First time users that come to this site because of our main www.InternationalDiscussions.com domain are shown the Portal as the very first page. Consider the Portal in your skin. Did it supply you with enough information so as to guide you deeper into the Community? Do you ever find yourself looking at it now and again or never?
The executive skin is hard to manuever from the initial portal, but the dark matrix one is easy to start from. I actually dont even start at the portal anymore. My bookmark goes straight to the all boards page. Depending, I have a quick link to unread page too, but that link doesnt always work. When I first started, dark matrix was the hot skin, and I thought the portal was not only easy to manuever around in, but found that it was set up in a fashion that allowed me to learn the layout of the site easily. It didnt take long for me to be able to drill down exactly where I wanted as soon as hit the portal running. Its been months since I have looked at it, I suppose I should look at it again to see if anything has been changed.
Good feedback. The Executive Skin has been made more compact recently with the addition of 'Remote Control' and you will find that the Portal never changes because it is meant only as an entry page. However the Photo Gallery and Latest Sticky Articles are updated when something new is added there.
For the first two months I entered through the portal, I always had the sound down on my computer. Usually when I'm on my computer I'm watching a movie or something, so I keep my speakers muted. Well, one day I had been listening to a CD on my computer as I cleaned it, so I had had the volume up fairly loud. Well, I forgot to mute it, and I opened up the page. Next thing I know, the welcoming voice was blaring out of my computer. It scared me to the point of screaming.
Sometimes I'll check out the portal as I'm signing in if I'm not in a huge hurry. I like that it has the latest discussions on it to see what's active at the moment.
QUOTE (BabyBlues) |
It scared me to the point of screaming. |
I haven't been to the portal in a long, long time. I have the all boards page set as my bookmark. Now with the toolbar, I go directly to the Hot Topics page, since that is usually what I go to first anyway. The portal does provide a lot of information to a new user, and is a good way to begin learning how to navigate around the forum.
I have to say, since I usually come on this site at night when all is very quiet at the house, the welcome voice is not always welcome if I use the portal. However, it is sufficiently informative and inviting. I would rather click on a link in a topic reply e-mail and go directly to the topic and board I want. My one peeve about this is that since I use public computers often, I click on the link in the e-mail, then cannot reply to a post without signing in, and once I sign in it doesn't return me to the thread, but to the main board menu.
QUOTE (Howe6079) |
...the welcome voice is not always welcome if I use the portal |
QUOTE |
My one peeve about this is that since I use public computers often, I click on the link in the e-mail, then cannot reply to a post without signing in, and once I sign in it doesn't return me to the thread |