Coding horror about forums: UI is wasted in non-content

Rigel Kentaurus

Rigel Kentaurus

Well-known member
Full article here: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2011/10/the-gamification.html
( I recommend people to read it )

Traditional web bulletin board systems have a design that was apparently permanently frozen in place circa 2001 along with Windows XP. Consider this typical forum thread.

6a0120a85dcdae970b014e8c336227970d-800wi


Here is the actual information from that forum thread.

6a0120a85dcdae970b0153923f2fd2970b-800wi


Based on the original size of those screenshots, only 18 percent of that forum thread page is content. The other 82 percent is lost to signatures, avatars, UI doohickeys, and other web forum frippery that has somehow become accepted as "the way things are done".
Click to expand...
 
kkm323 said:
That's why I hate large signature and/or repetitive signature in the same thread.
nice article(y)
Click to expand...

That's why whenever I see something that clutters the post content that really doesn't need to be there I'll voice my concerns. I myself, honestly like a clean layout without intrusive signatures, messageuserblock cluttering and post area clutter it really gets on my nerves.

I can honestly say that I now avoid visiting other forums primarily for this reason alone. imo there just isn't any need for it. Scrolling marquees is another pet hate I see alot.
 
I think it really depends on your genre as well, for my gaming community I personal encourage signature images to spice things up. But the article is a good read and makes some valid points.
 
In the example above the bottom "content" is in fact pretty useless without having the reference of who posted it and when tbh. It is just parts of a conversation, just like reading a book without the "Jill said" "Mike said" etc..

I think the author is being a little too literal in their interpretation myself. But I also hate a cluttered post area, and that is the first thing that I fell in love with about Xen :love:
 
Top Bottom