"Start New Topic" Button on the forums root page

[Lava Guy]

It would be a great usability improvement if there was a button on the home page of the forums labeled: "Start New Topic". Then you could be prompted for a forum to place the topic in. Has anybody thought of this before? Is there a mod to do this?

[Michael]

The problem with doing this is that the actual posting screen can have a different layout depending on which forum you are posting in. If you have the ability to post HTML in one forum, the posting screen has to display that so you can choose its options.

You could maybe do it where it gives you a list of forums to start your topic in, you choose one, and it then directs you to the posting page appropriate for that forum, but that wouldn't actually be any savings in the number of clicks or pages you have to visit.

[Lee Craven]

Also for people who are new to 'forums' or not to savvy with them I feel admins would spend all night moving topics :P

[Lava Guy]

The main issue that I'm trying to address is helping new users figure out how to start a post. You end up on the forums home page and then you do what exactly? There's nothing inviting about how forums work. There's nothing intuitive about them.

You have to navigate to the proper forum first. Mainly because that's how some programmer decided it should be. It has nothing to do with usability.

[Martin A.]

Guess this could be done in the same way it works in IDM. When you click "Add file", you're asked to enter/verify the category you're about to post a file in.
If that's done before the actual posting screen is shown, the issues Michael pointed out would be gone.

[Brett B]

I feel like it would encourage impulsive making of new topics without even reading others or searching for similar ones, especially with new members.