Two-Week Make-Over - Category Packages or Forums Displayed?

I re-assembled the forums a bit, re-named and re-defined some categories, added one new forum, and tightened-up the Admin Msg. You can see the category packaging that pops open to the forums but also lists the forums in the category descriptions with a link so you can open it straight to the topics. Just trying out this packaging.

It's this Category packaging that is in question. I believe the other changes I made were good. No??

Let me know what you think about it. I'll probably be out most of the morning so give it a whirl and see how you like it. -Peter

My first impression is that it looks neater and better organized. Visually, it lessens confusion.

My second, probably unfounded thought is that it will take more clicks to "drill down" to a topic. But as you said, there are direct links to each category.

My third thought is that it might be more mysterious and possibly intimidating to some folks who might migrate here from a Y-Group. (However, the likelihood of that migration was not great, after I read the majority of responses on Michoacán_Net yesterday. The general attitude is, "Well, it may be broke, but its ours and we love it.)

A day or a week with this new layout will show its usefulness.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

A drawback I see is that you can't tell which forum a new topic or post is in. If you go to Portal, which gives you the scrolling preview and other info, you see new posts but don't know where to look for them. I'll look at this layout later on, maybe have some more input about it then.

I believe all the other changes were good. The Category packaging is the question.

The program defines its hierarchy as (big to small) Category, Forum, Topic, Post.

Part of the changes I made were to put the short and repititous topics in the Public area, question about their visas, and other things. Perhaps I should separate hotels from comida for a similar reason and put hotel question in the public. The Public can jump-in with the PITA subjects that way while the discussion forums are Member-only input but the public can still view them. Then I redefined the Members' Lounge.

Also, tell me what you think of the Word from Admin statement.

It would probably good to make Hotels a separate category, titled Donde Dormir, or "Hotels, Motels, Hostels and B&Bs".

That may be one of the most active categories. It deserves its own space.

Checking in now on the latest version, I see that the categories have once again expanded. A hotel category has been added. I'm content with this view. Let's keep it for a while. Gracias.

Peter seems to be trying to test these old and tired brains to see if we can remember what the last view was! As I have stated before, it is his toy and he gets to define the sandbox.

cheenagringo wrote:

Peter seems to be trying to test these old and tired brains to see if we can remember what the last view was! As I have stated before, it is his toy and he gets to define the sandbox.

There is a lot of experimenting to do with this. Sometimes I'm too involved with setting-up a design or idea and need another opinion or two. Sometimes I just have to try something for awhile and poke around at it a bit. Seemed to work better opening it up again. I'm fairly content with the categories and descriptions as they are now arranged. Makes more sense than "Members Light" this way - General Discussion Forums. Now I can tell what goes on in there.