Design for 4WebHelp.net

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Thanks Dave for your interesting comments. It's nice to have some fresh opinions in here once in a while (I get bored otherwise Very Happy

). I quite like your idea about the logo, but it's going to be difficult. I actually don't have the original graphics file for our logo (and I think Peter lost it in a hard drive crash or something). But we could just keep the existing size and move it down into that box as you're showing.

About the extra menu links, that is a good idea. Register shouldn't be on there, but it's left over from an RC version of phpBB when it was visible whether you're logged in or not. I also like the idea of seperating the profile stuff from the rest of the forum navigation, as seen on InvisionBoard (http://www.freedom2support.net/index.php?a=forums -> underneath logo) or at Darren's site (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/friends/messageboard/).

BTW, I always run my browser maximised Razz

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 9:49 am (21 years, 1 month ago)

I think its a good idea, I never noticed how much space was wasted up there...

daniel wrote:

BTW, I always run my browser maximised

I think he was talking about full screen mode (press F11)...

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

Actually, I was talking about maximized. Smile

For example, I run 1280 x 1024 resolution. But I never run my browser full screen (maximized) since I also have a telnet session open to my server, an editor, possibly a reference file or two... there are more windows open at once, and I don't want to obscure them with a full screen browser session.

So my browser window is, at the moment, 857 x 724. Very Happy

As far as the original graphic, I took the one from the site and simply reduced it. It's generally a problem to enlarge a graphic, but reducing it is not a problem. It just depends on whether you wanted to stick with the same graphic or come up with something a bit different once you put it into the "menu header". I didn't think it looked too bad in the mockup that I created, actually. You might want to take the edges and fade it a bit, so it blends more into the white.

The two forum samples you provided are excellent examples of what I was talking about. Smile

They both have useful but minimal information at the top of the screen, allowing the content to float up. I tried to do the same thing on my forum. Here are links to a series of screen shots of the way the menu changes as you log in under different profiles:

Logged out: http://www.forumtopics.com/bobbeta/temp/bob_out.jpg
Logged in as a User: http://www.forumtopics.com/bobbeta/temp/bob_user.jpg
Logged in as a Moderator: http://www.forumtopics.com/bobbeta/temp/bob_mod.jpg
Logged in as the Admin: http://www.forumtopics.com/bobbeta/temp/bob_admin.jpg

"Bob" is short for BusinessObjects Board, and is the nickname that my forum folks have given our forum. Wink

There are a number of links that point to custom features that I have added (or am adding; these shots are all from the Beta board). For example, My Bob allows users to specifically select which forums they want to see, and which forums they want to search. The production "Bob" board has a large number of forums, some of which are regional. So being in Texas, I don't much care about what happens in the local user group meetings around the rest of the country (or world). Wink

So I turn those forums off.

So instead of seeing the same "forum" that everyone else sees, I see only the categories (and topics) that I have requested. But if I opt to do so, I can still search the "invisible" forums. That way I might find the answer to a question that I am searching for, even though the forum is normally not visible.

This feature is still in beta testing, but it appears to be working great. I think my users will really appreciate it.

For example, to use your forum as an example, I might opt to view the PHP and the Perl forums, and mark the others as invisible. When I visit, it looks to me like those are the only forums that have been set up. But it's based on preferences, rather than permissions. I have "permission" to view the forum, I just elect not to. Yet if I find in searching that a large number of answers are coming out of the HTML or Database forum, I can simply go back in and mark those as visible again.

If you want to register on the beta board and play around with the feature, feel free to do so. (This isn't a request for members; I have plenty. Smile

It's just that seeing it in action makes more sense than trying to explain it.)

Daniel: What screen resolution do use use? I'm curious, since you said your run your browser maximized...

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

I'm not sure if we want to get into the personalised forums game. With the number of forums we have right now, I'm not sure it's worth it. I do like your personalised menu idea though.

I'm running 1152x864. If I want to see the contents of another window, I switch to it Razz

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 4:38 pm (21 years, 1 month ago)

whats with the huge screen res daniel?

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

Daniel wrote:

I'm not sure if we want to get into the personalised forums game. With the number of forums we have right now, I'm not sure it's worth it.

Yes, I realize it's fairly specific. I'm just proud of the code. Smile

Quote:

I'm running 1152x864. If I want to see the contents of another window, I switch to it Razz

Fair enough! Laughing

Dave

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

I'm guessing your playing with the menu now... I was just about to post a question about where the logout option went... Laughing

I see it's back now.

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Yes, I was playing with the menu. The register button should only appear now if you're not logged in.

Here is what I've been working on:
[Link removed]

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 6:27 pm (21 years, 1 month ago)

nice

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

Looks good so far!

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

Hey, while you're at it, can I make another request? Very Happy

A lot of web sites put nav links on the bottom of the page as well as the top. That way if you're at the bottom of a page (like you just finished a post) and you want to log out, you can, without having to scroll all the way back to the top.

Am I being a pain in the *** yes? Twisted Evil

My users asked me the same thing, and it sure makes things nice.

I know, I know... just don't log out. Rolling Eyes

That's an option too.

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Well there is a "Back to top" link on every post... Wink

Unless enough people request it, I don't see it as being useful right now. Confused

WebHelper Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Texas

... but there's no "Logon" option in the top menu items. Once you have logged in, there is a nice set of links for Profile, Personal Messages, and Logout. But there's no log on option at the top of the screen.

I like the new condensed look, though, good job.

Dave

Team Member Joined: 06 Jan 2002 Posts: 2564

Just a temporary glitch; now fixed. Thanks for pointing it out Smile

I have now changed the layout to give it a more condensed look as Dave suggested, and have also cleaned up the ads at the bottom a little.

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:44 pm (21 years, 1 month ago)

I like it