutting back from 21 days to 14 days on new posts, but a lot of threads would die and become effectively lost unless the user can remember key words to search for.

 

 

[Admin]

In a current discussion there are often lapses of a couple of weeks or more, then the discussion re-ignites.I understand if there's a technical reason for cutting back from 21 days to 14 days on new posts, but a lot of threads would die and become effectively lost unless the user can remember key words to search for.

A couple of things you can do...

1. If there is a thread that you are interested in, click "Watch Thread" and in that way you are alerted to any new posts as and when they are made i.e. when the discussion re-ignites

 

2. Post in the thread and you are automatically notified when a new post is added (caveat: if you haven't changed your notification settings)

 

3. When a new post is added to a thread that you haven't read it will always show up in the standard "What's New" anyway

 

Does that help to solve your issue

 

 

[fly_tornado]

It's a bit busy on the mobile works ok on the desktop

 

 

[Admin]

There is one extra icon on the mobile i.e. the Search function however the user always saw a gap where the Admin Icon was displayed to Admin/Moderators. The Admin Icon has been removed and the Search added to that gap. So in reality the spacing between the icons has not changed at all.

 

320 x 480 - Small mobiles

 

 

360 x 640 - Large mobiles

 

 

 

[IanR]

I have always just used the New button when in the forums - and it went straight to things that had new items. Now you have to press New and then select Forums - is there any way to make this a one selection thing again ? If you are viewing forums I think it should assume that when you press new that you just want to see new forum posts ?

 

 

[Admin]

I have always just used the New button when in the forums - and it went straight to things that had new items. Now you have to press New and then select Forums - is there any way to make this a one selection thing again ? If you are viewing forums I think it should assume that when you press new that you just want to see new forum posts ?

Yes, but then there are many users that prefer to use the "New (14 days)" instead of the "New" so I am between a rock and a hard post. I must say though, getting comments is helping me to consider everything as much as possible...thanks

 

 

[pmccarthy]

New at the top heading seems the same as the old new, it does what I want. But it took me a hike to realise that it was a link and not just a column heading as the font is different.

 

 

[Admin]

I really really really liked the previous menu with the slide out menu system BUT...

 

Forum sites are dying every day being killed off by Social Media. Recreational Flying has stood the test of time because I believe forum sites now need to be overall resources and not just forums. This is one thing that Social Media can't compete with and thus a very important part of ensuring this site remains and keeps growing...it MUST be an overall resource, and NOT just forums, or it will die.

 

The problem with the previous menu is that it kept everything else in the site hidden and with everyone just creating a Favorite or Bookmark to what they use, they are not reminded of the full potential of the site and what is available to them.

 

I am at a conceptual block at the moment and can't dream up any alternatives. The previous menu was incredible, it was modern, fast, efficient, easy to use...minimal coding and easy to maintain, not to mention being praised by many in the forum owner community...I just wish there is a way to keep all the different resources that are available here at the forefront of user's minds...can any of you come up with any alternatives?

 

 

[frank marriott]

I have always just used the New button when in the forums - and it went straight to things that had new items. Now you have to press New and then select Forums - is there any way to make this a one selection thing again ? If you are viewing forums I think it should assume that when you press new that you just want to see new forum posts ?

Ditto Ian. I check for anything new/interesting regularly but wading through everything for the last 14days each time - only when killing time with this set up.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

You really need to have the subject and an abstract of the thread with every thread, facebook timeline works because it has that.

 

 

[Admin]

You really need to have the subject and an abstract of the thread with every thread, facebook timeline works because it has that.

The site already has that...a snippet view of the opening post of a thread

 

 

[Robbo]

Must say, i dont like the new menu as it clogs the left sidebar on the ipad. Prefer the old one.

 

 

[Cal Air 63]

Hi Ian,

 

Am trying out the new look on my iPad Mini, one question please, now when click on New, the little menu box opens, all your options of where you want to go are there, one little quirk, as it captures all new posts in the last 14 days, is there a way for the Page Numbers Boxes above the posts to be highlighted to show how many pages have unread posts?

 

Cheers, Brent

 

 

[Admin]

Hi Ian,Am trying out the new look on my iPad Mini, one question please, now when click on New, the little menu box opens, all your options of where you want to go are there, one little quirk, as it captures all new posts in the last 14 days, is there a way for the Page Numbers Boxes above the posts to be highlighted to show how many pages have unread posts?

 

Cheers, Brent

I am not sure what you are asking. There is a little confusion, which I am working on to overcome, but the Title in the popout box is the link to the main area, the smaller text in the popout box is the sub menu of the area.

In other words, if you click the "New" in the menu column, then click the "New Posts" title of the popout box you go to the old "New" section containing only unread posts. However if you want to see all new posts and already read posts over the last 14 days, you would click the "New (14 days)" link in the sub menu of the box.

 

 

[frank marriott]

Ah! Now I see, what pmc was referring to, I also took the heading to be only a heading too

 

 

[Admin]

Please remember this is only a test run to expose all the issues with the new menu system. I can say that I am not happy with it but it was the only concept I could come up with to get the exposure on all the other sections of the site.

 

However I went and had a lay down to think it all through and have come up with a different concept which I am madly working on now. It is the main menu items in the side column that are just links to the various sections. The sub menu components for the specific section you are on will be displayed in a horizontal menu under the site header.

 

Here is a screen shot mockup on what I mean...it will take the popout boxes away, make the main menu more user friendly being just links and good on tablets, possibly move the Settings, PMs and Alerts icons to the left of the sub menu freeing up vertical real estate in the main menu. The cons are you will need to be in a specific section to access the sub menu...thoughts on this?

 

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Ian it needs a different font or the same blue colour or something.

 

 

[Admin]

Ian it needs a different font or the same blue colour or something.

If you are talking about the screen mockup, then yes it is only a mockup and was copied and pasted from elsewhere so it needs to be done in our site colour scheme

 

 

[pmccarthy]

No I mean the current New Posts heading as it is operating at present.

 

By the way, the Recent Off Topic (14 days) button seems to give only unviewed Off Topic results, not the 14 day list.