Profile tab on the main menu

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
Profile tab on the main menu
« on February 12th, 2012, 02:12 AM »
This might be a bit controversial, but bear with me. It gets a topic of its own because it's that important in my mind.

I think we should rename the tab and some of the options inside it.

As a first off, I think we should rename the tab to be called 'Options' or 'My Options', rename 'Summary' to 'My Profile', and 'Look and Layout' to 'My Preferences'.

Everything after that's a bit more fuzzy, but I think these alone could make it more usable. I'm not averse to doing more complex and big restructure-like things to the profile area, though, but I have no idea in which direction it should really go.

Thoughts?
Posted: February 12th, 2012, 01:37 AM

Oh, and put 'My Preferences' into the main menu, too.
When we unite against a common enemy that attacks our ethos, it nurtures group solidarity. Trolls are sensational, yes, but we keep everyone honest. | Game Memorial

Norodo

  • Oh you Baidu, so randumb. (60 sites being indexed at once? Jeez)
  • Posts: 469

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #2, on February 12th, 2012, 03:44 AM »
On the Look & Layout vs My Preferences, I wanted to indicate that it is up to the user (hence the My part) and that if we already have 'My Profile', that's information about them, whereas L&L is things they can configure about the forum that aren't related to how they appear, but how the forum appears to them.

The only alternative is 'My Options', I think, which is even less desirable.

live627

  • Should five per cent appear too small / Be thankful I don't take it all / 'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
  • Posts: 1,670
A confident man keeps quiet.whereas a frightened man keeps talking, hiding his fear.

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #4, on February 12th, 2012, 03:51 AM »
Quote from live627 on February 12th, 2012, 03:48 AM
It's better than what I thought up (My Options)
Great minds think alike, eh? (See previous post)

Though I won't argue that there is some validity to My Options.

Don't know if you've used SimpleDesk 2.0 at any point, but there's the preferences page for the helpdesk. Well... in the midst of all that, there's a link on the main HD navigation to get there, and it was discussed what the item should say, and in the end we actually concluded that users would get less confused with 'Options' vs 'Preferences', and history seems to bear that out, actually. But I'm thinking that what works in a helpdesk probably doesn't work quite the same here.
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #5, on February 13th, 2012, 05:19 PM »
Alternatively, how about 'My Account' for the tab itself?

It's just dawned on me that I can't really rename 'Summary' to 'My Profile' given that there's a 'Forum Profile' entry already there, but I'll think of something.

Dr. Deejay

  • Happy new year all!
  • Posts: 118
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #6, on February 13th, 2012, 05:43 PM »
I think it's a good idea :) It's to the point and says what it links to :)

Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #7, on February 13th, 2012, 05:47 PM »
Hmm... My Account is perhaps a bit too much, innit? I mean, it's longer than 'Profile' in probably every language you could think of...

But I see what you mean.

My Account
- Profile (<--- view how your Profile appears to others)
- Edit Profile
- Preferences (<--- layout settings, mostly)
- Settings (<--- real account-related settings)

Something like that, right...?

Arantor

  • As powerful as possible, as complex as necessary.
  • Posts: 14,278
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #8, on February 13th, 2012, 06:07 PM »
Well, any case where you have two words instead of one, it's going to be longer - but I'm thinking of the meaning here. Only yesterday on another forum I saw someone ask where they had to go to put their signature in, because it was that inobvious to them.

But yeah, that's essentially what I'm thinking of.

Nao

  • Dadman with a boy
  • Posts: 16,079
Re: Profile tab on the main menu
« Reply #9, on February 13th, 2012, 06:33 PM »
Thing is, a "My Account" link could perfectly well fit into the sidebar's user box... So it's not like were out of options :^^;: