Scratch

Lightnin · 2010-06-10 12:38:32

Many of us mods have noticed that the forums have been filling up with a lot of stickies lately. While keeping important and helpful topics visible is helpful, too many stickies can make things feel crowded. So we tossed around some ideas and came up with a new strategy, which we are testing in All About Scratch.

As you can see, the previously stickied threads are now unstuck, but there are links to each of them in the single stickied topic Index to helpful topics in All About Scratch: Start here! Each one has the word "ITopic" inserted into the title. Like all other threads, if someone posts in them, they'll rise to the top. This makes it a little easier to see when those threads are active.

We're still in the testing stages, and the final decision about whether or not to implement this in the other forums rests with the community moderators and the Scratch Team. Meanwhile, we'd like to hear your feedback on these changes, including any suggestions or improvemetns you'd like to propose.

Scratch On!

juststickman · 2010-06-10 12:51:25

I don't really like the idea, many new members are a bit lazy when trying to find how to do something and therefore just post a new thread. Sure it happened while there were stickies, but with no stickies apart from this one, less newbies will look at the Itopics and therefore create more threads that could've been answered by looking at a stickied thread.

scmb1 · 2010-06-10 12:55:54

Hmm... I see both advantages and disadvantages to the method. The main advantage, in my opinion, is that the stickies will now take up less room. There is now more room for regular threads on the front page of the forum, so less threads will be buried before answered. On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.

Lightnin · 2010-06-10 13:37:49

scmb1 wrote:
On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.

Good points....

How about this?

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...

illusionist · 2010-06-10 13:47:52

Lightnin wrote:
scmb1 wrote:
On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.
Good points....

How about this?

http://infoscratch.media.mit.edu/sites/ … -title.png

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...

Change the color? Red maybe? big_smile

juststickman · 2010-06-10 13:48:41

illusionist wrote:
Lightnin wrote:
scmb1 wrote:
On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.
Good points....

How about this?

http://infoscratch.media.mit.edu/sites/ … -title.png

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...
Change the color? Red maybe?

No, black.

scmb1 · 2010-06-10 13:50:22

Lightnin wrote:
scmb1 wrote:
On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.
Good points....

How about this?

http://infoscratch.media.mit.edu/sites/ … -title.png

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...

Nice. big_smile

I like the idea of changing the color to make it stick out- it would have to be bright. Red or orange might work well.

Wolfie1996 · 2010-06-10 13:54:10

scmb1 wrote:
Lightnin wrote:
scmb1 wrote:
On the other hand, the one index stickied thread may not be enough to get people's attention, and users may miss the valuable information that the previous stickied threads contain.
Good points....

How about this?

http://infoscratch.media.mit.edu/sites/ … -title.png

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...
Nice.

I like the idea of changing the color to make it stick out- it would have to be bright. Red or orange might work well.

I think I read somewhere that red and orange are two of the most common colours that colour-blind people can't see hmm What about adding a small image (a mini Scratch cat, maybe?) next to each sticky...

juststickman · 2010-06-10 13:57:45

Or how about make the title animated (change colors, vibrate by moving back and forth)?

scmb1 · 2010-06-10 14:04:00

Wolfie1996 wrote:
scmb1 wrote:
Lightnin wrote:
Good points....

How about this?

http://infoscratch.media.mit.edu/sites/ … -title.png

Kind of kidding here.. but then again maybe we could find a way to emphasize the one sticky? Hmmm...
Nice.

I like the idea of changing the color to make it stick out- it would have to be bright. Red or orange might work well.
I think I read somewhere that red and orange are two of the most common colours that colour-blind people can't see What about adding a small image (a mini Scratch cat, maybe?) next to each sticky...

Good point... But I think they can see the text, they just see it as another color (commonly green, I think) instead. But how would I know? tongue

But anyway, I like the idea of an image better. Maybe the image could be next to the index and all of the former stickies.

Last edited by scmb1 (2010-06-10 14:04:31)

Stickman704 · 2010-06-10 14:30:21

juststickman wrote:
Or how about make the title animated (change colors, vibrate by moving back and forth)?

How about we change the size to 100, make it on a black bacakground with yellow writing (works, trust me) and write next to it, "we really want you to read this"

Or, we could go the other way and put "Do not click here" so everyone clicks it big_smile

The stickies is ok. It takes up less room.

coolstuff · 2010-06-10 15:55:40

juststickman wrote:
Or how about make the title animated (change colors, vibrate by moving back and forth)?

That would definitely get annoying hmm

I support putting an image next to it, like the bullet Scratch Cat they use on info.scratch.mit.edu.

mooseofawesomeness · 2010-06-10 23:44:25

I've seen several other forums with WAY too much sticky clutter, so I like it.

Jonathanpb · 2010-06-11 01:46:03

I think ten stickies and less is fine - more than that and there should be something done. smile

But All About Scratch had less than ten (I think seven or eight) - I don't think this was necessary. Maybe this could be done in New Scratch Members? It has ten stickies... then again, some stickies are almost duplicates of others... hmm

Chrischb · 2010-06-11 01:54:15

I'm happy with the method, except that:

1. It won't really get people's attention that easily... I like the ideas of a changing the sticky's title color or enlarging it - but having it in bold might be nicer in my opinion.
2. The sticky is closed, so we can't recommend threads for it - having it open would allow many more links, and would let users suggest threads that others have missed.
3. If this happens to every forum, I'll lose my stickies! sad tongue

Scratch

archived forums

#1 2010-06-10 12:38:32

Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#2 2010-06-10 12:51:25

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#3 2010-06-10 12:55:54

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#4 2010-06-10 13:37:49

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

scmb1 wrote:

#5 2010-06-10 13:47:52

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

Lightnin wrote:

scmb1 wrote:

#6 2010-06-10 13:48:41

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

illusionist wrote:

Lightnin wrote:

scmb1 wrote:

#7 2010-06-10 13:50:22

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

Lightnin wrote:

scmb1 wrote:

#8 2010-06-10 13:54:10

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

scmb1 wrote:

Lightnin wrote:

scmb1 wrote:

#9 2010-06-10 13:57:45

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#10 2010-06-10 14:04:00

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

Wolfie1996 wrote:

scmb1 wrote:

Lightnin wrote:

#11 2010-06-10 14:30:21

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

juststickman wrote:

#12 2010-06-10 15:55:40

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

juststickman wrote:

#13 2010-06-10 23:44:25

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#14 2010-06-11 01:46:03

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

#15 2010-06-11 01:54:15

Re: Feedback on new sticky strategy....

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