We're working on the individual post options and are thinking of making some changes, but figured I'd open it up to discussion first.

Right now, if you can quote/reply, you also get the quick quote/quick reply option. So that's 4 buttons right there, and a bit redundant.

The current thought is to combine them. You'd just get a quote button and a reply button that would default to the quick reply area, and then you could switch to the full reply screen if you wanted to from there.

Feedback appreciated.

Just a preemptive "I know we can do that"

I know we can just give a control panel option to display all buttons like now, or just the two.

Why not just have the reply and quote buttons become a drop down list. If quick reply or quote is enabled then it can be selected.

Thought about a dropdown, but everyone is used to buttons for the various post options, not only from our prior/current versions but it's pretty much the norm on all forums. Plus, many people will want to style them, add images, etc. So we need to stick with a series of buttons as they are now.

i like your idea of going from 4 buttons to 2.. and i rarely even use the Quick Reply or Reply buttons anyway, since it's showflat mode and if i'm 'out of order' i just 'quick quote' whoever i want to 'reply' to

if that makes sense..

bottom line: 2 buttons instead of 4 is better and i agree with you

This is the way I look at it.
Currently Quick reply is a option to enable or disable.
Quick quote I can't find a option.
So if quick reply is turned off...
Then what?
Open a child window for the quick reply?

So if you delete the two buttons. You are left with reply and quote.
Options could be pertinent on what control panel selection is made. I guess.



My 2 cents.

Well if we go to only 2 buttons and the quick reply area is disabled in the control panel, then it will go to the full reply screen instead.

I should add that the main reason we're looking at this, is we've been parsing out the logs for the past couple of months and only a small fraction of replies are done from the full reply screen (about 85% are done from the quick reply area).

i've also gone further with a mod to allow the users the OPTION to have the full reply set of buttons shown above the quick reply.. it's cached, so it isn't re-smartied each/every time either, plus the images are already Etagged..

90% of users use quick reply area for new posts and from a quick query of what percent chose to have the buttons... 60% wanted it 40% either didn't choose it or left it default..

2000 users...

edit: lol, rick kinda beat me to it

That is okay by me.
What happens if it is enabled?
Will users be forced to go to the quick reply screen first.
I don't like that.