Topic: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

If you look at any 'heat map' for a website (e.g. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html), the eyes follow an 'F' pattern - scanning starts at top left and moves right.

Given that 'Post new topic' and 'Post reply' are going to be the most commonly clicked (?) links, would it not make sense to have these positioned in the 'hot' area - left of screen?  I find the current position at far right a little difficult to pick out quickly - especially on wide-screen monitors - and it takes my eyes away from the content that I'm reading.

Similarly, 'Quote' is going to be frequently clicked and it should be located closer to 'Post' because they share functionality.

For topics, I'd advocate that 'Post' + 'Quote' are located in the dark blue bar, directly above / below post body.  For forums, I'd recommend 'Post new topic' is located in dark blue bar, to right of 'Topics [ n ]'.

Also, while I appreciate the understated design of PunBB and don't want to see it become strewn with icons (a la every other forum in the universe), I wonder if 'Post' is important enough to get its own eye-catching icon?

2 (edited by Taimar 2008-02-11 07:52)

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

DavidONE wrote:

If you look at any 'heat map' for a website (e.g. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html), the eyes follow an 'F' pattern - scanning starts at top left and moves right.

Given that 'Post new topic' and 'Post reply' are going to be the most commonly clicked (?) links, would it not make sense to have these positioned in the 'hot' area - left of screen?  I find the current position at far right a little difficult to pick out quickly - especially on wide-screen monitors - and it takes my eyes away from the content that I'm reading.

Heat maps are just heat maps.

Most forum softwares have action-buttons on the right side. This is sort of convention: they are clear, users are used to it, and they work. PunBB dev-team takes advantage of conventions.

DavidONE wrote:

Similarly, 'Quote' is going to be frequently clicked and it should be located closer to 'Post' because they share functionality.

For topics, I'd advocate that 'Post' + 'Quote' are located in the dark blue bar, directly above / below post body.  For forums, I'd recommend 'Post new topic' is located in dark blue bar, to right of 'Topics [ n ]'.

You must be forgetting that quote links are attached to every single posting. They all just can't be closer to "Post". Quoting makes sense after reading a posting, they should be located below each posting.

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Taimar wrote:

Heat maps are just heat maps.

What does that mean?  What's your point?  If you've got a coherent, evidence-based argument, put it forward.

Taimar wrote:

Most forum softwares have action-buttons on the right side. This is sort of convention ...

Rubbish.  phpBB = left, Phorum = left, Quicksilver = left, vBulletin = left.

Taimar wrote:

You must be forgetting that quote links are attached to every single posting.

No, I didn't forget anything.  You evidently didn't understand my post.  Read again.  Slowly.

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

DavidONE: Your post actually isn't clear in regards to the quote links. As Taimar said, they exist for every post. Thus, you can't simply move them to the blue bar, as you advocate.
And the blue bar isn't meant to be used for that stuff, it's why we have a bar above/below it.

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

D'oh!  Humble pie - on *that* issue. wink

6

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Plus, one would assume, seeing as only a proportion of the people on the globe actually write/read in a left to right, top to bottom fashion, that the heat map data is skewed and biased towards English and other languages which use that layout.

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

MattF wrote:

... the heat map data is skewed and biased towards English

That's just one heat map.  It's just an example that measures eye movement on *that* website.  However, given the layout of PunBB, you can expect the heat map will be very similar (except that at the moment we need to scan far right to find the 'post' link).  A heat map for a right to left site would obviously be different - but that's not the issue.  PunBB usage is itself skewed towards the vast majority (?) of users that employ left to right language, and the overall design should reflect that.  Just because a small minority uses right to left language isn't reason to stick a couple of key functions on the right hand side in the 'English' template!

If there's a reason the most-used links on the page are 'away from the action', fair enough - but I don't see it and no one is pointing it out.  If it's because "that's where they've always been", now would be the time to consider if moving them improves usability.  I think it would, for the reasons given.

8

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

I don't understand the reference to PunBB's layout. Unless you are going to be viewing the forum in a text browser it doesn't really have any particular layout. If you are referring to the way things are presented in the beta release, thats just one possible layout suggested by one stylesheet. If you want the post links postitioned to the left then just float them left and the pagingation links right to swap them over. Its just a change to one or maybe two lines of css thats required. If you turn off the stylesheet you will see where things really are, apart from the main data tables everything else is just stacked vertically and can be positioned and styled however you like.

In fact most of the comments I've seen so far which are markup and layout related are actaully nothing to do with either the markup or the layout, they are just comments on the Oxygen stylesheet.

9

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

DavidONE wrote:

Just because a small minority uses right to left language isn't reason to stick a couple of key functions on the right hand side in the 'English' template!

As Paul mentioned, if it bothers you, alter your CSS. What about bottom to top languages, btw? I suppose they are a minority too? What I would personally class as a minority issue is the fact that this subject has only been brought up by one person so far, so everyone else obviously appears quite content with the defaults. big_smile

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Of course PunBB has a layout - we're all viewing the layout now.  Most of us as a result of the CSS, but even screen readers 'see' a layout based on the markup.

And of course we could all change it however we want - I was simply suggesting what I saw as an improvement to the default presentation / layout / visual / design / treatment / whatever you prefer to describe the combination of HTML + CSS used.  I never imagined it would be such hard work! wink

11 (edited by MattF 2008-02-12 03:31)

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

big_smile

The problem with things like that though is that yes, they take a percentage of people and monitor how they behave. However, it doesn't always mean it'll have relevance in general use. For example, I always place my cursor at the right hand side of the screen after any mouse selection. Placing things on the left would actually be worse for me personally. smile

12 (edited by DavidONE 2008-02-12 03:33)

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

MattF wrote:

As Paul mentioned, if it bothers you, alter your CSS. What about bottom to top languages, btw? I suppose they are a minority too? What I would personally class as a minority issue is the fact that this subject has only been brought up by one person so far, so everyone else obviously appears quite content with the defaults.

FFS.  What a dim argument - "if you don't like it, change it yourself".  Is that how applications are improved?  Is this forum not for discussing how PunBB *might* be improved?

Yes, bottom to top languages are also a minority AFA PunBB usage is concerned.  Unless you're going to astound with evidence to the contrary?  Either way, it's irrelevant to what's been suggested - as already explained.

So, because I'm the first to make this suggestion, it's automatically invalid?  You're satisfied with the strength of your argument, are you?  Fair enough.  big_smile

13

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

DavidONE wrote:

FFS.  What a dim argument - "if you don't like it, change it yourself".  Is that how applications are improved?  Is this forum not for discussing how PunBB *might* be improved?

Actually, yes, that is how applications are improved if it's not general consensus. And it obviously would appear that the only opinion you are in fact interested in is your own, so have fun. I sure as hell won't be responding to any more of your posts after this. smile

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Settle down, folks. No need to argue over the placement of a link smile

Personally, I try to go on feeling as opposed to what other developers do or what the results of a heatmap test predict to be true. I prefer the post links on the right, at least with the current theme. The reason I prefer them on the right is because this is where all "action" links are positioned. Post reply/Post new topic, report, delete, edit, quote, the moderation controls, subscribe etc. Everything is on the right.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

15

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

DavidONE wrote:

FFS.  What a dim argument - "if you don't like it, change it yourself".  Is that how applications are improved?  Is this forum not for discussing how PunBB *might* be improved?

You missed the point. The markup was written with flexibility in mind. The idea is that there is no default which is one of the main reasons for using css for positioning as well as for cosmetics. That way you end up with the forum you want rather than the forum somebody else thought you should have. This forum is indeed for discussing how PunBB could be improved but anything that is controlled solely by the stylesheet is not PunBB, its just that particular style. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with your suggestions and that is the whole point, there is nothing to disagree about because both are possible.

To illustrate the point. I could create a style based on the heatmap results and call it heatmap.css. That style could be bundled with the download package and be officially supported just like Oxygen.css. Which would you then regard as the PunBB default layout?

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Rickard wrote:

... I prefer them on the right is because this is where all "action" links are positioned.

Good point, although I'd counter with "not all action links are of equal importance", which was part of my thinking behind the suggestion.  Anyway, we can step down from DEFCON 1 now that we have a definitive answer wink.

Paul wrote:

You missed the point. The markup was written with flexibility in mind. The idea is that there is no default ...

... I could create a style based on the heatmap results and call it heatmap.css.

I think we're talking past each other, and also maybe struggling with semantics smile.  There is a *default* style - it's the one we all see immediately after install.  The few PunBB installs I've done required nothing more than changing some colours and maybe adding a logo to the default design ... because the default design is 'just right' IMO.  I'll bet that applies to most installs.

I know what's possible with CSS (I've been building with it for >8 years), but I thought my suggestion would benefit most users, particularly new ones, for the reasons I've already (badly??? wink) explained.

Cheers.

17

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

Actually DEFCON 1 still persists. I'm the markup/css designer and I'm contemplating shoving the moderator controls to the left. So much for definitive answers smile

Re: 'Post new topic' + 'Post reply' + 'Quote' location - heat maps

lol.  I'll put my helmet back on.

P.S. Did you see my ramblings about URL underlines?  http://punbb.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=18366