Dragongirl
First Post
Since it does not load on the browers you have listed. What do they see instead? Will there have to be a normal menu for those people?
[Meta, Poll] Adding a pop-up menu system to the top of the screen.
- Thread starter Michael Morris
- Start date
JoeBlank
Explorer
Dragongirl, I think the plan is to take away nothing, just add the menu bar. So for people who don't like the bar, or whose browsers do not load it, they will still have the option to navigate in the same way they have always done so.
I agree with the test run idea. Throw it up there and see what happens. Just be sure that Michael is relatively free and available during the test run.
I agree with the test run idea. Throw it up there and see what happens. Just be sure that Michael is relatively free and available during the test run.
Hello,
I have found that most people seem to prefer drop down menus once they are implemented. If I was intending to maintain the existing navigation of a site as well, I wouldn’t even ask users if they minded drop downs being added; I think it is really nice that ENWorld is showing so much concern for user preferences.
One thing I would say about having two types of navigation on one site, though: maintaining optimum functionality of both may become a problem. Eventually, the navigation system will have an impact on how and where materials are added to the site. If it is true that the ENWorld is increasing in size and, more importantly, depth, quickly enough that drop downs seem required as a solution, there is some chance that maintaining a non-drop down system once the site starts taking advantage of the flexibility provided by the drop down navigation may prove difficult.
To maintain both, I suspect you might end up with a lot of corridor pages linked off the non-drop down navigation, pages that would be redundant if included in the drop downs, for example. So, possibly a fair amount of extra fussing with navigation, basically.
Maybe not, though. I don’t know that much about the site. Just a thought.
Depending on the audience of the site, I would be concerned about the browser compatibility if I thought that the two types of navigation might not coexist forever. It does not seem like that would be a huge issue for ENWorld, however.
The nav. itself is nice. Legible and functional. It is unfortunate when people lose sight of those criteria in efforts to make something flashy.
Cheers!
I have found that most people seem to prefer drop down menus once they are implemented. If I was intending to maintain the existing navigation of a site as well, I wouldn’t even ask users if they minded drop downs being added; I think it is really nice that ENWorld is showing so much concern for user preferences.
One thing I would say about having two types of navigation on one site, though: maintaining optimum functionality of both may become a problem. Eventually, the navigation system will have an impact on how and where materials are added to the site. If it is true that the ENWorld is increasing in size and, more importantly, depth, quickly enough that drop downs seem required as a solution, there is some chance that maintaining a non-drop down system once the site starts taking advantage of the flexibility provided by the drop down navigation may prove difficult.
To maintain both, I suspect you might end up with a lot of corridor pages linked off the non-drop down navigation, pages that would be redundant if included in the drop downs, for example. So, possibly a fair amount of extra fussing with navigation, basically.
Maybe not, though. I don’t know that much about the site. Just a thought.
Depending on the audience of the site, I would be concerned about the browser compatibility if I thought that the two types of navigation might not coexist forever. It does not seem like that would be a huge issue for ENWorld, however.
The nav. itself is nice. Legible and functional. It is unfortunate when people lose sight of those criteria in efforts to make something flashy.
Cheers!
The Sigil
Mr. 3000 (Words per post)
If people want them, great... but leave them off by default.
I'm a grognard, but I like sites with less graphics, less javascript, less flash animations, less "cutesy, eyeball-grabbing stuff" and more <i>written content.</i> Pop-down menus annoy the heck out of me.
Secondly, I am rather opposed to javascript in general. I just ask myself, "why on earth does this guy want to run code on MY computer?" I frequently surf with javascript turned off - because I don't know what some code monkey might want to run on MY computer. If you're going to do dynamic content, do it at the server with php or asp or jsp or cfm or any number of other SERVERSIDE methods rather than client-side methods - IOW, don't do stuff on my machine with javascript. Yes, this means you can't have cute little drop-down menus. I don't like them, I don't want them, and I don't need them.
Maybe it's just me. But I'm REAL touchy about who gets to do what on my machine. I don't need any self-installing hotbars or worms or other such niceties, thank you very much. Not that I am suggesting that you are trying to do that on ENWorld - but because I don't know about other sites, I try to keep Javascript off unless my "surfing" for the day is just hitting a few trusted sites.
If others want that, fine. But don't put it on for me by default. Make them exercise a positive choice to do it rather than ramming it down other peoples' throats. Come to think of it, I guess it's kind of like smoking to me - I respect your right to smoke, but please respect my right to clean air by not smoking around me. I respect your right to javascript, but please respect my right to surf without it by not putting it in as the default.
Come to think of it, I'm REALLY a grognard - I almost never touch the mouse, preferring to do my surfing by keyboard as much as possible. Perhaps that's why all of today's fancy-shmancy pages annoy me - with the pages and pages of code, I can't easily "tab" right through the links to hit the one I want - I never know where the next "tab" will take me. Heck, I even still play Quake III with no mouse. :b
--The Sigil
I'm a grognard, but I like sites with less graphics, less javascript, less flash animations, less "cutesy, eyeball-grabbing stuff" and more <i>written content.</i> Pop-down menus annoy the heck out of me.
Secondly, I am rather opposed to javascript in general. I just ask myself, "why on earth does this guy want to run code on MY computer?" I frequently surf with javascript turned off - because I don't know what some code monkey might want to run on MY computer. If you're going to do dynamic content, do it at the server with php or asp or jsp or cfm or any number of other SERVERSIDE methods rather than client-side methods - IOW, don't do stuff on my machine with javascript. Yes, this means you can't have cute little drop-down menus. I don't like them, I don't want them, and I don't need them.
Maybe it's just me. But I'm REAL touchy about who gets to do what on my machine. I don't need any self-installing hotbars or worms or other such niceties, thank you very much. Not that I am suggesting that you are trying to do that on ENWorld - but because I don't know about other sites, I try to keep Javascript off unless my "surfing" for the day is just hitting a few trusted sites.
If others want that, fine. But don't put it on for me by default. Make them exercise a positive choice to do it rather than ramming it down other peoples' throats. Come to think of it, I guess it's kind of like smoking to me - I respect your right to smoke, but please respect my right to clean air by not smoking around me. I respect your right to javascript, but please respect my right to surf without it by not putting it in as the default.
Come to think of it, I'm REALLY a grognard - I almost never touch the mouse, preferring to do my surfing by keyboard as much as possible. Perhaps that's why all of today's fancy-shmancy pages annoy me - with the pages and pages of code, I can't easily "tab" right through the links to hit the one I want - I never know where the next "tab" will take me. Heck, I even still play Quake III with no mouse. :b
--The Sigil
Last edited:
Holy Bovine
First Post
I like it as well. Makes jumping from one forum to the other even easier (no more scrolling!). As long as it doesn't even load for those browsers that can't support it I say put in into action.
Mercule
Adventurer
Personally, I'm all for it. Pop-up menus are so much easier to use than just a list at the left (YMMV). I'd be more likely to see more of the site if they were implemented. The only reason I get my news from MSNBC rather than CNN or FoxNews is the menu is better (I kid you not).
Still, I know a _lot_ of people (most everyone I talk to IRL) who feel like Sigil does. There needs to be an option for all the Luddites out there
.
Speaking of options, whatever happened to the "styles" that were available when the site first migrated to its current engine (PostNuke?)? I really liked those. Was there some technical issue?
Still, I know a _lot_ of people (most everyone I talk to IRL) who feel like Sigil does. There needs to be an option for all the Luddites out there
.Speaking of options, whatever happened to the "styles" that were available when the site first migrated to its current engine (PostNuke?)? I really liked those. Was there some technical issue?
I do want to make one thing clear.
Despite the options in the poll above, I have absolutely no intention of messing around with making in optional. It'll either be there or it won't.
Given the difficulty of actually editing the menu, it's looking extremely unlikely that I'll use it anyway (cool though it is). Its not something I'm personally capable of maintaining, which it needs to be.
Despite the options in the poll above, I have absolutely no intention of messing around with making in optional. It'll either be there or it won't.
Given the difficulty of actually editing the menu, it's looking extremely unlikely that I'll use it anyway (cool though it is). Its not something I'm personally capable of maintaining, which it needs to be.
Michael Morris
First Post
Dragongirl said:
Yes, the normal menu will be there even if the topbar is present. The browsers I have listed will see the pages as they are now - no apparent change.
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