Navigation box arrangement and items
206
vote
Problem:
There are no links for quick access to my blog or photos. And the "main page" link in the "Wikitravel" nav box really confuses me -- I keep hitting it and expecting to get to the Extra main page, but no, it goes to Wikitravel's main page instead.
Suggested solution:
- Change top navbar to "my profile - my blog - my photos".
- Create "Extra" navbox, on top, which has "main - changes - blogs - photos - forums".
- Move "Wikitravel" navbox below it.
These groups would, IMHO, be quite logical and should also be fairly easily implemented: the navboxes are static and the same for everybody, only the navbar is user-specific. This also parallels Wikitravel/Wikipedia very nicely.
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By jani on 2007-06-11 08:06
admin
Consistancy
I agree about the my blog/photo stuff for logged-in users... we actually had a Extra navbox but people didn't like it! And the problem with moving the Wikitravel nav down is that it will move around if you're going back & forth between Wikitravel & Extra.
One idea I had was to throw another non-Wikitravel color into the Extra design, to give an easy visual clue as to what's what...
I have on my todo this week to look at a nav overhaul (since I need to add the web link directory too). Maybe I'll try a couple of different options and get some feedback.
admin
New menu
So I did some mock-ups today on the dev site and what I came up with was swapping out the Wikitravel nav block for * home
* destinations A-Z
* recent posts
* your blog
oo post
oo see all
* your photos
oo upload
oo see all
* forums
oo post
* bookmarks
oo new
* Wikitravel Main Page
The top right nav would have * for logged in users; messages, profile, my posts, logout * for anonymous users: login form, register link
Better? Or worse? If it sounds like a good start I can roll it out to the live site and we can refine from there.
jani
Come again?
I'm afraid the structure you evidently had in that was eaten by Drupal -- can you reformat your post?
admin
dang
OK, lemme try that again... maybe I should turn on WYSIWYG for comments? It always seemed more trouble than it was worth, but I guess it's useful sometimes.
jani
Better
...but what's the difference between clicking on "your photos/blog" and the "see all" options below them?
admin
all vs yous
Uh, "all" goes to /blogs (ie all the blogs); "yours" goes to /blogs/jani (ie your blog). Not sure how to make that clearer-- suggestions? "everyone's" is kinda a long string.
jani
Well...
...I'll stand by my original suggestion: put my everything on the top navbar, and the plain old blogs/forums/photos on the left side.
admin
OK...
I'm going to rollout a new left nav block with
* main
* destinations A-Z
* blogs
* discussions
* photos
* bookmarks
* recent changes
* Wikitravel Main Page
On the top right will be, for logged in users
your blog | your photos | your posts | your messages(0) | your profile
If you're not logged in you'll get a login | register form...
How's this sound?
Admin maj
Tatata
Link to Wikitravel Main Page
I like http://wikitravel.org/ better than http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page as a URI in the left nav block.
-- Tatata
admin
good point...
I'll update that in the new nav.
jani
Sounds good to me!
Sounds good to me!
admin
New menus now live...
Give yourself a little while to get used to using the left nav box for global stuff-- my mouse keeps wanting to go to the upper right for the discussion forums.
This grouping of personal / global links really makes more sense-- hope it works for folks.
The only downside at the moment is the lack of quick-login for openid. I'll work on it, but for now you can still get to the old login form via the welcome box in the right column or going directly to /user.
Thanks Admin Maj
jani
I like it
but I'll whine anyway: shouldn't it be "my blog/profile/...", as on Wikitravel? Also, saying blog*s* in plural sounds kinda weird, it should be just "my blog" as only one of 'em is mine.
And from my wishlist for Christmas, it'd be nice if there was a fast way to find "my" discussions (threads I've started/replied to).
admin
How's 2 out of 3?
*Blogs -> Blog: done;
*Your comments -> working on it (check back in n days, not weeks or anything, shouldn't be too hard)
*You vs My -> get with the times!
jani
Old fuddy-duddy opinion
*My* Wikitravel toolbar says "My talk messages, My watchlist, My contributions", so it's not very consistent for them to suddenly become "your - your - your" over here.
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