Changing forum?

[Arrowfoot]

Is there a connection between UI and your ill mannered nature?
The only problem I have with Cycle Chat is the occasional lapse in good manners and politeness of some users.

Sorry and yes the reply was poor and ill mannered.

UI and navigation is important and your post about excluded is not the right approach for a good forum.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I'm intrigued - since you very obviously do have a clue, what does it mean and what are the most important factors to consider when looking at the useability of a website or software application?

You should be able to get that online or from books that cover the topic. Here however are some of my thoughts.

xF is a readymade forum template so things like buttons and layout is standard and most users of VB and xF pretty well know what goes. Pay a UI professional (not a techie) to work out forum categories and sub-forums and do the lay-out. They typically use traffics stats and content research to work it out. As yours is cycle-specific and not an omni site, few sub-forums is better. 40 odd is just too many. It should be around 15 and would suggest 3 main categories instead of current 10 - Cycle Central, Cycle Technical and Cafe and Social. . Do only 4 to 5 sub-forums for each category.

Your very first thread
New to CycleChat? Make your first post here and say HELLO
in your very first sub-forum in your top-most category is a really poor and sad experience for someone new to your popular site. Imagine a newbie posting for the very first time, takes the trouble and writes a couple of lines to introduce him or herself only to find there is not reply or response from the members. I feel very sorry for them. Some figured it out and created their own thread and members respond. Pointless doing SEO targeting and treating newbies like that. Close that thread. A simple research will tell you that members generally avoid entering long running threads as it is nightmare cover all posts unless the topic is interesting.

I will stop here for time being.

 

[Drago]

No, he's the HSBC banker who refused them a loan but still goes in to eat there every Friday.

Oooh, that's brave!

 

[Pale Rider]

. As yours is cycle-specific and not an omni site, few sub-forums is better. 40 odd is just too many. It should be around 15 and would suggest 3 main categories instead of current 10 - Cycle Central, Cycle Technical and Cafe and Social. . Do only 4 to 5 sub-forums for each category.

Spot on.

Shame it will never happen - the change would be too great for all of us.