Can't figure out how to post a new thread

Now that you mention it, the buttons do tend to blend in a bit too much. I know someone probably worked very hard to achieve the chrome look, but the buttons would be more functional (and marginally faster loading) if they were a solid color, slightly bigger with larger text, and responded to hovers.

The postbit buttons work well. Perhaps switch the thread-buttons to match?

Generally speaking, I think things would be improved with a normal font size, better contrast for all text, and for buttons. Using black instead of gray would help.

With all the gray, low-contrast colors and such, the site seems to be a bit of a ghost town.

Personally I find it is more difficult to access the Forum Index, than "Post a New Thread", (which I don't see as a problem). Maybe less people are finding there way to the correct forum where they feel confident to make such a post.

Maybe you could try a request for help system, lauched from the main page. Pretty much the same as a new post, but provides the option, of which forum to post in, maybe some extra information to help people solve the problem, like a OS drop down list, ... The drop down boxes, could in themselves, decide where the request is posted.

Can you believe that this was all just a fluke? There was a server problem in which emails weren't being sent out by the forum system ... including activation emails for new members. No one was able to register on the site for a couple of days! I manually activated the accounts of everyone who filled out the registration form, and emailed them all to do some damage control. It's all fixed now.

Yet some valid points were raised in regard to overall CONTRAST of the various forum elements. Don't dismiss them!

never mind the reasons How do I post a new thread!!!!!

Did you think about trying the big bright yellow 'START NEW THREAD' button?

Niek

Hi

Thanks, but that link does not exist except on the forums categories. I have posted a new thread only after deciding where the post should be posted. In my case the Windows XP forum.

A new user will do a search. They might find a thread that meets their need. They might even add to that thread. But on the results page there is not an option to post a new thread.
Daniweb is a very large community and although based on vBulletin is not easy to understand.

When I was here before I might have posted a new thread but could't find how to do so.

If I can think of why it's not easy to find the option to post a new thread I will suggest a solution.

Well, given the number of new threads posted daily, most don't seem to have any difficulty figuring it out.

>Well, given the number of new threads posted daily,
>most don't seem to have any difficulty figuring it out.
The site design has changed significantly at least once since this thread was started in 2005.

The member currently having a problem just posted today, though.

>Well, given the number of new threads posted daily,
>most don't seem to have any difficulty figuring it out.
The site design has changed significantly at least once since this thread was started in 2005.

Perhaps, though my response was to the individual who dug this post out of history to claim that it was difficult to figure out how to post a new thread.

I do admit i liked the older versions of VBB alot better (There was a 'POST NEW THREAD' button on every page (Not just the main thread list) (Instead of just "Reply to thread" there was also a "Post New thread")

I suppose you could add it in yourself,but its still a pain to have to do that....

RE Narue post
I don't suppose with the number of posts that you have made you would see any problem. Well there is. There is no link to post a new thread UNLESS one selects a forum. Right? Why not have some guidance? Earlier in this thread there was a remark made that there was a reduction in posts of 75%? One action that a new user might take is to select Tutorials. Fat lot of help that would be to the visitor. Top of the list should be a guide to using the forum. Some visitors might never have used a forum before. They might be desperate to seek help.

I had an email from Daniweb that wondered why I had not been using Daniweb. Well, although I had registered, I suppose I went elsewhere, I don't know. However, I have come back and realised how valuable Daniweb could be, not only to IT bods but also to others. I didn't have any problem posting a new post on www.cutephp.com's forums even though it is powered by vBulletin, so there is a problem with Daniweb's design for new users. And even searching 'how to post' doesn't provide the answer! Except that it might now.

A previous post included a rather small screen shot of the link. But there was no explanation of what the screen shot was of. There is this wide spread belief that a picture is worth a thousand words, well IMO it is not (I am a technical graphics expert). The screen shot should have been accompanied by a verbal explanation; A PICTURE MIGHT BE WORTH A THOUSAND WORD BUT THE ADDITION OF FIFTY WORDS WILL MAKE THAT PICTURE WORTH TEN THOUSAND WORDS. I personally have never been upset by any explanation that was simple enough to understand. Why not try to make it simple? Albert Einstein would not have any idea of how to use a PC if he was alive now, my grandaughter aged six would be able to help him.

What Daniweb needs is a message for new users to select that will help them to use the website. The help facility should assume that the new user might not have any previous experience of using a forum. This is a simple piece of instructional design. It would have an entry link: eg New Users Guide and the guide page would include links to help the user whatever their current knowledge, eg. link - Whats a forum? At present even going to the Home Page just presents the user with the legend: Forum Index. Whereas, maybe there should be: Forum Index (you need to select a forum to post a new thread)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone :)

Firstly, The Dude, the New Thread button was removed from thread pages because a ridiculous number of people were trying to reply to the current thread by starting a new thread. However, I might put it back and see how it performs.

ggeoff, exactly what you're describing is in the works, and will be released sometime next month. In the meantime, all new users receive a Private Message with a link to our Welcome Guide for new users. You can also arrive at our Welcome Guide by clicking on the FAQ link at the top of the page:
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/faq.php?faq=daniweb_howto

Oh ... also ... The first post of this thread, indicating a decline in the number of new posts, was made back in 2005. Our design has changed since then and that is no longer as big of an issue as it once was.

I am replying to a thread that has been notified to me that there is an update (new post) However, from clicking the link in my email program I have no verification of who I am replying to except that it is a lady. That is not exactly friendly is it? The problem still exists. How does Daniweb know how many users are not able to use forums other than to post replies to existing posts?

>>Daniweb know how many users are not able to use forums other than to post replies to existing posts?

What! are you in second grade or something? You mean you can't see that big yellow button that says "START NEW THREAD" ? If not then you need glasses much worse than I do :)

I believe what he's saying is that there should be a START NEW THREAD button on the actual thread pages, next to the REPLY TO THREAD button.

I believe what he's saying is that there should be a START NEW THREAD button on the actual thread pages, next to the REPLY TO THREAD button.

IMO, that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps, though my response was to the individual who dug this post out of history to claim that it was difficult to figure out how to post a new thread.

No Narue I didn't dig it out of history. I did a Search to find out how to post a new thread.

geoff

>>Daniweb know how many users are not able to use forums other than to post replies to existing posts?

What! are you in second grade or something? You mean you can't see that big yellow button that says "START NEW THREAD" ? If not then you need glasses much worse than I do :)

There is no big yellow button on this page is there?
There are several types of users of this or any other forum on this website or other websites:
1. Someone who has arrived from a Google or other search engine or agent or website link
2. Someone who has just registered in order to post a Reply to Thread
3. Someone who is a user and has learn how to use the website
4. Someone who is an expert user
5. Someone who is also not a native English speaker

The fact that the Post New Thread button had to be removed because people were clicking on it to reply to the thread. Just goes to show that people do make errors or they are ignorant or rather don't know the difference between Replying and starting a New Thread.

It is all a lot more complicated than many forums users even expert users think. For example, forums threads are often spoilt by users who reply to a thread with what is actually a new thread. My initial problem was that I didn't know where I should post my query as my problem could be posted in more than one category or in Daniweb's case Forums.

I believe what he's saying is that there should be a START NEW THREAD button on the actual thread pages, next to the REPLY TO THREAD button.

No, I don't think that would be a good idea as users are likely to click the wrong button. Perhaps a button could be placed below, or close to, the Search input options

The way that I found out how to post a new thread, I don't even like that terminology -what I wanted to do was post a Query that someone in the community would be able to help me with, was to select Home and then forum Index. The rest was of course easy!

Whilst Daniweb is an IT Discussion Community I am sure that only a small proportion of users would be professional IT users.

However, since New Thread is the proper syntax then perhaps the button could have a mouseover hover associated with it that informs the user in simple English what the option means eg.
'post your problem -this option takes you to the Forum Index where you will be able to Post your query'

The button could be green

Or ask http://www.useit.com/jakob/index.html for his advice

Best regards Geoff

>I don't suppose with the number of posts that you have made you would see any problem.
Actually, I don't spend much time posting new threads. I'd wager that out of nearly 5,000 posts on Daniweb, less than 50 are threads of my own. Yet I still don't have any problem doing it. Perhaps I'm simply more experienced with forums, perhaps my mind works such that the logical structure is completely intuitive, but I don't recall anyone complaining about the difficulty of starting new threads (aside from you) in recent history. Have you considered that the problem isn't on Daniweb's end?

>No Narue I didn't dig it out of history.
Do please verify who you're replying to. Your quote is to Ezzaral, not me, and I'd rather not be blamed for comments I didn't make. That takes the fun out of making the comments.

>I don't suppose with the number of posts that you have made you would see any problem.
Actually, I don't spend much time posting new threads. I'd wager that out of nearly 5,000 posts on Daniweb, less than 50 are threads of my own. Yet I still don't have any problem doing it. Perhaps I'm simply more experienced with forums, perhaps my mind works such that the logical structure is completely intuitive, but I don't recall anyone complaining about the difficulty of starting new threads (aside from you) in recent history. Have you considered that the problem isn't on Daniweb's end?

>No Narue I didn't dig it out of history.
Do please verify who you're replying to. Your quote is to Ezzaral, not me, and I'd rather not be blamed for comments I didn't make. That takes the fun out of making the comments.

Sorry Narue -an error on my part. 'I don't recall anyone complaining. . . ' No people can't be bothered. You are probably right you are more experienced with forums. I'm like a lot of people,I just get by with what I know. Except when I have a problem, in which case I have to spend time on it.

.
It is all a lot more complicated than many forums users even expert users think.

Maybe more complicated than something like MySpace or chatrooms but about the same as other computer programming boards.

For example, forums threads are often spoilt by users who reply to a thread with what is actually a new thread. My initial problem was that I didn't know where I should post my query as my problem could be posted in more than one category or in Daniweb's case Forums.

Yes we realize there is often some confusion and that's one of the mods job is to move threads to appopriate boards. I know of no one who got scolded for posting on the wrong board. But you will get thrashed for posting the same question on multiple boards, and we rarly have a problem of that kind.

There is no big yellow button on this page is there?
There are several types of users of this or any other forum on this website or other websites:
1. Someone who has arrived from a Google or other search engine or agent or website link
2. Someone who has just registered in order to post a Reply to Thread
3. Someone who is a user and has learn how to use the website
4. Someone who is an expert user
5. Someone who is also not a native English speaker

The fact that the Post New Thread button had to be removed because people were clicking on it to reply to the thread. Just goes to show that people do make errors or they are ignorant or rather don't know the difference between Replying and starting a New Thread.

It is all a lot more complicated than many forums users even expert users think. For example, forums threads are often spoilt by users who reply to a thread with what is actually a new thread. My initial problem was that I didn't know where I should post my query as my problem could be posted in more than one category or in Daniweb's case Forums.

I must agree with ggeoff on this one. The five types given above pretty much covers all the users, and I think that it would be helpful to have a post a new thread button that can be seen from a thread, and not just from the forum page. I personally have experienced some difficulties when I wanted to post a new thread because I couldn't seem to find the create new thread button at the first go, but I didn't realize the reason for that until I saw this thread. It is a bad trait of mine that I forget the difficulties I faced after I get something done.

And look at the number of buttons that are there for replying. I think it is plain ridiculous. Think for a bit. There is a yellow button at the very top of the thread. Why would a user, who is reading the latest post that is at the end of the page, scroll back to the top of the page just to push that button and reply? Each post carries a reply and quoted reply button, and don't you think that the user would rather use them?

Now let's have a look at the Yellow Reply to Thread button at the end of the thread. See how much reply buttons are surrounding it. And that in addition to that big square reply box. Don't you think that this is a bit redundant? Anyway, I don't mind having so many reply buttons (for a page with 20 replies, you have 42 reply buttons). You obviously love having people replying as much as possible and that is not a bad thing. But I don't see why you cannot accomodate a Yellow New Thread button at the very top of the thread, right next to the yellow Reply to Thread button.

Changing a system which works for 99% of the people out there doesn't make any sense.

Changing a system which works for 99% of the people out there doesn't make any sense.

I have to disagree with you, 99% isn't that much. What if only 99% of parachutes would work, or you would only have power in your house 99% of the time?

I personally think that the 'Start new thread' button is fine where it is, but if there really are users who have problems finding it, then it would be a good thing to solve this problem by maybe adding an extra button somewhere.

Niek