Implemented Replace Members Page with...

[Princeton]

vBulletin users, check your memberlist.php stats (pageviews, visits, etc). The same applies to those who operate other forum software - go check your member listing page stats.

You'll find that the numbers are really low.

The Members page on xenForo is no different. Isn't this a waste of valuable space? Are we missing out on an opportunity here?

The #1 rule when placing a link on the main navigation is to add links to sections that the visitor frequently visits. In other words, sections that have a lot of traffic. More than likely these are sections that you want people to visit - sections that have fresh content.

What if the Members page was a central hub for member activity such as Groups, Photos, News Feed, Online Members, etc? How much more valuable would this space become?

We currently don't have a Groups or Gallery addon but these are features that will definitely come either by 3rd party or by xenForo themselves. Wouldn't it be cool if we can add these features to the Members page via hooks?

Another issue I have with the Members page is that it lists all members by default. In time, everyone will be introduced to members with funny looking names - all starting with non-alphanumeric names. 99.9% of the time these members are not even active.

With a central hub, I recommend listing Online Members (avatars). The thinking behind this is that we promote those who are currently active - the more active you are the more exposure you get.

For those who are visual learners, here's a mockup of what I described above...

Remember the goal is to create a section (page) that is "valuable" to us (individually). The central hub can be different for everyone.

I call it Community Central ) I didn't know what to call it)

 

[Princeton]

Mike and I have been talking for some time about doing away with the alphabetical members list. It seems completely pointless and redundant to todays online world.

even if it's just "talking" ... thanks for the update

(any update is good)

 

[erich37]

I guess this is one of the most "Liked" suggestions ?

 

[Shanj]

Mike and I have been talking for some time about doing away with the alphabetical members list. It seems completely pointless and redundant to todays online world.

Kier don't you DARE. I use it constantly/.

 

[Shanj]

There was a suggestion back there of having A-Z, plus other preset searches like per usergroup, on the Members page as lin ks or buttons.
I like that.

It'd be fun to DO a search then click to have that search in the option list of searches on the Members page.

 

[Paul B]

Kier don't you DARE. I use it constantly/.

What for?

 

[Elizabeth]

What for?

Because some of us are a bit anal and need it in alpha order. I can't find people otherwise...I have a low tolerance for playing hide and seek thru pages and pages of members lists

 

[Shanj]

I'm constantly looking up data on members and I have the members list configged with the col.umns I need

So I just go alphabet letter / member and I've got what I need.
Including links to that members personal work projects data Pages.

 

[Elizabeth]

Example, a big board I belong to...there are 173 pages of S's...but I'd rather search 173 pages than 1704 pages of the entire member list if it wasn't in alpha order and I could not remember any more than the first letter. Liz

 

[FredC]

This would definitely make xF my personal choice for my next project..

 

[Dean]

Mike and I have been talking for some time about doing away with the alphabetical members list. It seems completely pointless and redundant to todays online world.

I need that list. People, really important people who are sloppy with what they type, send me messages all the time alerting me about what someone just posted, they mistype peoples names and of course do not provide a link.

The search for member pre-fill list does not work because I would need to accurately know the first few letters.

 

[Kier]

Example, a big board I belong to...there are 173 pages of S's...but I'd rather search 173 pages than 1704 pages of the entire member list if it wasn't in alpha order and I could not remember any more than the first letter. Liz

Oh, I wasn't talking about replacing the alphabetical member list with a non-alphabetical member list, I was talking about removing the member list completely.

It would appear there is some resistance to that idea however.

 

[James]

I think it'd be more social to just store recent people you've come into contact with (quoted/liked) and this should cover the finding a member you've recently come into contact with.

The Members page should be replaced with Community and have an overview of latest community actions (groups, likes, popular threads, small memberlist with AJAX searching on typing, etc).

 

[Shanj]

K

Oh, I wasn't talking about replacing the alphabetical member list with a non-alphabetical member list, I was talking about removing the member list completely.

It would appear there is some resistance to that idea however.

No darling Kier not resistance. Celtic warcries!
If you remove the memberslist I will personally tie you down and GLUE BOOTS to your FEET!

Come on just a ickle wickle link to an A-Z sorted list?
And a selection of (admin) selected links to some usergroups, recently registered members, oldest members, UK members, USA members etc etc
Fun.

 

[ChrisR]

I really like this idea.

 

[Dean]

I need that list. People, really important people who are sloppy with what they type, send me messages all the time alerting me about what someone just posted, they mistype peoples names and of course do not provide a link.

The search for member pre-fill list does not work because I would need to accurately know the first few letters.

Although I need that list, it could be buried fairly deep in the UI. It does not need to be prominent.

 

[erich37]

Oh, I wasn't talking about replacing the alphabetical member list with a non-alphabetical member list, I was talking about removing the member list completely.

It would appear there is some resistance to that idea however.

as per my understanding, the guys who are still asking for having an AZ-list, want to have this list provided in ACP for Admin-purposes. Not having an AZ-list on the front-end.

 

[Alpha1]

Prominent member lists linked from the main navigation work very well. Especially for spammers that want to find their ways to your members. As long as member search works and there are ways to arrange members, im happyu.
Princetons mockup is awesome. Including the social groups on top.

 

[Ruven]

Remove a-z members list from being a default page.
Have a button that asks "would you like to see the a-z memberlist?".
Click that and boom... user gets to see the memberlist in an animated overlay much like the way facebooks "friends" show up.

 

[Shanj]

as per my understanding, the guys who are still asking for having an AZ-list, want to have this list provided in ACP for Admin-purposes. Not having an AZ-list on the front-end.

No - I don't want to do a separate login to access it nor do my mods. Actually my mods don't access admincp anyway.

I can't see what the problem is with having a set of search links on the Community page (new style members page). That means the A-Z is still there and there can be other preset searches too - various usergroups, locations, other categories as set by admin.
A set of links to do these searches in a little box isn't much to ask on this glam members' page.

I find the A-Z row so useful I've added it to a whole lot of page templates so it's at the top of most of my forum pages. That's how much I value it. But to do that I need iit to exist somewhere in the first place.

 

[Grover]

.... I was talking about removing the member list completely.

Yes, that would be really innovate thinking. In my suggestions about this, the main point is removing the (in my experience pretty useless) long list of A-Z member names. Preferably completely, but for people who still need it:

Although I need that list, it could be buried fairly deep in the UI. It does not need to be prominent.

Remove a-z members list from being a default page.

Have a button that asks "would you like to see the a-z memberlist?".
Click that and boom... user gets to see the memberlist in an animated overlay much like the way facebooks "friends" show up.

... I agreed with those above comments:

Sure, but how often do you do that? I mean, on vBulletin you are presented with a huge list directly and you can sort it. Why just not present the users of our platform with an interesting overview of TOP stats/avatars there and provide the full (much more uninteresting) list as a link somewhere? Then you have the best of both worlds, for people who can not miss the full list (for whatever reason I can not think about?). Or provide an advanced search, so that the list is never ever presented directly on the screen anywhere, except when people want the results of Advanced Search...

It would be good if XF can become the first forum product that re-invents the memberlist and actually provide something that is much more useful for the majority of end users. And that means not presenting the AZ-list prominently, but as a 'secondary' option.