More links in page footer please?

[Joe911]

I use the forums by selecting favourite forums and pretty much exclusively use the "What's New" as my "main menu".

I then click a thread that looks interesting, and then click on "What's New" to carry on (it's better than just clicking "back" as it forces an update with any new posts). However, as new articles naturally are at the bottom of a thread (which I think reads more naturally)) of what are sometimes long pages, I have to scroll all the way up to the top so that I can click on "What's New".

So - to make (my) life easier - how about adding some (small and unobtrusive) links in the page footer of a thread, how about these:
- What's New
- My Stuff

You could even go mad and do all these, like this:
My Stuff - What's New - 3 - 12 - 24 - 72 - Search

Good idea, Ted?

[PetrolTed]

or press 'home'?

[Joe911]

PetrolTed said:

or press 'home'?

While I love PH, I do have some other things in my life (like running my web company) and PH forums don't quite qualify as my homepage, sorry

In fact, the best place (being completely selfish) for the What's New link on the thread page is in fact at the bottom on the right - as that's there the mouse pointer is most likely to be (as that's where the scrollbar is).

I believe that web usability studies generally find that links on the RHS of a page get clicked more than those on the left.

[PetrolTed]

Joe911 said:

PetrolTed said: or press 'home'? While I love PH, I do have some other things in my life (like running my web company) and PH forums don't quite qualify as my homepage, sorry

Sorry - I obviously didn't make that clear. What I was trying to say was when you get to the bottom of the page, pressing the home key on your keyboard will take you back to the top of the page.

[Joe911]

PetrolTed said:

Sorry - I obviously didn't make that clear. What I was trying to say was when you get to the bottom of the page, pressing the home key on your keyboard will take you back to the top of the page.

Ah, right, true enough - however - I have to take my hand off the mouse (or use my other hand) to do that (no sniggering please!)

[Bodo]

Joe911 said:

PetrolTed said: Sorry - I obviously didn't make that clear. What I was trying to say was when you get to the bottom of the page, pressing the home key on your keyboard will take you back to the top of the page. Ah, right, true enough - however - I have to take my hand off the mouse (or use my other hand) to do that (no sniggering please!)

I use PH without lifting my hand from the mouse.
I use Firefox www.mozilla.org and tabbed browsing. I use one window for PH/What's New, I open interesting threads in tabs (middle mouse button on Unix systems, mouse wheel click on Win32) while I browse the what's new list. Then I proceed to the last tab and close it with a mouse gesture after reading (see extensions for Firefox). This repeats until I'm back in the first tab (What's New), which I then refresh with a mouse gesture. this can go on for days

Can't imagine that you haven't discovered that running a web company

[Joe911]

Bodo said:

I use PH without lifting my hand from the mouse. I use Firefox ... Can't imagine that you haven't discovered that running a web company

I do use Firefox (and Thunderbird), but have not got into all that gestures stuff (maybe I should give it a pukka try) as I often use a touchpad as well as a mouse and it can be quite awkward to do. And, using the left button for clicking is too instinctive and automatic while the middle button (as it's also a scroll-wheel) isn't yet.

Anyway, it is simply good UI design to consider link/button location (and repetition where apropriate) and to rely on people knowing (and/or wanting to use) the shortcuts is unrealistic. Equally, I would accept that people need to help themselves to some degree.

[PetrolTed]

You are right Jo. It's not something I've thought much about as I use the forums in upside down mode with the latest posts at the top. I'll sort something out when I'm next working on this area.