Navigating at MM Options

[Cleo_Serapis]

Update: Here is the OVERLAY page I just completed. It can serve as a start for discussion. As a design idea, I took some elements from a few different sites, while maintaining the forum board's look and feel. Trust me, it's ALL HTML hand-coded by the Cleo.  

Please let me know what you think...    

Click HERE to view this alternative forum entry page (in draft)...


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Navigation concerns:

I cannot think of any other ways to make MM simplier to navigate, other than to design an over-lay optional page. Each forum board itself will look and feel the same once you are in the actual forum.

To navigate around MM today, we have the following informtation:
[*]Category links: Will direct you to that section of the forum, e.g. For the Poet in You.
[*]Forum links: Will direct you t that specific area of writing on the board, e.g. Seren's Synapse, our freeform poetry for critique area.
[*]The Team List link to contact the staff (near board stats).
[*]The "Contact US" form on the home page. Here is the link as well.
[*]The current forum board display (restictions by Ikonboard out of my design control)  with descriptions of what is inside each forum.
[*]The written site map (link at top of page and on home page) with a link back to the home page Here.
[*]The graphical index site map here.
[*]The 'send message' buttons/links in each post to PM a member.



Your ideas are welcome to assist with ideas.
TY!
~Cleo  :block:

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi everyone.

As you like it:

I've re-arranged the categories and added a new one for New Members (which I'll detail later in this tile).

Now, you will see the following categories at the forum start page:
[*]New Member Palace (NEW)
[*]Poseidon's Poetry (Poetry forums here)
[*]Pompeii's Prose (Prose forums here)
[*]Pericle's Preambles (General Site Information)
[*]Mount Olympus (Challenges of God-like Proportions)
[*]Atum's Annex (Miscellany)
[*]Mosaic Marketplace (Store and ECards)
[*]The Gilgamesh Gallery (Images to Muse Over)
[*]Ming Tombs (For Members Only)
[*]Mosaic Member Showcase (NEW)

I've re-used the forum: 'Ankgor Watt Accolades' for the Newbies to MM. All links to each category and forum remain the same, but I will be re-formatting the Site Map so it is in order with this new shuffling.

A few words about this new forum:
It is designed for NEWBIES to MM who may not be confident in where to begin posting. We would like see them perhaps introduce theirselves to MM, ask questions, post their works for our 'tender touch' with the intention of simply getting their feet wet. Guests can also read, reply and start topics in this forum. If we should deem posts inappropriate (based on our TOU), they will be moved into "Ra's Renderings" (the post only, not our feedback) which is accessed by our mentors, with a comment attached - Content not appropriate at MM.

We do not expect existing members to post new topics, but we DO encourage you to REPLY to any threads that are posted to assist in welcoming the newbies (or guests) to MM while they settle in. Thank you Arnfinn (John) for asking about this and to Nina, Jox and Toumai (among others) for your ideas.

We will need to determine at what point the newbies should stop posting in this forum and start posting in the appropriate forums e.g. Herme's, Stonehenge, Plato's Pearls as we get there.

Thanks all!
~Cleo