New forum top - please help us get it right.

MSE_Martin

Hi folks we're soon launching a top for the forum - it will go underneath the site masthead and replace the current light blue area which says

IMPORTANT! This forum isn't moderated.
If you spot a spam, illegal, offensive, racist, libellous post or PM please email

Remember, this is an open forum! Anyone can post so always exercise caution when acting on info.

Don't post links for personal gain. Except in the referrers section and always declare any interest.

The aim is for it to look nicer, get the messages across better, and allow people to find what they want more quickly.

Here's a first look (still in draft)...




IGNORE THE WORDING ON THAT IMAGE THOUGH - ITS JUST FOR LOOK THE FOLLOWING WILL CHANGE (thanks for the prior feedback on that)

The top line will say...

IMPORTANT! This is an open forum - anyone can post
Please exercise caution & report any spam, illegal, offensive, racist, libellous post to

And don't look at the four categories there, they'll actually be called

Forum Help (see below)
Etiquette - as it currently in the right hand bar
Forum Rules - linking to the full forum rules section
User Tools - going to the user tools panel

So my question for you is - what should go in the Forum Help Tab...

The aim here is very quick links to the things people often ask about the forum - seperate from the rules which are more detailed.

We want to keep it short and simple as possible and have written it that way.

The current plan is for it to say... {squiggly brackets} indicate hyperlinks

• ABUSE HELP : If you spot spam, an abusive, offensive or racist post please email {
  

• ACCOUNT HELP : If you want to ask about changing your username, have login problems, have password problems or a technical issue please email [EMAIL="{webmaster@moneysavingexpert.com"]{webmaster@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]}

• POSTING HELP: If you want to ask why a word can’t be typed, your signatures been changed, or a post has been deleted see the {forum rules} if you don’t find the answer you can ask [EMAIL="{forumhelp@moneysavingexpert.com"]{forumhelp@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]} though due to volumes we can’t guarantee replies.

And that's it - are we missing anything obvious - both as a category or as little commonly asked things that we could cover.

Thanks in advance

Martin

Pete*G_4

I like it

free4440273

Looks nice Marty

sammie1884

looks very nice and friendly I like it!

qwiksave

Are those stick people fighting in the bit above etiquette? Not sure I like that. Rest seems fine.

fluffnutter

Like the category boxes and little yellow morph-like people. Don't like the font.

And I know it's a draft but there's a typo on 'referal'...

captainhaggis

It's good, Martin (I particularly like the little orange fellas fighting!), but the top of the site always looks a little cluttered to me. Perhaps the "Start Here" box from the "Start Here" button down to the "Welcome, username" needs to be relocated (so the "Start Here" and the "Money Saving Articles").

savemoney

Looks nice and clean and crystal clear

alwaysonthego_2

I like it, it is clear and newbies can find the important info really easily.

I did not think that the stick people were fighting, I thought they were jiggying?

nordtraveller

It'll do nicely! :T

fermi

The "help" in ABUSE HELP: may lead people to think that they should expect a reply when reporting things to the abuse@ address. And that it is for asking questions of the FT.

Whereas presumably now queries on things like deleted posts and actions taken by the forum team should be directed to the forumhelp@ address where they will be addressed and replied to if resources allow?

I'm presuming that the intention is to separate out the actual abuse reporting process from the queries/answers that would previously have gone to the same address?

If so, I think it needs to be clearer that it's just abuse reports that go to the abuse@ address, and a reply it not normally to be expected.

Referring to ABUSE HELP : muddles the two.