# Making the boards friendlier for new users?



## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

I'm trying to think of ways to make the boards friendlier for new users. For example, I changed "Register" to "Join EN World" because I felt that was more inviting, and its meaning was clearer to those who are not used to messageboards.

Are there any other changes you can think of?  I don't feel that "User CP" is a particularly clear label, although I can't think of a better phrase offhand.

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome - my suggestion is that you try logging out and visiting the boards and looking at them as though for the first time.  See if you can see where somebody might get confused.  Maybe walk yourself through the registration process (without actually registering).

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## Piratecat (Feb 23, 2004)

I'd probably also change user cp to something else; right now, it's just not intuituve.

Perhaps "My settings" or "my account"?


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## JoeBlank (Feb 23, 2004)

Friendlier for new users is a good idea. I have no experience with running a website, so these are just the observations of one guy who surfs the internet:

"Join EN World" sounds inviting in common conversation, but  on the internet it usually means "pay us money to view more content". Maybe I've just seen too many of *those* kind of web sites, but when I see "Join" I think the site wants money from me.

Doesn't User CP stand for Control Panel? Maybe that would make more sense, or just "User Options".

Although I am not a Hiveminder, I for one welcome and respect our alien overlords (or something like that). Hivemind is a good name for the OT forum, and I enjoy the fun names, but some mention should be made in the name that this is the off topic forum. (Perhaps a parenthetical, as I share Morrus's habit of overusing them.)


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## Steverooo (Feb 23, 2004)

A "Help!" document would be nice, explaining how to do un-intuitive things, like post a poll, etc.  Maybe a FAQs (and answers) page, as well (although there's not a lot of difference berween the two).  "How Tos" are always nice.


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## Psionicist (Feb 23, 2004)

A good start is to remove all unnecessary features, tables, boxes, buttons etc. It's very confusing.

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1384833&postcount=36


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## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

JoeBlank said:
			
		

> (Perhaps a parenthetical, as I share Morrus's habit of overusing them.)



Oi! I do not (honestly!).


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## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

Psionicist said:
			
		

> A good start is to remove all unnecessary features, tables, boxes, buttons etc. It's very confusing.



Some of your suggestions are very good, Psionicist, and I'll certainly look at them.

Others, I'm not sure sure about.  A few of them suggest that users just check elsewhere for the info; I'm of the opinion that every time you require someone to actively do something to find the info, you reduce the chance that they'll be able to do it.  For example, my grandmother would _never_ think to check someone's profile (or even know that it's possible), but she might like seeing someone's location next to their name - "Oooh!  That nice chap lives in Newport!  I went there for my holidays last year!".

I realise that using a grandmother is a bit of an extreme example, but from the "Help!" emails I regularly get, having as many of the options/info clearly displayed on the screen is a good thing.  

I especially think that having the style dropdown on the main page is important.  A lot of people want different styles, and many of them don't know where to find it.


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## Henry (Feb 23, 2004)

Morrus said:
			
		

> ...For example, my grandmother would _never_ think to check someone's profile (or even know that it's possible), but she might like seeing someone's location next to their name - "Oooh!  That nice chap lives in Newport!  I went there for my holidays last year!".




I happen to know from talking to Rel that the now-regular North Carolina Gamedays would likely have not happened had the locations not been listed in an easily observable place


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## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

I've changed "User CP" to "My Account" for the moment.


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## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

Hmm... that's odd.  The change seems to have applied to my post, too.  Maybe "Replacement Variables" isn't quite what I thought it was.  Just goes to show that software can sometimes be too confusing!


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## randomling (Feb 23, 2004)

Morrus said:
			
		

> I've changed "My Account" to "My Account" for the moment.


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## Henry (Feb 23, 2004)

One suggestion: Even though I love "The Hive" name and its position, my opinion would be that it would be easier for new users if it were called specifically *"Off-topic:*" and given some funky name that changed regularly such as:

"*OFF-TOPIC:* Algernon Q. Thristwhistle's Gouda and Havarti Cheese Emporium"

or some such.

Also, it would be easier if it were, say, the last forum in the top grouping, even though I know it technically goes more logically with the other non-RPG forums. That way, new users wouldn't be likely to post off-topic in general discussion. However, this so far a rare happenstance, so unless that changes I don't think it's as good of an idea.


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## Morrus (Feb 23, 2004)

Let's hope I can undo that change.  I'll have to figure out a different way to change the text.


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## diaglo (Feb 23, 2004)

it has been sometime for me (so i don't recall), but does the site send a welcome message with each new registry?

perhaps a nice how do you do...and several links in the message to help navigate the site would be more friendly.

plus a list of mods or some such info.


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## Piratecat (Feb 23, 2004)

Henry said:
			
		

> One suggestion: Even though I love "The Hive" name and its position, my opinion would be that it would be easier for new users if it were called specifically *"Off-topic:*" and given some funky name that changed regularly such as:
> 
> "*OFF-TOPIC:* Algernon Q. Thristwhistle's Gouda and Havarti Cheese Emporium"




Got it!


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## Henry (Feb 23, 2004)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Got it!




You rat bastard.


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## Brown Jenkin (Feb 23, 2004)

Henry said:
			
		

> One suggestion: Even though I love "The Hive" name and its position, my opinion would be that it would be easier for new users if it were called specifically *"Off-topic:*" and given some funky name that changed regularly such as:
> 
> "*OFF-TOPIC:* Algernon Q. Thristwhistle's Gouda and Havarti Cheese Emporium"
> 
> ...




I mentioned this when the off-topic forum was first created but apparently I was in the minority. Not all people like the Hive. Whether or not it is true I always felt that the Hive was a clicish or eliete group. The name implies a "groupthink" and I opose this whenever possible. While I tollerated the Hivemind thread and  didn't mind its existance since I could ignore it, I never desisired to be part of something I felt was excusionary in feel. I realize that not everyone feels as I do but when I posted this before there were some others who agreed with me.  Now with all off-topic items banished to the new "Hive" forum I have lost the good feelings and sense of family I always had visiting ENWorld. While no-one may care, I will not visit the off topic forum under its current incarnation as "The Hive". I gave it a chance when it started but I always felt put off visiting it and after a couple of weeks of checking it out I have not been back since. Since this time I have also noticed that as a result I have changed by participation paterns. While I still read the boards I do not reply much any more, even in the more friendly off-topic Fantasy-SciFi media foum. I see this now as a chance to plead my case again. While it may be fun to play in-jokes with your fiends, when it comes to the entire comunity some will feel left out and new people will be confused. I miss my old ENWorld with the feeling of belonging to a community, now I feel like I am just visiting someone-elses private playground (Those who who are part of the Hive, who seem to run things around here). I am not trying to lay blame on anyone or say anyone in particular has been unfriendly, just that I do not feel as comfortable or as included as I generaly used to. I realy do like the people at ENWorld which is why I am even mentioning this.

[Edit] P.S. While I was writing my post PirateCat made his change so I didn't see it until I was done. I will add though that until the words "The Hive" are removed altogether I stand by my above statements.


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## JoeBlank (Feb 23, 2004)

Morrus said:
			
		

> Hmm... that's odd. The change seems to have applied to my post, too. Maybe "Replacement Variables" isn't quite what I thought it was. Just goes to show that software can sometimes be too confusing!



Funny, it changed in my previous post too. Makes us look like idiots for people reading this thread for the first time. I certainly don't need any help in looking like and idiot.

Wonder if the change only affected already existing uses of the term, or if it will proactively autocorrect? I'm going to type the previous term, "U____ CP" below and see if it changes to My Account.

User CP


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## JoeBlank (Feb 23, 2004)

Ha, it did! Now we can't talk about "U___ CP" at all, it will continue to be changed to My Account.

Note, I am not complaining, just enjoying the funny quirks that come with using new software and the learning curve.


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## Henry (Feb 23, 2004)

So you mean that every time Someone types My Account it becomes My Account?

Cool!

Now fix it.


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## Macbeth (Feb 23, 2004)

Ah. User CP becomes My Account. NOW this thread makes sense...
Lets see how flexible it is:
user cp (no caps)
User  CP (two spaces)
USER CP (all caps)


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## Piratecat (Feb 23, 2004)

Really? when I type My Account, it doesn't become My Account, it becomes My Account? Cool!


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## Kesh (Feb 23, 2004)

... I'm confused.


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## Henry (Feb 23, 2004)

I'm almost beginning to miss U-s-e-r C-P now.


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## Gez (Feb 23, 2004)

I want to try it too:

My Account

Edit: Damn, it works! I typed _User_ _CP_, not My Account.

Personally, I would have changed that to Tweaks, as all "power-users" are familiar with the use of tweak to mean advanced configuration options.


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## Gez (Feb 23, 2004)

I suggest changing the "Quick Link" menu to "Tools", and merging "Thread Tools" and "Display Modes" together into a menu that would be called "Thread Options".


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## Brown Jenkin (Feb 24, 2004)

Another thought on the Off-Topic/Hive forum. What about having a Hive Sub-Forum under Off-Topic to give people a place to do whatever they want like the Hivemind thread and leave The Off-Topic forum hive free.


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## Piratecat (Feb 24, 2004)

Someone hasn't looked at forum titles recently.  

Anyways, we're not going to create a subforum for one thread. That's just crazytalk. Crazytalk, I tell you!


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## Desdichado (Feb 24, 2004)

JoeBlank said:
			
		

> "Join EN World" sounds inviting in common conversation, but  on the internet it usually means "pay us money to view more content". Maybe I've just seen too many of *those* kind of web sites, but when I see "Join" I think the site wants money from me.



Are you sure you want to admit that here?


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## Brown Jenkin (Feb 24, 2004)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Someone hasn't looked at forum titles recently.
> 
> Anyways, we're not going to create a subforum for one thread. That's just crazytalk. Crazytalk, I tell you!




Thanks for the change


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## Psionicist (Feb 24, 2004)

Morrus said:
			
		

> Some of your suggestions are very good, Psionicist, and I'll certainly look at them.
> 
> Others, I'm not sure sure about.  A few of them suggest that users just check elsewhere for the info; I'm of the opinion that every time you require someone to actively do something to find the info, you reduce the chance that they'll be able to do it.  For example, my grandmother would _never_ think to check someone's profile (or even know that it's possible), but she might like seeing someone's location next to their name - "Oooh!  That nice chap lives in Newport!  I went there for my holidays last year!".
> 
> ...




I accidently replied to your message in the wrong thread. Can happen to anyone. 

Here it is: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1386543&postcount=63


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## Michael Morris (Feb 24, 2004)

Psionicist said:
			
		

> I accidently replied to your message in the wrong thread. Can happen to anyone.
> 
> Here it is: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1386543&postcount=63




The theme you whipped up Psi is eeriely similiar to Stealth


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## Psionicist (Feb 24, 2004)

Michael Morris said:
			
		

> The theme you whipped up Psi is eeriely similiar to Stealth




It's not about the colors, it's about the lack of features.


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## Crothian (Feb 24, 2004)

Brown Jenkin said:
			
		

> I mentioned this when the off-topic forum was first created but apparently I was in the minority. Not all people like the Hive. Whether or not it is true I always felt that the Hive was a clicish or eliete group. The name implies a "groupthink" and I opose this whenever possible.




The Hive is nothing more then a name for all the people on EN World.  It comes from asome threads in meta a few years back that were humorious in nature saying that all of the posters were just personalities of Piratecat.  Then someone named it the Hivemind of Piratecat as his personalities just talked to each other on the board.  

Many people see to a mis conception of the Hive.


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## Piratecat (Feb 24, 2004)

Yup, but we don't need to go into that now. We've changed the name for a more practical reason: it's now more clearly labeled as off topic, and we still have some room for silly forum titles! Hivemind threads will always be welcome there, as will anyone who wishes to post OT chat or information.


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