Support for Drupal 7 is ending on 5 January 2025—it’s time to migrate to Drupal 10! Learn about the many benefits of Drupal 10 and find migration tools in our resource center.people are still posting to queues to "follow" or "subscribe"
The first time I looked for the button, knowing it was there (somewhere) I had a hard time finding it. A button labeled "Following" is vague - does it mean "find out who is following"?
Perhaps it should be made crystal clear, from a UI/UX perspecive it is pretty vague.
Suggestion: Button text "Follow new posts on this thread" with explanation text "If you want to be notified of new posts on this thread, but you have nothing to contribute to it at this time, please use this button to follow it"
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(I subscribe to the UI/UX philosophy that people are more clueless than we think they are, and that an unfamiliar context makes everyone - including myself - a little dumber)
Comments
Comment #1
decibel.places CreditAttribution: decibel.places commentedI continue to see people posting on an issue to subscribe - eg http://drupal.org/node/939972#comment-5642488
Then there are often nasty/snarky comments chastising the person for not using the "Following" button (not in this case - yet)
Unless Drupal webmasters want it to be like some sort of secret handshake only known to insiders, there really needs to be more information about what it is and what it does.
Comment #2
gregglesLonger text isn't necessarily more intuitive, it's definitely much more likely not to be read.
I suggest you do some user testing with the current page and then present an alternate mockup and see.
We have some data about this that shows a dramatic fall-off in "subscribe" comments.
mysql> select count(1), from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') from comments where comments.comment like '%subscribe%' group by from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') order by timestamp desc;
+----------+------------------------------------+
| count(1) | from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') |
+----------+------------------------------------+
| 290 | February, 2012 |
| 351 | January, 2012 |
| 340 | December, 2011 |
| 432 | November, 2011 |
| 854 | October, 2011 |
| 1410 | September, 2011 |
| 1187 | August, 2011 |
| 1257 | July, 2011 |
| 1327 | June, 2011 |
| 1317 | May, 2011 |
| 1350 | April, 2011 |
| 1415 | March, 2011 |
| 1187 | February, 2011 |
| 1315 | January, 2011 |
| 802 | December, 2010 |
| 802 | November, 2010 |
| 823 | October, 2010 |
| 660 | September, 2010 |
| 621 | August, 2010 |
| 609 | July, 2010 |
| 631 | June, 2010 |
| 650 | May, 2010 |
| 651 | April, 2010 |
| 679 | March, 2010 |
| 562 | February, 2010 |
| 588 | January, 2010 |
| 512 | December, 2009 |
| 530 | November, 2009 |
| 559 | October, 2009 |
| 506 | September, 2009 |
| 512 | August, 2009 |
| 476 | July, 2009 |
| 474 | June, 2009 |
| 411 | May, 2009 |
| 512 | April, 2009 |
| 525 | March, 2009 |
| 487 | February, 2009 |
| 443 | January, 2009 |
| 349 | December, 2008 |
| 382 | November, 2008 |
| 365 | October, 2008 |
| 336 | September, 2008 |
| 336 | August, 2008 |
| 247 | July, 2008 |
| 264 | June, 2008 |
| 318 | May, 2008 |
| 262 | April, 2008 |
| 331 | March, 2008 |
| 247 | February, 2008 |
| 227 | January, 2008 |
| 221 | December, 2007 |
| 217 | November, 2007 |
| 170 | October, 2007 |
| 127 | September, 2007 |
| 136 | August, 2007 |
| 117 | July, 2007 |
| 108 | June, 2007 |
| 141 | May, 2007 |
| 123 | April, 2007 |
| 115 | March, 2007 |
| 105 | February, 2007 |
| 131 | January, 2007 |
| 75 | December, 2006 |
| 58 | November, 2006 |
| 97 | October, 2006 |
| 94 | September, 2006 |
| 112 | August, 2006 |
| 80 | July, 2006 |
| 60 | June, 2006 |
| 81 | May, 2006 |
| 62 | April, 2006 |
| 68 | March, 2006 |
| 95 | February, 2006 |
| 71 | January, 2006 |
| 26 | December, 2005 |
| 54 | November, 2005 |
| 44 | October, 2005 |
| 38 | September, 2005 |
| 30 | August, 2005 |
| 34 | July, 2005 |
| 16 | June, 2005 |
| 46 | May, 2005 |
| 13 | April, 2005 |
| 15 | March, 2005 |
| 13 | February, 2005 |
| 8 | January, 2005 |
| 8 | December, 2004 |
| 18 | November, 2004 |
| 8 | October, 2004 |
| 7 | September, 2004 |
| 5 | August, 2004 |
| 3 | July, 2004 |
| 13 | June, 2004 |
| 1 | May, 2004 |
| 3 | April, 2004 |
| 13 | March, 2004 |
| 6 | February, 2004 |
| 4 | January, 2004 |
| 9 | December, 2003 |
| 2 | November, 2003 |
| 7 | October, 2003 |
| 8 | September, 2003 |
| 6 | August, 2003 |
| 4 | June, 2003 |
| 2 | April, 2003 |
| 1 | March, 2003 |
| 1 | February, 2003 |
| 2 | January, 2003 |
| 1 | December, 2002 |
| 1 | November, 2002 |
| 2 | October, 2002 |
| 2 | September, 2002 |
| 1 | July, 2002 |
| 1 | June, 2002 |
| 1 | April, 2002 |
| 1 | March, 2002 |
+----------+------------------------------------+
If we look for literal "subscribe" comments those have fallen off even more and are declining at the same time commenting is increasing.
mysql> select count(1), from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') from comments where comments.comment = 'subscribe' group by from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') order by timestamp desc;
+----------+------------------------------------+
| count(1) | from_unixtime(timestamp, '%M, %Y') |
+----------+------------------------------------+
| 74 | February, 2012 |
| 88 | January, 2012 |
| 94 | December, 2011 |
| 148 | November, 2011 |
| 367 | October, 2011 |
| 728 | September, 2011 |
| 672 | August, 2011 |
| 656 | July, 2011 |
| 735 | June, 2011 |
| 755 | May, 2011 |
| 812 | April, 2011 |
| 846 | March, 2011 |
| 742 | February, 2011 |
| 782 | January, 2011 |
| 411 | December, 2010 |
| 408 | November, 2010 |
| 397 | October, 2010 |
| 317 | September, 2010 |
| 323 | August, 2010 |
| 285 | July, 2010 |
| 277 | June, 2010 |
| 300 | May, 2010 |
| 298 | April, 2010 |
| 330 | March, 2010 |
| 258 | February, 2010 |
| 248 | January, 2010 |
| 246 | December, 2009 |
| 227 | November, 2009 |
| 242 | October, 2009 |
| 239 | September, 2009 |
| 188 | August, 2009 |
| 188 | July, 2009 |
| 150 | June, 2009 |
| 146 | May, 2009 |
| 167 | April, 2009 |
| 187 | March, 2009 |
| 170 | February, 2009 |
| 129 | January, 2009 |
| 105 | December, 2008 |
| 138 | November, 2008 |
| 126 | October, 2008 |
| 121 | September, 2008 |
| 100 | August, 2008 |
| 67 | July, 2008 |
| 81 | June, 2008 |
| 87 | May, 2008 |
| 72 | April, 2008 |
| 86 | March, 2008 |
| 65 | February, 2008 |
| 51 | January, 2008 |
| 33 | December, 2007 |
| 101 | November, 2007 |
| 27 | October, 2007 |
| 19 | September, 2007 |
| 20 | August, 2007 |
| 6 | July, 2007 |
| 16 | June, 2007 |
| 31 | May, 2007 |
| 26 | April, 2007 |
| 4 | March, 2007 |
| 4 | February, 2007 |
| 11 | January, 2007 |
| 3 | December, 2006 |
| 1 | November, 2006 |
| 1 | September, 2006 |
| 1 | August, 2006 |
+----------+------------------------------------+
Comment #3
kingandy CreditAttribution: kingandy commentedIt may be significant that both of the linked comments are several mouse-wheels of scrolling down the page. No matter how big, obvious or intuitive the "Follow" button at the top of the page is, once you've read through a whole thread of comments and updates you're not necessarily going to go and look for it if you're in the habit of just commenting. (Actually, even if you're not in the habit it's arguably easier to type "+1" into the comment box - which is right there - than tapping the "Home" key and looking for the "Follow" button.)
Comment #4
silverwing CreditAttribution: silverwing commentedFor reference: #1307170: Make "Follow" button more findable
Comment #5
kingandy CreditAttribution: kingandy commentedI'd say that makes this a duplicate issue.
Comment #6
decibel.places CreditAttribution: decibel.places commented@greggles
I think that if I had a feature on a site I built that was misunderstood and/or completely missed by users, I would be required to make it more findable and make its label more clear.
I'm not suggesting a textbook - a sentence will do.
That means a lot of people got the message - why not make it easier for the rest who are still subscribing via comments?
Yes, seems to be a duplicate; however, I am not satisfied that the discussion about clarifying the button with an explanatory label there has addressed the issue of improving the UI/UX:
I move around a lot in my consulting. Sometimes what is obvious to a fresh look is not that obvious to people who are so close to the project day after day. Anybody who watched the Google tests of Drupal 7 usability understands that there is much to be improved in the Drupal UI; in fact, there is ALWAYS room for improvement in UI.
Once someone understands the placement and use of the Following button the explanatory text is unnecessary. Traditionally Drupal has had a steep learning curve, just check the newbies groups at any Drupal event. There is no need for the "insiders" to make the Following feature like a secret handshake for those "in the know."
Comment #7
gregglesThere are always going to be some people who miss it. We agree on the normative statement that we should make it as findable as its utility merits, but I disagree on the positive statement that longer text will make it more findable.
Your hypothesis is that longer or more text on the button will make it easier to find. My hypothesis is the opposite. We have testable hypotheses. We need tests to prove the hypothesis.
Comment #8
decibel.places CreditAttribution: decibel.places commentednot interested in debating further, my last comment:
"some people don't see the trees, only the forest"