Navigation style in this forum

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We’re currently using a drop down menu for site navigation in this forum.
I find it a bit cumbersome to open a menu first before being able to navigate.
Discourse offers a sidebar as a different option. It’s even the default which is overriden in our configuration (for reasons unknown to me).
I would personally prefer the sidebar over drop down menu. Anyone else?

Drop down menu:

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Sidebar:

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Unlike some other interface options, this is a global setting. If we change it, this change applies to all users.

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Definitely not the sidebar from my point of view. I do not like how it shift the content to out of center. I can honestly say I never used the dropdown, at least the one in your screenshot.

I have it setup so the main page is Latest and just keep an eye on that. If I want to go to a specific topic (which isn’t often), I can just click those categories and/or tags dropdowns, or even the Categories button right next to the other dropdowns. Which IMO is cleaner than having the extra clutter of the sidebar when I wouldn’t use it 99% of the time.

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Ultimately I guess it just comes down to how everyone uses the forums :person_shrugging:.

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I don’t recall any decision between sidebar and dropdown. Maybe it was not a thing when we started.

I don’t have huge preferences.

When I started I think I based some decisions from elixir forum, which changed a lot since then! They have a sidebar :sweat_smile: . Other forums I visit use the dropdown.

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Forgot to mention, if you don’t plan to use the sidebar, you can collapse it. That’s an individual setting for every user (or user session?). Then the content is centered.

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Do you know where? Because I happened to use the forums when you had it enabled and immediately tried to get rid of it and I couldn’t find anything :sweat_smile:.

But if that’s the case then I don’t really have strong feelings which one we use.

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Burger icon right next to the page title.
Essentially it’s the same icon with the same function (show/hide navigation) as with the drop down menu. Only difference is the placement (and the shape of the navigation).

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Rarely use the dropdown, seems a bit archaic to me.

The sidebar seems more like what I’m used to from other places.

Had me a bit worried as I’m mostly in a half screen width browser, which makes some sites think I’m on a tablet and remove stuff. But if it’s collapsible, I think I’m good.

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I do the same as @Blacksmoke16 and just squat on Latest :slight_smile: I don’t have feelings either way. I’m mostly reading the forums on my phone, so I’ll also parrot @Xen that as long as everything is collapsible, then no objections from me either.

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There were no objections, so I feel free to continue.

I have activated the sidebar navigation now.

Now that everyone has a hands-on experience, maybe we’ll notice some issues or inconveniences.
If you do, please leave a comment here.

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Well, I’ve grown quite fond of it. It’s improved my navigation.

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I almost forgot that the navigation style had recently changed. I seem to forget everything so easily.