Should we remove the redundant contact images that show up at the bottom of each post and replace it with one simple link using the Avatar as the focal point, linking to your profile?

This would clean up the posts some, remove the redundant images, causing faster page loading, and free up some real estate.

doesn't sound like a bad idea, but maby have it as an option. kinda like the option you have for your Administration Menu Layout graphical,side block, or dhtml.

??

The problem with removing them is you remove the 'one click' functionality it was designed for.

I think its a bad idea to keep simplifying the forums. People will want the option.

If a person needs to really streamline, they can modify the theme and even pull some of the data from the select that grabs that info.

admin.php?op=users_cfg&mode=fields

Cant you just turn them off. Oh wait, just in the forums. I need more coffee.

In a large forum such as DF, I could see how it might speed page times up. Maybe if there was an option on the forums config.

I completely agree with this proposition. It will free up badly needed real estate for actual contact methods. The profile is not a contact method where all other buttons are.

Maybe something that could free up bandwidth would be to have 1 single button there that says "Contact Info". That would free up a lot of space down there for other dynamic features. Possibly "online", "offline", "arcade score", "karma" etc... Dynamic features instead of contact methods.

Yeah it will take 1 more step to contact someone but honestly how many of you actually look at someone's profile as it is? This would force people to learn more about the other person by making them view their profile in order to contact them.

Make it an option to be turned on or off.

If that can't be done:

It's much easier for people to remove the buttons through their theme.
It's gonna be much harder for them to put them back if they get taken away by default.

Won't that mean that every single theme for Dragonfly will need to be updated?

The question was raised by me due to another topic about custom buttons like the now added skype.
In that other topic someone requested a loop (<!-- BLOCK -->) for the buttons.

But to make it a cool implementation rayvenhaus this loop would be best to make it optional so either hide or show them.

I like them removed all together but some like to see them.

i think it would be good if site admins could set this as an option, also individual users could set it as a preference themselves

a good setup, let them choose between three...

they could use <!-- if SOMETHING --> in the templates to be able to template for whatever option is chosen.

from most resource consuming to the least:
1) popup contacts
2) normal contacts (might as well have them in a templating block, same with number one)
3) text link

text link goes to profile page

normal is more or less the same setup as now

popup is exactly the same, but has IS_POPUP variable set or something like that, and in assing block vars it has a unique id that can be used for onclicks and such. The only difference is in the template files themselves. You use a little bit of valid DHTML to raise up a floating div once a mouse over or a click on a theme image or button or text link or something. That would be very cool. (it could be done now.... but this way site admins can choose between it without having to edit theme template files).

What do you think? You could also have the div a part of the page but that'd cause page reformatting every time they want to see it or not...

How about a drop-down menu to replace the buttons? (Like the 'Display posts from previous:' menu at the bottom of this screen). It would free up the realestate, make page loading faster and be pretty close to the 'one-click' functionality that everyone is used to (we don't need a 'Go' button... have the menu (form) submit on change).

safecracker4hire wrote:

How about a drop-down menu to replace the buttons? (Like the 'Display posts from previous' menu at the bottom of this screen). It would free up the realestate, make page loading faster and be pretty close to the 'one-click' functionality that everyone is used to (we don't need a 'Go' button... have the menu (form) submit on change).

Brilliant idea, i'll second that one..... i was going to agree with removing them all but i'd prefer this as an alternative.

I'd suggest making the Username a link, remove the "Profile" button and making the rest of the buttons toggable. Allowing each webmaster their choice of how to display is the best option if you ask me.

I would also second the above suggestion about a dropdown or something to that effect, since it would be very nice. Another cool idea would be to place the dropdown in the Avatar-area to the left, thereby freeing up the entire lower bar.

Username & Avatar should be links to the profile. A drop down is a great idea. Why the heck didn't anyone think of that sooner. It's so simple.