Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

[One Vorlon]

Could we get a simplified access to the forums? Like a nice big "Enter the Forums" button on the "Front Page" summary of the blogs? I can't speak for everyone, but it took me a (frustratingly long) while to notice that the "Forums" button in the top bar had switched to just "Forum" - and its not a very intuitive method (the assumption being that it'd just take you back to the Front Page section). If it hadn't been for the "recent posts" sidebar, I'd have assumed there weren't any traditional forums, just blogs.

And on a side note, did anyone else have to sign up twice (once for Wordpress, once for FP), before being able to log into FP?

[WTK]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

I will be honest, I never really noticed this. I just bookmarked the forum URL and went from there.

[EyeOfPain]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

I will be honest, I never really noticed this. I just bookmarked the forum URL and went from there.

Same here. Though I do find it odd that the "Forums" link takes you to "The Front Page" and not straight to the forums. Perhaps "Community" would be a better term?

[christianlf]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

I have to agree with the assessment. It's a clumsy UI. Forums should be one click from the front page.

As far as the Wordpress thing goes, I did not have to register.

[Noodle]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Yes, I really dislike that the "forums" button on the main site brings one to the blog front page. I don't think that should be introduction to the forums, regardless, but it was definitely confusing at first when looking to sign in to the forum. I quickly bookmarked the forums separately and have logged in that way ever since - much like I often did on the old AoD and then always did on Mania. (This ends up making me bypass the front page though, which may not be what Chris wants to hear, but I'm used to it from Mania days, and actually, I find it too cluttered anyway. The sections are just way too disproportionally sized for my webviewing.) Still, I'd like to see the blogs come up when one hits "Blogs" or "Community" and not "Forums."

I did not have to register at Wordpress to do anything on the forum, but I did just for the sake of it since I'm staff ...or something? I've yet to figure out why I did, though.

[Hayate Kurogane]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

I agree about the access issue... after having taken a look at it from the point of view of getting to the forums from the main page. Which I had to do because, like others, I've bookmarked the forums and go directly. The blogs are meaningless to me, and I access relevant front page articles through the links in their forum posts, so it would never occur to me to do anything but think of the forums as the primary page and arrange my bookmarks and viewing habits accordingly.

I do find it strange and completely counterintuitive that clicking on a button that says "forums" on the main page of a site does not actually take you to forums, but instead to a page filled with blog material. Hell, when I did my check just now, I was all ready to respond that maybe there was some broken link code or something that was bugging up the forums button, until I realized it was intentional.

And no, I did not have to sign up for Wordpress to log into FP.

[Chris Beveridge]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

[WTK]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

I don't see any direct link to the forum from the main page. If I missed it, it's not very visible.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

The forum link at the very top Fandompost.com page seems to have dropped off the top menu bar. It took me a while to find the "Get social" box... for a moment I thought you'd accidentally tweaked all forum access away.

On the other hand, once you find it the forum link takes you directly to the forums nicely. But I still want it back on the top menu bar.

[Hitsugi Amachi]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

The forum link at the very top Fandompost.com page seems to have dropped off the top menu bar. It took me a while to find the "Get social" box... for a moment I thought you'd accidentally tweaked all forum access away.

On the other hand, once you find it the forum link takes you directly to the forums nicely. But I still want it back on the top menu bar.

Same reaction. A quick look, couldn't find the Forums link, then looked down the page and saw it on the right now.

It might be fine for brand-new visitors, but for those expecting it on the top menu bar, they'll be confused for a moment.

[Sabure]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

I don't see any direct link to the forum from the main page. If I missed it, it's not very visible.

It's located on the upper right corner of the main page. Not a very conspicuous location I would say.

[Chris Beveridge]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Unfortunately, there's no way I can figure out how to put in a direct link at the top. Those all go to "pages" and redirects do not work within them.

[WTK]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Tweaked. Feedback?

I don't see any direct link to the forum from the main page. If I missed it, it's not very visible.

It's located on the upper right corner of the main page. Not a very conspicuous location I would say.

Okay, I see them now along with the blog link.

[EyeOfPain]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

I couldn't even find the box until scrolling through the whole front page, but maybe that was Chris's intent. Though I don't use the home page much, I don't think the previous link taking users to The Front Page was a problem, just oddly wording, as it didn't take users straight to the "forum."

[Jun Kuga]

Re: Awkward Access to the Forum - Discouraging Users?

Is it possible to put an image in the sidebar where the forums link is Chris? The positioning is right but it's not very... visible... since it blends in with the latest news feed. I know image links are oldschool these days, but there's something to be said for a big bold button pointing people where to go (obviously stylised to not look cheap and tacky - maybe design it to match the Fandom Post logo?).