Main Blog page layout changed

[Brother Tyler]

One of the issues that was brought up in the preliminary PM discussion about Blogs was that the main Blogs page was difficult to navigate. We are operating under a few limitations, some of which might change.

 

Limitation #1 - The software settings only provide us with two options for Blogs page layout: a list of blogs or a gridded layout.

Limitation #2 - Members are only allowed to create a single blog.

 

With regard to Limitation #1, we were previously using the list option. I just changed it to the gridded layout to see if members prefer that.

 

With regard to Limitation #2, the option to remove the limit on the number of blogs that members can create was proposed. With a limit of a single blog, there is no real justification for discrete categories since all of a member's projects will be contained within the same blog. So we have two categories: Members and Advertisers. If we change the limit on the number of blogs that a member can create, we would have to change it to unlimited. Each individual project would then be a separate blog and you could find all of a member's blogs by going to their profile page and clicking on the Blogs tab. We could then create discrete categories to aid in content architecture. However, we would have to develop a logical category structure; and proper use of tags (something we're going to tackle separately) would become essential in helping members with finding the types of blogs that they're looking for.

 

At this point, I'm working on a category structure to support multiple blogs per member. In parallel, the staff are looking at our current achievement progressions and developing an update. We'll incorporate multiple blogs into that structure. Once all of that is ready, we'll change the number of blogs that a member can create from 1 to unlimited.

 

In the meantime, I'm open to suggestions for category structure. Note that I suggest looking at the structures for our discussion forums (categories and forums/sub-forums), galleries, downloads, and articles. Also, I'd like your feedback on the new (gridded) layout of the main Blogs page.

[ZeroWolf]

I do like the gridded layout, allows the header images to catch the eye more. Regarding catergory structures, I'd thought splitting it along the forum lines might make sense, that way, you're familiar with one, you're familiar with both.

[Wormwoods]

I like how the grid looks, though am a little concerned about what will happen the next time someone decides to spam updates. I already feel a little weird about having two of mine up there together. 

[Xenith]

I like the grid also. Is there a way to switch ot  remove the sidebar on only the blog page? Currently there is the blog page, recent blog entries and recent blog comments sections that all kind of promote the same thing - like the below, where I just left a comment on my blog, and now my blog is at the top of both lists.  Would there be an option for  'popular blogs', like those receiving the most comments, to be highlighted? 

 

[Brother Tyler]

Yes, we will be looking at the sidebar sections to clean things up.

[Brother Tyler]

The Recent Blog Entries block has been removed from the sidebar on the main Clubs page. I haven't added anything else to the sidebar yet because the categories are going to be expanded, increasing the height of the first block. Once we get the categories finalized, we see what kind of room we have to play with and how we might fill that space (accepting the fact that we have to allow for heights of blocks to vary based on activity).