Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
Subforums layout
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours

Goto page 1, 2  Next  
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo Forums Feedback
View previous topic :: View next topic  

Which layout should we use for subforums?
It's fine as it is
17%
 17%  [ 32 ]
Adding an option in the profile to show/hide the subforums
3%
 3%  [ 7 ]
Having javascript collapsable subforums
7%
 7%  [ 14 ]
Add a server-side option to hide the subforums
1%
 1%  [ 3 ]
Only showing links to the subforums
5%
 5%  [ 10 ]
Indenting the subforums
20%
 20%  [ 38 ]
Profile + javascript
26%
 26%  [ 48 ]
Profile + server-side
7%
 7%  [ 13 ]
Profile + links
7%
 7%  [ 14 ]
Some other combination/option (please explain)
2%
 2%  [ 5 ]
Total Votes : 184

Author Message
tomk
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 7221
Location: Sat in front of my computer

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:39 pm    Post subject: Subforums layout Reply with quote

We've successfully tested the funtionality of the subforums, but before we add any support subforums we want to find out which layout would suit people best.

It's fine as it is:
http://dev.gentoo.org/~tomk/forums/screenshots/subforums_as_is.png

Adding an option in the profile to show/hide the subforums:
If set to show subforums then it would appear as it does now, otherwise it would hide all subfoums.

Having javascript collapsable subforums:
There would be a button which would show/hide each set of subforums, similar to http://gathering.tweakers.net/.

Add a server-side option to hide the subforums:
Same as the javascript option but with the code being run server-side, similar to only showing a certain category.

Only showing links to the subforums:
http://dev.gentoo.org/~tomk/forums/screenshots/subforums_links.png

Indenting the subforums:
http://dev.gentoo.org/~tomk/forums/screenshots/subforums_indented.png

Profile + javascript:
Having a profile option but with javascript collapsable layout, so if you set it to show subforums they will all be expanded otherwise they would all be collapsed.

Profile + server-side:
Same as Profile + javascript, but using server-side code.

Profile + links:
Setting the profile to show subforums would show them expanded, otherwise it should only show links to the subforums.

Some other combination/option (please explain):
If you've got a better solution please explain it, preferably with links to either a site that uses that layout or a screenshot.
_________________
Search | Read | Answer | Report | Strip
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Aries-Belgium
l33t
l33t


Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 730
Location: Willebroek, Belgium

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The option with "Javascript and a Profile option" has my vote.
The layout now is also okay, but it would be cool if this would be collapsable.
_________________
Ep2.nl | Developers Community
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kallamej
Administrator
Administrator


Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Posts: 4975
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I prefer the Profile + links alternative.
_________________
Please read our FAQ Forum, it answers many of your questions.
irc: #gentoo-forums on irc.libera.chat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jmbsvicetto
Moderator
Moderator


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 4734
Location: Angra do Heroísmo (PT)

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I prefer the profile + javascript option.
_________________
Jorge.

Your twisted, but hopefully friendly daemon.
AMD64 / x86 / Sparc Gentoo
Help answer || emwrap.sh
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Coffee_drinker
n00b
n00b


Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 24
Location: Delft, The Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the way it works with gathering.tweakers.net. I'm using it for a long time and i'm quite happy with it.
It could be an improvement for f.g.o. IMO.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SirYes
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 282
Location: Lodz, Poland

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Javascript is cool UNLESS the forums are browsed in lynx/links - when doing manual installation using console. By default such browsers have no Javascript support compiled in (!). This is especially unfair for all arches except x86, when their respective LiveCD doesn't boot into a GNOME session (yet)...

So, profile + links could be an option, or profile + server-side (the least common denominator). Maybe the last one could be some kind of a fallback if the server detects that the browser in questions doesn't support Javascript? ASP.NET does this for a long time (and I know that this particular example is not "kosher" enough... ;)).

But there's one issue - visibility. Compare the current view:
Quote:
Polish
Witajcie na polskim forum uzytkowników Gentoo! Polski portal: www.gentoo.pl
Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators
|| Instalacja i sprzet
|| Pytania i problemy zwiazane z instalacja Gentoo oraz sprzetem
|| Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators

with the one proposed in http://dev.gentoo.org/~tomk/forums/screenshots/subforums_links.png :
Quote:
Polish
Witajcie na polskim forum uzytkowników Gentoo! Polski portal: www.gentoo.pl
Subforums: Instalacja i sprzet
Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators

The subforums are almost invisible!

I'd suggest to at least mark the "Subforums:" text bold:
Quote:
Polish
Witajcie na polskim forum uzytkowników Gentoo! Polski portal: www.gentoo.pl
Subforums: Instalacja i sprzet
Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators

or better yet, all subforums:
Quote:
Polish
Witajcie na polskim forum uzytkowników Gentoo! Polski portal: www.gentoo.pl
Subforums: Instalacja i sprzet
Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators

And maybe some smaller graphic of the folder image could be added as well? (here I used the @ sign as a marker)
Quote:
Polish
Witajcie na polskim forum uzytkowników Gentoo! Polski portal: www.gentoo.pl
@ Subforums: Instalacja i sprzet
Moderators muchar, Raku, Poe, arsen, milu, Global Moderators


Anyway, I voted finally profile + javascript, because for my everyday use it would be great!

Just my POV
_________________
My blog: In search for ultimate programming language
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Deathwing00
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 4087
Location: Dresden, Germany

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kallamej wrote:
I prefer the Profile + links alternative.


Ditto... why did you add the "Profile + javascript"? I thought we decided that we would not implement that one for sure :/

Javascript = sucks :evil:
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RiverRat
n00b
n00b


Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 65
Location: Colorado

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:58 am    Post subject: Another Option Reply with quote

How about a profile switch that is expanded/collapsed and then use the java to expanad/collapse the subforms? Basically, just select the original setting in the profile. Or for that matter make it all selectable, expand/collapse, links, indented, etc. within the profile. Just a thought. And I'm a n00b again, I resigned my Arch Tester status. :(
_________________
RiverRat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mark_alec
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 6066
Location: Melbourne, Australia

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An option in the profile to view the subforums as either indented or linked in the parent forum is what I would find most usable.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
LinuxBlues
l33t
l33t


Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 892

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Profile+server side
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
castor_fou
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 23 May 2002
Posts: 249
Location: Clermont-Ferrand, France

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

we have a very active community around Gentoo and the forums are the cornerstone of this success.
However how does it work in other popular linux distribution ? Maybe we should look around at other linux forums (ubuntu of course, fedora, etc) to see if we can inspire to get more efficient forum.

I think that profile + server-side would be great (but I am pretty happy with the current layout, I would prefer seeing an improvement on the search engine)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Venceremos
n00b
n00b


Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 45
Location: Gdansk, Poland

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

profile + javascript would be nice. I second the idea of improving the search engine. It could be much more usefull.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Maedhros
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 5511
Location: Durham, UK

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Venceremos wrote:
I second the idea of improving the search engine. It could be much more usefull.

Well, that's an ongoing project. This is something we can do now. :)
_________________
No-one's more important than the earthworm.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
eddymulyono
n00b
n00b


Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 45
Location: Hayward, CA

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I voted for profile + JS.

I am aiming to reduce our top-ten-busiest phpBB server's work. Using JS, hopefully the (phpBB) server only need to generate 1 version of the document, and don't do too much processing until the next posting.

I have another agenda voting for this option.

Let's think about how subforums are being used today.

It appears that people (forum admins?) use subforums mainly to contain translations/adaptations of English content to another language. We can safely assume that the ordinary Polish forum user Sergey doesn't visit the Italian forum very often. Then Sergey's profile should probably let him define "extra _language=PL". That way, when Sergey user logs in, he sees both the English content, and the Polish subforums expanded by JS, while other languages will be collapsed.

Implementing this "extra_language" should be feasible after we got the original "profile + JS" in place.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jmbsvicetto
Moderator
Moderator


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 4734
Location: Angra do Heroísmo (PT)

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eddymulyono,

I think there might be two problems with your suggestion:
1. Some users partiicipate in more than one national forum. They might prefer that extra_language be defined as a list, instead of a string. That way, all the forums present in that list would be expanded by default and the others collapsed.
2. This poll has been started with tomk stating that
tomk wrote:
We've successfully tested the funtionality of the subforums, but before we add any support subforums we want to find out which layout would suit people best.

So we hope to have some sub-forums within support forums such as Installing Gentoo soon.
However, your idea for having national forums expanded or collapsed according to a user variable is interesting. Let's see if the admins think it's feasible.
_________________
Jorge.

Your twisted, but hopefully friendly daemon.
AMD64 / x86 / Sparc Gentoo
Help answer || emwrap.sh
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
codergeek42
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 5142
Location: Anaheim, CA (USA)

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think indentiing the subforums is the most viable option. as it's a great visual cue and - if implemented properly - works both in graphical browsers like Firefox as well as text-based browsers like Lynx.

Edit: Grammar fixups.
_________________
~~ Peter: Programmer, Mathematician, STEM & Free Software Advocate, Enlightened Agent, Transhumanist, Fedora contributor
Who am I? :: EFF & FSF
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RlC
Guru
Guru


Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 358
Location: austria

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indenting the subforums has my vote. please... no js
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
at240
l33t
l33t


Joined: 12 Aug 2005
Posts: 603
Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Profile + links seems sensible to me.

Would it be possible to set this up so that if the subforums are chosen to be expanded, they will be indented too? That would kill two birds with one stone.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Penguin of Wonder
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 280
Location: West Virginia

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indenting is very easy on the eyes, but also keeps the sub-forums within easy distance of the mainpage without reloading. If you must get rid of them though the profile option and perhaps the javascripts button option seem to be the two best ways.
_________________
My Linux Blog

AMD64 3700+
2G DDR 3200 Ram
320G HDD
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
pjp
Administrator
Administrator


Joined: 16 Apr 2002
Posts: 20048

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Subforums layout Reply with quote

tomk wrote:
Profile + server-side:
Same as Profile + javascript, but using server-side code.
JavaScript just seems like a bad idea for a key element of navigation.
_________________
Quis separabit? Quo animo?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MmmmJoel
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Posts: 82

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Subforums layout Reply with quote

I think we should simply have different forums for each language:

forums.gentoo.de
forums.gentoo.be

etc....

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Deathwing00
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva


Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 4087
Location: Dresden, Germany

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Subforums layout Reply with quote

MmmmJoel wrote:
I think we should simply have different forums for each language:

forums.gentoo.de
forums.gentoo.be

etc....

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.


For minoritary languages like Finnish or Greek, that is not viable.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
pjp
Administrator
Administrator


Joined: 16 Apr 2002
Posts: 20048

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

de-forums.gentoo.org could work.
_________________
Quis separabit? Quo animo?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MmmmJoel
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Posts: 82

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Subforums layout Reply with quote

Deathwing00 wrote:
MmmmJoel wrote:
I think we should simply have different forums for each language:

forums.gentoo.de
forums.gentoo.be

etc....

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.


For minoritary languages like Finnish or Greek, that is not viable.


Why?

They wouldn't have 100 different forums like English does, but they could have one and scale as need be.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kallamej
Administrator
Administrator


Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Posts: 4975
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Subforums layout Reply with quote

MmmmJoel wrote:
... stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.

The international forums are not included in a standard "All available" search. You have to select them explicitly.
_________________
Please read our FAQ Forum, it answers many of your questions.
irc: #gentoo-forums on irc.libera.chat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo Forums Feedback All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum