new message?
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The old "New Thread" was actually plain OK. And consistent with the "View Thread" link below. Just to tell.
Except maybe for the fact not everyone knows what a thread is... IMO the shortest text seldom is the best. :)
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
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Except maybe for the fact not everyone knows what a thread is... IMO the shortest text seldom is the best. :)
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
I agree.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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In all the forums, the "New Message" button has been bugging me for a while, as it really creates a "First message in a new thread" and is not the only way, and often not even the right way, to create a new message. A change of the button's text (maybe "Start a new discussion") might reduce the number of broken threads, where new members sometimes put a reply or a follow-up question in a new thread above the one holding the original question in the discussion forums. :)
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
Those looking to post a question may be confused by "Start a new discussion" (or better: "New Discussion". "Post a Question" would be more accurate for those, but this then precludes those looking to start a discussion, or merely post a message without any thought to having an actual discussion (eg admin message, rant etc). "New Message" is actually the most accurate since this is truly what's happening. Maybe the solution is to make "Reply" larger.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Those looking to post a question may be confused by "Start a new discussion" (or better: "New Discussion". "Post a Question" would be more accurate for those, but this then precludes those looking to start a discussion, or merely post a message without any thought to having an actual discussion (eg admin message, rant etc). "New Message" is actually the most accurate since this is truly what's happening. Maybe the solution is to make "Reply" larger.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
Maybe the solution is to make "Reply" larger.
No it isn't. Under default conditions, "Reply" isn't even visible until a message gets opened.
Chris Maunder wrote:
"New Message" is actually the most accurate
and the most misleading, the majority of forum messages are replies inside an existing thread. You seem to have missed the whole point and/or to apply "Lounge logic" to all the forums, we don't want rants in programming forums, do we? :doh:
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
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Chris Maunder wrote:
Maybe the solution is to make "Reply" larger.
No it isn't. Under default conditions, "Reply" isn't even visible until a message gets opened.
Chris Maunder wrote:
"New Message" is actually the most accurate
and the most misleading, the majority of forum messages are replies inside an existing thread. You seem to have missed the whole point and/or to apply "Lounge logic" to all the forums, we don't want rants in programming forums, do we? :doh:
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
Luc Pattyn wrote:
"Reply" isn't even visible until a message gets opened.
Neither is the message, so if someone is posting a reply or a follow-up question (as you indicated in your initial message) then they have to have opened the message to read it. Regardless, I understand what you're saying. We have the logic to set the default message type when posting a message, so how about I change the "New X" message to reflect what the default message type would be.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Luc Pattyn wrote:
"Reply" isn't even visible until a message gets opened.
Neither is the message, so if someone is posting a reply or a follow-up question (as you indicated in your initial message) then they have to have opened the message to read it. Regardless, I understand what you're saying. We have the logic to set the default message type when posting a message, so how about I change the "New X" message to reflect what the default message type would be.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
If the button specifies the default type (say "New question message"), it will be confusing for those looking for a way to add something that isn't going to be a question. They can't know beforehand there will be a way to change the message type after they clicked the button that didn't match their intent. I know you don't like it much, however it would be better to have the default message type widget highlighted or blinking on the edit page until the user confirms or changes it. :)
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
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If the button specifies the default type (say "New question message"), it will be confusing for those looking for a way to add something that isn't going to be a question. They can't know beforehand there will be a way to change the message type after they clicked the button that didn't match their intent. I know you don't like it much, however it would be better to have the default message type widget highlighted or blinking on the edit page until the user confirms or changes it. :)
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
How's this?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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How's this?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
ugly and irrelevant. When the message one wants to reply to is open, people are likely to do things correctly. It is when they leave the message or the page, maybe experiment a bit, look up something, who knows, and then finally return to the forum that some seem inclined to just hit "New Message" and post a reply to the last thing they can remember from the forum. That is what you should try and improve on, hence the suggestion to make the button's text less confusing: not every new message should go where the "New Message" button leads. X|
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
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ugly and irrelevant. When the message one wants to reply to is open, people are likely to do things correctly. It is when they leave the message or the page, maybe experiment a bit, look up something, who knows, and then finally return to the forum that some seem inclined to just hit "New Message" and post a reply to the last thing they can remember from the forum. That is what you should try and improve on, hence the suggestion to make the button's text less confusing: not every new message should go where the "New Message" button leads. X|
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum
Your suggestion was to change the text to "New Discussion". I pointed out that that isn't accurate all of the time, and offered to change it to New [insert default message type] for the forum. You then countered with "highlight the message type". I was assuming you had dropped the idea of changing the New button text. If, however, the problem is actually the one you mentioned here:
Quote:
leave the message or the page, maybe experiment a bit, look up something, who knows, and then finally return to the forum that some seem inclined to just hit "New Message" and post a reply to the last thing they can remember from the forum.
then I don't see how changing the wording of anything will help. What you actually want is for the relevant message they were viewing when they left the forum to be open, and for the most prominent button to be "Reply to this message" button. I'm open to suggestions on how to do this. Auto-save their last opened message when they leave?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Your suggestion was to change the text to "New Discussion". I pointed out that that isn't accurate all of the time, and offered to change it to New [insert default message type] for the forum. You then countered with "highlight the message type". I was assuming you had dropped the idea of changing the New button text. If, however, the problem is actually the one you mentioned here:
Quote:
leave the message or the page, maybe experiment a bit, look up something, who knows, and then finally return to the forum that some seem inclined to just hit "New Message" and post a reply to the last thing they can remember from the forum.
then I don't see how changing the wording of anything will help. What you actually want is for the relevant message they were viewing when they left the forum to be open, and for the most prominent button to be "Reply to this message" button. I'm open to suggestions on how to do this. Auto-save their last opened message when they leave?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
fact: not every new message should go where the "New Message" button leads conclusion: the wording is bad. suggestions: change the text, use other words, use more words, add an explanation, add a flow chart, do whatever it takes to no longer misguide innocent new users. that is what I said here[^], before you started maundering. :doh:
Luc Pattyn [My Articles] Nil Volentibus Arduum