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The New Online Manual has gone "Gold"

Started by Angelina Belle, February 15, 2012, 10:26:38 AM

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carla2013


Sir Osis of Liver


Someone should update the Online Manual menu button at top of forum.  It still says "Old Docs Site (Deprecated)".

Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

And the main OM button points to the wiki, while the dropdown points to the old manual just in case there's something there that's useful. IOW, it's just fine as it is.

GravuTrad

It is the system that is not natural. We are naturally inclined to click in the dropdown menu instead of the title of the menu...
On a toujours besoin d'un plus petit que soi! (Petit!Petit!)


Think about Search function before posting.
Pensez à la fonction Recherche avant de poster.

Arantor

Even though the main SMF navigation works in exactly same way?

It's using the same paradigm as the menu a couple of inches lower down the page... and if you were to change it, you should change that to be the same too!

GravuTrad

Yes of course. I just say that it's misleading for those who are not accustomed. But me i am lol...
On a toujours besoin d'un plus petit que soi! (Petit!Petit!)


Think about Search function before posting.
Pensez à la fonction Recherche avant de poster.

Sir Osis of Liver


It's confusing (it confused me :P).  The OM is most likely to be used by new users, not devs or support staff, and the link should be clearer than mud.

Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

So click on 'online manual'. Just like you'd click on 'Customize' or 'Admin' or 'Members'.

mashby

No disrespect to the contributors to the OM, but who ever reads it? If new users actually read it, I'd say there would be a decrease in topics in support areas. :) I wish more people would read it, including me.
Always be a little kinder than necessary.
- James M. Barrie

Arantor

Then use the Useful Manual Links to link to the relevant pages as and when it comes up ;)

Irisado

Quote from: mashby on March 24, 2013, 12:01:43 AM
No disrespect to the contributors to the OM, but who ever reads it?

I've read a few bits of it now and again.  The irony is that I'm not an admin though, so I don't actually need to read it.
Soñando con una playa donde brilla el sol, un arco iris ilumina el cielo, y el mar espejea iridescentemente

emanuele

Quote from: Arantor on March 23, 2013, 09:32:46 AM
Even though the main SMF navigation works in exactly same way?

It's using the same paradigm as the menu a couple of inches lower down the page... and if you were to change it, you should change that to be the same too!
I know several people that didn't know (imagine) that you can click on the "main" button and that were using just the dropdowns.

Anyway there is some inconsistency in SMF, because in all the "other" menus (i.e. admin, moderation, profile, etc.) the main button is (was) just a dead end.
I don't think it's ideal, but I'm also not sure what's best. What I'm sure of is that many are not using SMF's menu(s) at its "full potential".


Take a peek at what I'm doing! ;D




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1) Cosa fai,
2) cosa ti aspetti,
3) cosa ottieni.

Chalky

Quote from: Krash. on March 23, 2013, 12:02:08 AM

Someone should update the Online Manual menu button at top of forum.  It still says "Old Docs Site (Deprecated)".

Thanks for pointing that out!  I've never ever clicked on that button because it said it was deprecated, so there seemed no point.  It's useful to know it leads right to the Wiki - cool!  8)

Even though I realise now that the Deprecated bit is just a submenu, it doesn't look like that, it looks like a comment on the OM button.....

Sir Osis of Liver


The main forum menu displays the main category as a submenu, so it's obvious that the button label is one of the choices - you can click on either one.  If you make the OM button consistent with the forum menu, you'd have two items in the submenu, the new wiki, and the old docs.  I think that would be clearer, especially to new users. 

It's useful to bear in mind that anything's obvious if you already know how it works.

Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

No, it doesn't. The admin menu does not have any sub items that link to the admin front page, the profile menu's first item does not intimate it is the same as the profile menu item (Profile vs Summary)

Sir Osis of Liver


Well, as pointed out, it's inconsistent.  If you look at 'My Messages' or 'Members', you'll see that the button and the first submenu item are the same link.

Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

It is - but only by accident to a point. It doesn't make it clear from the titles that it's the same thing.

The whole menu behaviour is actually inconsistent and has been for years... :/

Oldiesmann

Note that the "dead-end links" thing has been "fixed" in 2.1 (for instance, in 2.1 if you click "Profile Info" from anywhere in your profile, it will take you to the main page of your profile).
Michael Eshom
Christian Metal Fans

Angelina Belle

Thanks for the comments on the site menu.

I am also in favor of a little fix.

I think it is long enough, anyway, that we can drop the "deprected" link entirely by now.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. -- Hanlon's Razor


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