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To sidebar or not to sidebar?


Morrigan
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Since I'm building a site (have been for a while) it always brings up the standard development questions, in this case it is whether or not I should put a sidebar on the site. While I know you can put all sorts of site information it always feels like it over clutters everything.

 

I will warn I'm not someone that likes information in the banner so that's a no go.

 

As an alternative I was thinking something on the main page of a carousel that auto scrolls, probably something that regular members can turn off if they want. It would be under the banner area but above the content.

 

Thoughts opinions?

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Profile set made by myself and original Artwork by Fae Merriman, my daughter.

 

 

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I prefer the sidebar for the ease of navigation. It's like... when side lining the notebook at school, if you remember that time ;)  It gives a pleasant aspect to the eye and all the information needed.

Edited by Elena
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I personally prefer sidebars.  And I don't mean the pop-out kind that most sites use, but the 2 or 3 column CSS layout that you'd see on a more "traditional" website.  They should show the same information regardless of what page your user's viewing, and they should include only the most frequently-used info, or links.

 

This helps your members feel more comfortable with the site, both because the navigation and important stuff is always within easy reach (they don't have to go digging for it!), and because your site will have a more professional presentation.  I've found that skins which appear more professional or appealing is almost as important as the plot or genre of your forum itself.

 

And of course you can always make a second skin without the sidebars, for those folks who feel they would rather not have to see them all the time.  But for the main skin that everyone sees upon their first visit, I personally feel it's a good idea to have those sidebars in place so that newbies can see a sort of "snapshot" of info about your site. 

 

:)

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It is so easy to overclutter a side bar, but when it's done nice and organized and has relevance, I LOVE them.

But yeah, I don't like when there's a bunch of random information that isn't necessary. It's very convenient to have important links and info that accessible, though.

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I like sidebars personally.  I think they are a good place to stick a bit of info about the site, some navigation stuff and maybe a cbox.  But I do agree they can be over filled and end up cluttered.

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Sidebars are such a nice place to put information. They're there, easy to find, and great for layout purposes. 

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