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Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
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Arantor

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Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« on March 5th, 2012, 02:46 PM »
For a while we've talked about the illogical nature of the theme settings that are really member preferences and how they are theme specific.[1]

A while ago I brought a new area into the admin panel, called Member Options. It held some of the generic options for members, custom profile fields and signatures, and now I've tried to put the preferences configuration there, in hopefully a less brain-dead fashion.

Except I'm not sure I like the UI very much and I'm not sure how best to fix that.

The 'Change' button is hidden by default, visible when you mouse over the relevant area (like the thoughts button does) and when you select it, it goes from the 'default value: blah' into two dropdowns, one to select what happens with guests/new members, and one for existing members. As you can see this isn't finished yet. (I made one visible to show you what it would look like)

The thing is, while I think it's about the only sane way to complete this UI, I don't like it. It's boring, bland, unimaginative and I just don't like it but I can't figure out how to improve it without making it less usable. (Though I'm debating pulling out the magical hide factor and just having the modify buttons there the whole time, it'll be more obvious what to do then at least)

Thoughts?
 1. Actually, the code does indicate some of them should update only the default theme (i.e. regardless of what theme you're actually configuring) but I'm not entirely sure it works properly. Even if it does, it's highly illogical.

📎 member_prefs_1.png - 39.65 kB, 640x526, viewed 219 times.

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spoogs

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #1, on March 5th, 2012, 03:13 PM »
Not sure if the UI grabs me but not sure what to change... I'd be happy with some select-boxes but that may just look cluttery. As long as it works I doubt many will care if it's exciting or not.

Not sure why any of these would need to be theme specific either, I think members would expect it to function the same in all themes, at least I would.
Stick a fork in it SMF

Arantor

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #2, on March 5th, 2012, 03:17 PM »
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Not sure why any of these would need to be theme specific either, I think members would expect it to function the same in all themes, at least I would.
This is the reason for the change. Theoretically, the code suggests that only two of the options should actually be theme specific but I don't think it's ever worked properly, nor can I be bothered to check.
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I'd be happy with some select-boxes but that may just look cluttery. As long as it works I doubt many will care if it's exciting or not.
Since you really need two selectboxes for each item, it looked very cluttered having them all there up front, which is why it's not like that.
Quote
Not sure if the UI grabs me but not sure what to change...
My sentiments exactly... and I made it >_<

spoogs

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Arantor

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #4, on March 5th, 2012, 03:51 PM »
At least mine's all in one page as opposed to two and a half pages in SMF, and I think I can argue mine's easier to follow than SMF's "change settings for existing members" page... seriously, who thought the whole "Don't change..." / "Change" (and enable this handy textbox) was a *good* idea?

spoogs

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Dismal Shadow

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Arantor

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #8, on March 5th, 2012, 05:19 PM »
Quote from and on March 5th, 2012, 04:43 PM
never understood why do different setting for visitors and for users?
Because members who haven't set their own settings inherit from guests.

Also, consider something like notifications, you might want to turn them on for all new members but not affect anyone who's already changed it. (Or vice versa, turn them off for everyone except people who chose to have them on)
Quote
Well there's a reason for it; mobile themes.
Name me *one* setting on that list that would be worthwhile to have as a mobile-specific one.

Farjo

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #9, on March 5th, 2012, 09:29 PM »
It's taken me two readings, one at lunchtime and one now, to get a handle on what the screen does. Let me test my understanding...

The screen can do two things. One it can set the defaults for guests and for users that have not set their own preference (so called "New users") for the option concerned. Two it can also overwrite (not override - actually write over) settings that have been chosen by users, again for the option concerned.

Kind of like a noun and a verb, one saves settings and the other sets settings.

Does the screen therefore require two columns (three including the description), the first with default values selected in dropdowns with a Save button at the bottom, and the second with the action dropdowns - all defaulting to "Leave their choice alone" - with a Change button at the bottom?

Phew I'm knackered!

Arantor

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #10, on March 5th, 2012, 09:34 PM »
That's exactly it. SMF does it by having two screens for the separate items, and neither is what I would call intuitive.

The problem with three columns is simply how much space it takes up, you can't fit it as three columns as it stands, there's just not enough room.

Perhaps I'm doing this one wrong by trying to build it all into one page. (It would certainly explain my apathy towards this UI)

Dismal Shadow

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Farjo

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #12, on March 5th, 2012, 09:44 PM »
"Perhaps I'm doing this one wrong by trying to build it all into one page." No I think it works well as one screen, if it can be done.

How about if the column headers were (column 2:) "Default" and (column 3:) "Overwrite". In column 2 you then just need the width of Yes (No being shorter), and in column 3 the width of the widest of "Set to Yes", "Set to No", "Leave alone" and "Set to default".

Arantor

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Re: Unfinished, quite raw, would like some feedback
« Reply #13, on March 5th, 2012, 09:48 PM »
I would note that a couple of the settings were quietly modified in WAP2 mode, namely the settings for number of posts and topics to display. But that's not strictly theme behaviour as it has to be supported by code outside of the theme.


Re making it into columns, doing that does risk severely cluttering the screen up, especially as more than one item's label wraps as it is.

Nao

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