Jump to content

Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Usability/Search box poll 2010

Page contents not supported in other languages.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
< Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Usability

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Patton123 (talk | contribs) at 18:41, 19 May 2010 (→‎Left navigation (Left)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Apparently, there was a former straw poll on including a second search box at the header back in 2006: Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Usability/Main Page/Draft/Search box poll; Many users dislike the new interface and dislike the placement of the search box at the top. As it stands, the current user feedback on the Search box specifically is disorganized, and very difficult to see. This is an attempt to organize the opinions and views into a vote, including reasons behind them from individual users. Only confirmed users will be allowed to vote. --AllyUnion (talk) 02:47, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Comments on this issue are to be reserved on Wikipedia:User experience feedback/search box. --AllyUnion (talk) 02:50, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Note: Since the third option is a compromise of both, it will give insight to those willing to compromise (even if it might look redundant or stupid).

The design of the site interface is proposed as three options:

  1. Keep as is (in the new design) AKA Search box on the top header
  2. Restore search box on the left navigation (as in the old design) AKA Search box on the left navigation
  3. Have a transitional phase by including the search box in both the top header and left navigation AKA have it both until users can decide which seems better of the two

Straw poll

Top header (Top)

  1. because (a) it's wide and (b) humans tend to first focus on the top right corner when looking at a new page. Skäpperöd (talk) 13:42, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
    Strange I always look at the top left corner or top middle first, and I doubt any research that has shown this. When I first saw this new skin it took me about 2 whole seconds to find the search bar. I don't mind it being at the top, but not the top right corner.--92.251.251.141 (talk) 18:25, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  2. User testing says that the top-right positioning is better for newbies. Personal preference can be satisfied with user customizations; much of the vocal resistance is due to the historical position of the search box. Although unregistered users can't have preferences (a technical issue due to Wikipedia's use of server-side caching), it seems silly that an objectively better (as confirmed by user testing) interface (a usability issue) should be avoided because people who are unwilling to register an account to change their settings don't do so. Wikipedia's left-hand search has long been used as an example of bad design—now it's been improved. Let's not cause a regression. {{Nihiltres|talk|edits|⚡}} 18:39, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Left navigation (Left)

  1. Left. As an old Wikipedia user, I've been accustomed to the search box on the left. It's been like that for years. --AllyUnion (talk) 02:47, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Left as it was. I never managed to locate it on the new design and have swirched back to the old. If it's not broken don't fix it.  Giacomo  13:33, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Left Put the search box back where it was. Mjroots (talk) 16:59, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Top of left bar ... (talk) 17:45, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Left please Tex (talk) 17:50, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  6. Directly below the logo For a number of reasons
    1. The logo attracts attention and the search box would be very obvious underneath it.
    2. It keeps to a logical layout, with tools for navigating Wikipedia on the left, and tools for viewing and changing the current page at the top. Why should the search box, the main tool for navigating Wikipedia, be in the latter place?
    3. Certainly I tend to look either at the top left or top middle first. Our language reads left-to-right. It took me 1-2 seconds, amazingly enough, to notice the new search box. I dispute any research showing humans look at the top right first. That is true for images, not web pages. This study prooves that people look at the top left first, and top right last.
    4. Lastly, it's been on the left side for most of Wikipedia's history.--Patton123 (talk) 18:41, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Top and Left (Both)

  1. Both. I am willing to compromise on the issue, and allow time for users to deal with the transition of changing the search box's location. --AllyUnion (talk) 02:47, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Both. For best usability, a search box should be included in the location where users are most likely to look. It's fairly obvious that many users naturally look to the left, especially as this is standard practice in many other MediaWiki installations (not just Wikipedia). Other usability testing says that some users tend to prefer a search box at the top. So have the best of both worlds, include search boxes at both top and left, and then add something to Preferences to allow logged-in users to customize things as they like. --Elonka 03:11, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Weak Both. I would like it back onthe left, but having it both places would be okeh IF it doesn't confuse people ("Huh?, are these two boxes for two different kinds of searches?" -- I don't know if any-one would react that way, but it should be checked out some-how.) Kdammers (talk) 09:05, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
    1. Comment- What about, the current one at the top being the "go" search that most visitors will want, and a new one at the left where the previous one was, being the "search" function (which I miss)? {{Sonia|talk|simple}} 10:03, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Both The Ebay Advanced search has got a top box and a network of lower boxes and I'm pretty sure this is not an uncommon thing. A little box to the left, a big box at the top, and everyone is happy. Carrite (talk) 14:24, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Both Maybe one of the advantages of using the top right search box would be bigger letters and more space. However, keeping the search box in the left is what MILLIONS of users are used to after YEARS of using the wikipedia. I found it practical and intuitive for the search box to be very near the Wikipedia logo, which is the first thing that catches one's attention. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.88.212.43 (talk) 17:54, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

I noticed that this page is semi-protected. May I suggest that we unprotect it? If new/unregistered users participate, we can simply move their comments to a separate section. If nothing else, we should provide a link to some place where they can comment on the poll, rather than simply barring their participation. --Elonka 13:12, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

  • Personally I don't care, because I've already turned off the new features. However, I think that some anonymous users might be upset that we've foisted these changes on them without any way for them to opt-out short of creating an account. –xenotalk 13:19, 19 May 2010 (UTC) Hilarious that this was semi-protected, by the way. Way to listen to your readers![reply]
  • I don't really care about the location of the "search" box, but i care strongly about the fact that currently it is impossible to search Wikipedia using it. See bug 23558. --Amir E. Aharoni (talk) 16:04, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Both" is a silly option

"Both" is a silly option. If people prefer the left-hand search bar, they will use the left-hand search bar. They will not use the top-right search bar, and will thus complain just as loudly if the left-hand one is ever removed as they are complaining now about the move. Further, the duplication of search elements would be confusing to those who didn't understand it. {{Nihiltres|talk|edits|⚡}} 18:39, 19 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Usability/Search_box_poll_2010&oldid=363052228"