What idiot put the notifications in the main menu?

[hilary]

I'm finding it a proper nuisance. To view all conversations, I have to open the menu, click the envelope, scroll the page down a bit to get to the end of the list of messages, and then I can see the link to show them all. Grmph. Why can't we have a direct link from the main menu to the 'conversations' page - and ditto for the 'alerts' page, and put the notifications somewhere I can see them directly (which is pretty much the point of notifications) instead of hiding them in the main menu?

 

[hilary]

Hm, well, I thought it was all ever so pretty like that, but if you insist...

I wonder what would be the best place to put the notifications? Add them to the little menu in the top right-hand corner? I suppose it's that or just below the photo and above all the forum-y content. Any thoughts?

(I can't do this edit myself, it's way beyond me - will have to wait for both Russ-the-designer and myself to be back from holiday.)

 

[Liselle]

I was all ready to be highly indignant with the person who posted this.

(I do realize I can be picky and so shouldn't throw stones.)

 

[Liselle]

What would it look like (so we can envision it elsewhere)? Would it be the little envelope and bell icons, with the little red boxes indicating "new"?

 

[Olga Super Star]

I suggest top right, as in facebook

 

[hilary]

What would it look like (so we can envision it elsewhere)? Would it be the little envelope and bell icons, with the little red boxes indicating "new"?

Yes, those and probably/possibly also the mini-avatar and username from just above them. In the default style (remember you can try that if you like) they appear next to one another, top right...

I suggest top right, as in facebook

...yes, exactly like that. So along with the 'your account' and 'log out' here?

 

[Liselle]

Mmmm....may I cast a contrary vote, or will that start a spat?

a) imo it'd spoil the beautiful aesthetic up there
b) all of it might not show up very well (Your account | Log out does because there's a bit of dark sky and Hilary made it peachy lettering - unless the icons and everything else could be turned peachy, and if there's enough room in the dark part?)
c) how about straight down from Your account | Log out, only right below the picture?

 

[Liselle]

d) less distance to scroll to see it no, that doesn't matter, actually. You can just whoosh the scrollbar all the way up real fast and see either spot just as easily

e) point in favor of the Logout place - everything in one spot, less confusion? (That's a big point, probably, and as Olga says, if it's what people are used to in Facebook.)

(Looked in default, apparently the icons and everything can be whatever color you want. That makes a big difference.)

 

[hilary]

You'll have to try harder than that to start a spat.

The colours of text and icons could be changed, yes, and it's not too much clutter.

Below the picture, you mean in the main body of the page, where you have the title of the forum/ thread? I'm sure that could be done, but it would have the same problem as at present: you're naturally scrolled some way down the page when you click it, and so if you have a lot of conversations/ alerts you can't see the bottom of the list. That's what really bugs me.

 

[Liselle]

You'll have to try harder than that to start a spat.

Aww, bless.

The colours of text and icons could be changed, yes, and it's not too much clutter.

Yes, I looked in default and saw that, and changed my mind. (And thus got to use strikethrough.)

Below the picture, you mean in the main body of the page, where you have the title of the forum/ thread? I'm sure that could be done, but it would have the same problem as at present: you're naturally scrolled some way down the page when you click it, and so if you have a lot of conversations/ alerts you can't see the bottom of the list. That's what really bugs me.

Agreed, changed mind.

 

[Liselle]

Oh, I just noticed the little link-copying widget to the right of post no. 1. Thread url in one click. Will wonders never cease.

 

[hilary]

Huh?

Oh, at the bottom of the 'share' list? Huh. Neat.

 

[Liselle]

On this general topic, didn't there used to be a scroll bar in the alerts box? If so did something happen to it? Or am I dreaming (quite likely).

If there did used to be, and if something happened to it, . I like using alerts from that box since it's available on every page which means less clicking back and forth from alerts page to thread page to alerts page and so on.

 

[Liselle]

Oh well hold on - seems there's a scroll bar sometimes but not other times, and I think I ran into the "not other times" a few times in a row and jumped to a conclusion. It reappeared again just now, though.

Never mind.... la la.

 

[Liselle]

Actually I wonder if what's going on is that the scroll bar only appears when there's a certain number of notifications, and doesn't if there's fewer. Never mind...