Posts header bar - 'Join Date'

[Mario Caves]

A little sugguestion that might make topics easier to scan...

At the top right corner of each post in a topic is a date, when skim-reading posts to find the one you last read, the eye tends to catch that date and think 'the date of that post was Jan 2010', whereas it's actually the member's joining date.

It's not even the date that the member joined 4x4 Response, but the date they first registered for the forum which could be years either side and so can be misleading as that's not explicit. It's hardly significant information and could just be left buried in the User's CP if anyone is really intetrested.

Would it be possible to remove that date from the post header bar ?


While we're playing with the post header bar, the left hand side would benefit from having the 'Forum_Handle' removed, as in the huge majority of cases it's the same as the member's name. Again, it's just technical forum information rather than a useful contribution to a topic or post and can easily be discovered if needed by clicking on the member's name in the larger font just above it,
The apparent "duplication" makes it look like it hasn't been set up properly ( I do understand it's a different data item and it's significance ), however I'm talking from an 'non-technical end-user' perspective here.

[Simon Bentley]

Personally I think forum handle should stay, if you want to PM a number of people that's the "data" you need for each member you need to "address" it to them.

Its a shame we had to go down the real names route at all but so many people seemed unable to understand the concept that they should use there real name or part name, part group name as their login so that we appeared a bit more professional on here and not not just a whole load of anonimous aliases.

The join date perhaps wants moving down the list rather than removing altogether so it is not the first thing you see.

[Mario Caves]

OK,
if 'Join Date' is moved to just above 'Posts', that will not only stop it 'catching your eye', but will also group the 'personal data' at the top, and the 'forum data' at the bottom. (maybe change the label to 'Joined Forum')

I raised it because I continualy get mislead (confused? is it my age? ) by that date being at the corner.

[David Sparkes]

I'll support Mario's points. The black on pale orange of the Joined date is more assertive that the black on dark orange of the Post date, so suppressing that advantage, or reversing it in some way, would be an advantage.

As to the real names, forum names, area names issue, it would have been better if there was stronger guidance on the Forum Register page. When I completed it, fairly recently, I didn't feel pushed to include the group name Peak as part of my Forum name.

Perhaps the fact that I find this sentence difficult to follow is part of my 'non-comprehension problem'. "so many people seemed unable to understand the concept that they should use there real name or part name, part group name as their login so that we appeared a bit more professional on here and not not just a whole load of anonimous aliases.".

I do agree with the desire to avoid anonymous aliases, as too often these become a means of 'excluding' readers not in the personal clique of the writer.

I just defaulted to the personally safe option, and used the name I was given at birth.
I'll live here with the consequences, as I do in the important areas of my life.

If the Trustees want people to incorporate the Group name as part of their Forum identity then I suggest the appropriate group name should be automatically inserted into the forum identity as Registration is being completed.

Regards,

[Patrick Holmes]

Morning,

'Join Date' can be changed/removed if wanted, bearing in mind it would be best to keep it roughly the same length or shorter would it be better. Would 'Registration Date' be better? Or 'Forum Member Since' ? Can move it down the template as well?

Cheers
Patrick

[John Potts]

Is there a need to incorporate the group name into the Forum name? It's on the left hand side of your posts anyway.

[Simon Bentley]

No that was the old forum and the idea was you either use your real name or some comglomerate of your real name and your groups name ie for me

Simon Bentley
Simon-YL
Yorks-Lincs Simon

etc


But the inclusion f the real name field as the main display name has removed the need for this. The guidance used to be in the "Please read this before registering" part of the forum but I think it has now been removed