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Topic: Message icons, avatars, prefixes (Read 4828 times) previous topic - next topic
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Message icons, avatars, prefixes

So, another random thought: Message Icons (MI).

Are there really "core"?
Are they really necessary for each and every message?

On the first question: I think MI may be interesting in certain kind of forums, but they honestly are not that useful. Yes, maybe a little of colour here and there, but apart from that?
Looking at what the other software do (from the official site), I see:
XenForo replaced with avatar of the starter,
 vBulletin still has
IPB doesn't have anything
 WBB avatars
phpBB still has
Some mixed situation.

I can understand to a point the avatar approach, it may be visually nice to know who posted the topic, and it looks more informative than the little icon usually used at random, when used at all.
On the other hand, I have seen it used to classify topics in certain contexts (for example the bug reports board at sm.org), so there may be a need, but MI are very limited in that respect: no sorting, no filtering, nothing, just the visual effect. So, in such a kind of situation, topic prefixes are in general more useful. Am I right?

On the second question: I never understood why for each and every message... I can understand one per topic, but at message level it really seems overkill.

So, as a general idea, what would you think of:
 drop the message icons,
by default replace them with a generic icon to show if there are new messages or not (the "new" button in fact),
 an option to show the avatar of the OP instead,
* and an option to use topic prefixes instead.
Yes, I know at some point someone will want everything, but that could easily be an addon instead of the nth option.

Opinions?
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Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #1 –

I was thinking the same thing to be honest. I always wondered why would we need two columns with the message icons, where I don't even look at them.

I agree with your thoughts and mostly with this one:
Quote* by default replace them with a generic icon to show if there are new messages or not (the "new" button in fact),

What do others think? As you said it obviously depends on people and how they use their forums, so someone might find them quite useful :)

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #2 –

To mark as solved is useful. Other than that, naah... If it can be added on, then, addon would suffice.

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #3 –

Yep, and that's the main reason I suggested prefixes: if done "well", prefixes can be literally anything, including images to be used to "mark as solved".
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Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #4 –

Quote from: CrimeS – I was thinking the same thing to be honest. I always wondered why would we need two columns with the message icons, where I don't even look at them.

I agree with your thoughts and mostly with this one:
Quote* by default replace them with a generic icon to show if there are new messages or not (the "new" button in fact),

What do others think? As you said it obviously depends on people and how they use their forums, so someone might find them quite useful :)

Like that idea! I used the message icons on my SMF support board to indicate which support threads are solved and which are not. But now at my car board I don't need them. And they are quite ugly at ElkArte atm.  :-X

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #5 –

Quote from: emanuele – drop the message icons,
 by default replace them with a generic icon to show if there are new messages or not (the "new" button in fact),
an option to show the avatar of the OP instead,
and an option to use topic prefixes instead.
1. Yes, drop it.
2. No, don't replace it with new text/icon. It already has its nice place.
3. Avatar of OP would be nice. But it will be two avatar now i.e. last poster avatar.
4. I don't like topic prefixes to be there too.

Actually, I like number of views to be with OP avatar. Likes and replies can remain together but preferably in the middle (at reply original place).

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #6 –

I agree with you, but if you remove the icons, what do you do with the participation icon? Move it over to where the pin/lock icons are at?

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #7 –

Joshua's question is the reason I was proposing to "move" the "new" icon where MI are now.
Something as simple as a green (or azure for Be Social!) round button if there are unread messages and grey if no new messages are present and next to it the participation icon.
Move it on the right may be an option as well.

Quote from: ahrasis – 3. Avatar of OP would be nice. But it will be two avatar now i.e. last poster avatar.
Option? O:-) :P
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Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #8 –

That small man (participation icon)? Well, you can still put that small man there, right? I mean next to OP Avatar (I still support OP avatar there). It is like saying, I following this man's topic, or something like that. Am I making sense or nonsense? ;)

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #9 –

I have a forum where members can talk about movies, tv shows, etc and when giving their opinion, they may use the thumbs up or thumbs down icon to basically let everyone know their opinion. I do think the icons are more or less forgotten about on a lot of forums; and I definitely agree that having the MI capability in every single post in a topic is a bit much- but they can be useful to those that do use them for topic starters.

In regards to the avatars- I am a huge fan of having the last post avatar on the index page, as well as the message index- but I'm wondering if it would be avatar overkill to have the topic starter avatar to the left of the topic, and the last post avatar to the right of it?

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #10 –

Yep, yep.
And what do you think if the thumbs up and down were links able to filter all the topics with a thumb up/down within the board?
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Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #11 –

I like the expanded post rating add on which is widely in use. Something like that would be easy to have on ElkArte as well. Just 7 different icons and some options to set rating points / icons to them through ACP.

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #12 –

As for prefix / MI an add on which allows to customize a CSS button with text and fa icon will suffice in my opinion.

Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #13 –

Quote from: meetdilip – I like the expanded post rating add on which is widely in use. Something like that would be easy to have on ElkArte as well. Just 7 different icons and some options to set rating points / icons to them through ACP.
If I got it right, what you are suggesting is something completely different.
But I'm not sure I understood. ;)
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Re: Message icons, avatars, prefixes

Reply #14 –

 Icons  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Points awarded on each icon = p1 p2 p3 p4 p5 p6 p7

Either have preset values  or have option to vary these 14 parameters through ACP. Hope it is clear now :)