GeoffK

A warning screen is technically unfeasable and while I want to accomidate the needs of those of you who want to avoid the mature area I don't want to do that at the expense fo those of you who want easy access to the mature area.

Josh H

Perhaps you could have a poll to see how many people want it removed from the drop downs here, and do a poll in mature to see how many would be annoyed if the mature link was removed from the drop downs, and then make an informed decision?

El Scorcho

I think that would be a fair way to handle this.

UWSarge

How about moving it's location in the drop down list and adding spacers around it ? Still gives easy access but makes accidental slips of when someone is trying to get to other or sports talk less possible since it would be somewhat isolated from the other links.

El Scorcho

(mature ad link)

http://ads.kleinman.com/ads/dvdempir...rchase_728.jpg

That's PG-13?

TheBang

I have to agree here. As we say in Hawaii, so hassle!

Someone who wants to keep their browsing work/family-safe has to click an extra link (to the front page) every time they want to switch forums?

Additionally, the accidental scrolling through the drop down menu actually happens a lot to me, so that it a legitimate concern that has not been currently addressed.

This is also a legitimate concern. And the toolbar does not work in non-IE browsers or on my Macintosh.

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Here's my proposed solution which requires a small amount of compromise on each side, but ultimately, I believe, addresses the concerns of all parties, while being technically feasible.

Geoff should create a static HTML page, say www.dvdtalk.com/mature.html

This page has non-adult banner ads (if he wants), and a big link in the middle that says "Warning! You are about to enter the Mature Forum! Please click here to continue if you are over 18!" And that link goes to the <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=32">Mature Forum</a>.

The drop-down menu on the front page, as well as top drop-down menu on all pages should contain a "Mature" line that links to the mature.html warning page.

The bottom drop-down menu on every forum page is auto-generated by the forum software, so it will still contain a "live" link to the <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=32">Mature Forum</a>, and this cannot be technically avoided at this point.
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Here's how it addresses everyone's concerns.

Geoff and Mature surfers:
Pros: Mature is still an easily accessible link in every drop-down menu on every page on the site.
Compromise: Mature links from the top drop-down menu require an extra click to get to the forum. However, the bottom drop-down menu is a direct link.

Work/Family-safe surfers:
Pros: If you accidentally click on Mature or accidentally auto-scroll to it in the top menu, you will get the warning screen first.
Compromise: You may accidentally go straight to the Mature forum if you use the bottom drop-down menu. Use only the top drop-down menu to be safe.

Also, you will go directly to the Mature forum if you click on the links in the <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/index.php?s=">Forum index page</a> or from sub-forum heading of the <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=9">Other Forum</a>. As I understand it, this is not as much a concern for people, as it is not as likely an accident to occur.

This also does not address if a thread gets moved from another forum into Mature, and you click on an old (or redirect) link. There's no easy technical solution to this.

X

Actually, there is a relatively easy solution. Do a copy to Mature and a delete of the original thread.

TheBang

Ah, indeed. But isn't that such a hassle for the mods.

X

Yes it is.

Of course there's AndyCapps' solution of just deleting it. Eventually that could also serve the purpose of discouraging the thread being in the wrong forum in the first place.

Venusian

deleting threads probably won't work because someone will just recreate it thinking it disappeared and not realizing it was deleted for content.


I was not aware that the bottom pulldown menu was auto-generated. I guess you'd have to either remove it or just leave the mature link there. I don't think it'd be too big of a hassle to remove mature from the pull down menu on top.

Ranger

I think the forum software has the capability to email the thread-starter whatever a mod deletes his thread. But if the thead was lengthy, and the user is not able to find it or copy it himself to repost it in the correct forum, there may be a problem.

But on the mature link- I am careful to not over-scroll when using the drop-down list. But sometimes, I've accidently gone to the mods' forum. How about a warning screen for that?

I don't think it's a big deal, if people are asking for the mature forum to have a warning screen which isn't possible, I guess, they might as well ask the same thing about the adult dvd reviews sections. I do think the adult sections of this forum are just a little too easy to access.

Josh H

It's not quite as big of an issue, as it's at the bottom of the forum drop downs. I dont' read the reviews here, so I'm never clicking links in that section of the drop downs, where as I sometimes accidentally hit mature when trying to go to sports.

It's still and issue with the mouse scroll wheel problem, but it's so far down I usually realize I'm in the drop down before I scroll that far down the drop down menu.

But it's a fair point that it should be harder to access as well, at least from the point of view of some of us.

El Scorcho

My browser had a tiny freeze (about a quarter second, probably) while I was trying to scroll to the sports forum and it put me into the mature forum.

I'm not sure why this is something that can't be moved towards the bottom and has to be lodged between two popular forums on the drop down list above.

Buford T Pusser

*resists urge to tell ES to kill himself over it already

Ranger

It could be argued that the mature forum is just as popular (although I don't go there that often anymore) as the other two forums. While people can complain about one thing, what about the adult dvd empire link? It's right below the home button? Or the reviews section (some people DO go the the reviews section, Josh). So to be consistent on content, the forum would need an overhaul which I don't think anyone wants to go through.

Josh H

I agree. If it can't be taken out of the drop down, at least put it further down the list and away from sports. Maybe put it, and the adult review link, together at the very bottom of it.

That would reduce accidental clicks, and I don't think it would be a burden at all on members wanting to access those areas as they'd still be in the drop downs.

El Scorcho

Local drugstore is out of sleeping pills.

Trevor

I vote for this also.

The accidental-mouse-wheeling-to-mature problem is more common than people think.

Between this problem and the very prominent link to adult DVD reviews on every screen, I will probably make a mistake and get in trouble at work someday.

El Scorcho

Another misclick landed me in Mature today.

X

I suggest Favorites links.

Josh H

I had a mouse scroll do the same to me today.

I really don't see why this can't be changed.

Adam Tyner

...then I'd suggest not using the dropdown.

As far as I know, the only way to change its placement in the dropdown short of writing a custom hack would be to relocate the subforum's position globally. A subforum makes the most sense, as that makes it less prominent, but that'll always place it in close proximity to a popular forum. There's no getting around that. If Geoff breaks out the Mature subforum into a separate forum, people will complain that it's too prominent. If Geoff moves the subforum, people will complain that now it's too close to ______ forum instead.

A few possibilites:

1) Deleting the forum entirely: The least preferable solution, I'd imagine.
2) Making "Mature" a hidden forum that only users specifically granted access would be able to see: Time-consuming on the part of mods/admins, plus there would need to be some way for users to know this subforum exists...people won't request access if they don't know it exists, after all...and people would probably complain about whatever method there was of providing that sort of notification.
3) Making "Mature" a public forum that would be hidden to users specifically requesting not to see it: Dunno if this is technically feasible with the software, but this would seem to be the most attractive approach if it is. A new "user group" could be created that would be able to see most of the forums, but not "Mature". Users would have to be added manually, but I would think this would be a fairly small number, especially when compared to the moderation chores related to the previous approach. Static links/dropdowns would obviously still make reference to 'Mature'.

I can understand the problems with the mouse wheel...it's happened to me, but I don't care and neither does anyone else in my office. As for the "Adult DVD Video" link, I personally think that's a pretty silly complaint.

Josh H

I don't see a problem with just making it a normal forum, and thus then the link could be moved futher down the drop down list. Being a sub-forum is just a technicality IMO.

Not using the drop down is too much of a hassle, I'd quit viewing the whole site first.

Ranger

We need a training program that teaches select members to be mean, lean accurate clickers.



Don't think you're going to the Sports forum. Know you are going to the Sports forum.

MJKTool

Thats what I do. I've got all my favorite dvdtalk forums on the links toolbar.