I've redesigned the Authors/Editors base page for clarity and ease of use. It should have all the features as before, just moved around a bit.
Check it out and let me know if something is missing.
I've redesigned the Authors/Editors base page for clarity and ease of use. It should have all the features as before, just moved around a bit.
Check it out and let me know if something is missing.
It all seems to be there. It also looks like it's been optimized for use on a mobile device.
It also looks like it's been optimized for use on a mobile device.
That page was optimized for mobile a long time ago, since 2010 or so. The mobile design is still the same although I moved some links around.
The new design might look like it's for mobile, but it isn't. The older way used a very efficient layout for big screens, but was confusing to new comers, the new design is more streamlined, and yes, it's less screen efficient, but it's more usable.
The new design might look like it's for mobile, but it isn't. The older way used a very efficient layout for big screens
The issue is less raw screen size and more aspect ratio. These days, most desktop and even laptop monitors are wide screen, 16x10 or 16 X 9, the old almost square 4x3 format is actually getting hard to find.
The new layout is going to be harder to use on small 16X9 laptop monitors. It is only going to be easier for people who are using smart phones or tablets that they can use in a portrait (vertical) rather than landscape (horizontal) orientation.
ETA:
The layout also seems to me to be very touch screen centric.
The new layout is going to be harder to use on small 16X9 laptop monitors.
That's true, but most of what's on the bottom of the screen won't be used that often, and can be scrolled to if wanted. All the important stuff and the day to day use stuff are right at the top.
That's true, but most of what's on the bottom of the screen won't be used that often, and can be scrolled to if wanted. All the important stuff and the day to day use stuff are right at the top.
Perhaps, but especially at the top level, individual elements are taking up more vertical spacing than necessary for anything other than a touch screen.
individual elements are taking up more vertical spacing than necessary for anything other than a touch screen.
True, never said otherwise. However, some time back Lazeez did post some stats showing how most of the site users (readers and authors) are now using mobile devices, most of which are touch screen devices, so he's been actively making the site more user friendly for the bulk of his users - only natural he does. But I hope he also allows for ti to be used by us older dinosaurs.
The new layouts has lost the couple of lines of generic menu items at the top, thus saving some space. I also notice there's been a small change to reduce the items in the top box by one line since this thread started.
Check it out and let me know if something is missing.
The section with 'Show Story Stats' does not look right to me since the 'Post & Repost' and 'Post/Delete Editing Help Request' lines are centered while that one section is left-justified. Also, the items in the 'Show Stories Stats' section do not show as clickable (cursor does not change from arrow to finger) like all the other links.
If you're looking for a balanced look, I'd suggest change the layout to read as:
Show Story Stats - Manage/Modify Stories - Blog
Edit Prefs/Profile - Edit Favorite Stories List
Go to Home[age - Customize Homepage
Post/Delete Editing Help Request
Lazeez, it seems to me you're starting to establish a new basic page format. The New Authors/Editors page now looks the same layout as the Forum page.
However, there is one thing I noticed. On the Home page the top line has seven hot links, two links on the left (Home - Authors/Editors) and five on the right (the icon for mobile view - My Account - Sign Out - Webmaster - Help). These right hand links do not appear on the forum pages or the new Author/Editor page.
I wonder if this is a change to force everyone back to the Home Page to use those functions, or just a change not yet done.
edit to add: I see it's already migrated to the other sites.
Lazeez, it seems to me you're starting to establish a new basic page format. The New Authors/Editors page now looks the same layout as the Forum page.
I'm simplifying things wherever I can. The old style universal navigation bar is useful but overly crowding. So I'm doing my best to make each section self contained with the home page holding the key.
However, there is one thing I noticed. On the Home page the top line has seven hot links, two links on the left (Home - Authors/Editors) and five on the right (the icon for mobile view - My Account - Sign Out - Webmaster - Help). These right hand links do not appear on the forum pages or the new Author/Editor page.
I wonder if this is a change to force everyone back to the Home Page to use those functions, or just a change not yet done.
It's not to force anybody to do anything. It's just simpler without those links that are rarely used. How many times a month you click one of them? Anything that isn't used daily by most people shouldn't be ubiquitous on the site. The webmaster link is used on average about three times per day by over 50,000 that log in daily. The my account link is clicked about 10 to 20 times per day. With that level of activity (compare to nearly 300,000 clicks on the updates page each day), it's hardly a hardship to anybody to click back to home in order to contact me.
edit to add: I see it's already migrated to the other sites.
All three sites use the exact same files to operate. When SOL gets a change it means that the other two sites are getting the change at the exact same moment in time. It took three years of work to modify the engine enough to run multiple sites from the same files transparently.