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⛅ New emojis in forum names. Good or bad?

The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I was wondering why they were appearing all of a sudden! Thought it was a new feature I’d missed and folks were adding them themselves 😁

edit to add: I don't think they're necessary but they don't bother me.
 
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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I’m a reluctant convert to the ‘key words
They are called "tags" and they serve as a way to collect threads that have been posted in any of the forum sections. For example all threads tagged with "history" can be gathered from all forums. A thread can be tagged with more than one tag, but it can sit in only one forum/sub-forum. Tags are quite useful, although I can understand that the appropriate visual display on your screen is arguable.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Bad. Really bad. Check the UX literature on use of icons.
These icons add nothing to my comprehension of the navigation. Serves to confuse and irritate.

Especially when using a mobile phone or other device with limited space on the screen - First time I saw them, I looked at the blobs and it took a while to work out "Oh. That's a shoe. The site wants me to know that shoes are equipment? WTF?"
 
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I don’t mind these icons but please use them either systematically or sparingly. For example icons to mark each of the caminos instead of only those for which a suitable icon can be found. Or perhaps only an icon for the Camino Frances as it is the most important one, especially for newcomers who need to find their way around. Any suggestions other than the French flag?
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I didn't see them till you mentioned them, Ivar. I don't see what I don't need to see, so in fact they don't add to my experience. That said, I will continue not seeing them whenever I am looking for things if they become a feature!
You are working hard to keep the forum experience a pleasant and easy one to navigate, thank you.
 
I don’t mind these icons but please use them either systematically or sparingly. For example icons to mark each of the caminos instead of only those for which a suitable icon can be found. Or perhaps only an icon for the Camino Frances as it is the most important one, especially for newcomers who need to find their way around. Any suggestions other than the French flag?
With all due respect one Camino is in no way more important than another.
 
With all due respect one Camino is in no way more important than another.
It is on this forum. There are 14,100 threads in the section for the Camino Francés. The section for the camino in second place has only 3,800 threads and the others even less. I assume that the icons ought to have some purpose, like helping to find your way around here or finding information quickly, and not just decoration.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Bad. Really bad. Check the UX literature on use of icons.
These icons add nothing to my comprehension of the navigation. Serves to confuse and irritate.

Especially when using a mobile phone or other device with limited space on the screen - First time I saw them, I looked at the blobs and it took a while to work out "Oh. That's a shoe. The site wants me to know that shoes are equipment? WTF?"
Shoes are equipment.
 
I don’t mind these icons but please use them either systematically or sparingly. For example icons to mark each of the caminos instead of only those for which a suitable icon can be found. Or perhaps only an icon for the Camino Frances as it is the most important one, especially for newcomers who need to find their way around. Any suggestions other than the French flag?
I have removed the flags for the Caminos. Not all forums will have an icon...
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
It is on this forum. There are 14,100 threads in the section for the Camino Francés. The section for the camino in second place has only 3,800 threads and the others even less. I assume that the icons ought to have some purpose, like helping to find your way around here or finding information quickly, and not just decoration.
Most popular does not equal most important. There is no ranking system to designate one Camino as more important than another. Each Camino has historical and present day significance for those who have walked before us and long afterwards. Buen Camino.
 
Alas, I'm a bit tired of all the ways to grab people's attention - cute, colorful, jumping around, etc. My reading skills are sufficient for my searching purposes. ;-)
Just my input as requested, no criticism intended...
 
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Most popular does not equal most important. There is no ranking system to designate one Camino as more important than another. Each Camino has historical and present day significance for those who have walked before us and long afterwards.
I could probably cite 10 reasons that set the Camino Frances apart from the other caminos in Spain and Portugal. It would make sense to mark threads concerning the Camino Frances as there are, for technical reasons, not enough suitable emojis to mark them all.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
IMHO, I think it is important that @ivar is experimenting with improvements for better navigation, orientation, etc. Some things will improve readability, others not. Trial and error will give the answers. It is called development.

Personally, a little tag indicating which Camino a post is about, would help a lot.

A small sigh from my heart: In these times of restrictions, ESPECIALLY; I am so happy to have this Forum to rely on as a ventilation of my Camino longings. Write in Urdu if needed, @ivar : I'll read it with Google Translate.
 
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Alas, I'm a bit tired of all the "new & improved" ways to grab people's attention - cute, colorful, jumping around, etc. My reading skills are sufficient for my searching purposes. ;-)
But a skill that can be improved, no doubt. I am open to anything that can improve my navigation skills, as is tested here. It is a test. Let @ivar play. This is his baby. And he loves his baby, no doubt.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I have added a few emojis to some of the forum names on the forum.
I have no real opinion on the emojis but I'm already missing having the three 'latest/newest questions'...can we please go back to that rather than just showing the one?
A lot of us don't have the time to scroll through every single topic to find a new thread. With only one new question showing, I find if it's not of particular interest to me, I log out rather than staying online. With the previous format of three questions visible, I usually found at least one of interest & was more likely to stay online &/or contribute a response.
Just a thought... 😊
Thanks.
👣 🌏
 
I have no real opinion on the emojis but I'm already missing having the three 'latest/newest questions'...can we please go back to that rather than just showing the one?
A lot of us don't have the time to scroll through every single topic to find a new thread. With only one new question showing, I find if it's not of particular interest to me, I log out rather than staying online. With the previous format of three questions visible, I usually found at least one of interest & was more likely to stay online &/or contribute a response.
Just a thought... 😊
Thanks.
👣 🌏
I have the "New Posts" bookmarked.

 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I always thought emojis were about emotions, not about navigation or sorting or clarifying anything but 'how i feel'. Somebody please educate me!! I am sure they have evolved since I was playing with 'dingbat' font in the early 90s.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I have no real opinion on the emojis but I'm already missing having the three 'latest/newest questions'...can we please go back to that rather than just showing the one?
A lot of us don't have the time to scroll through every single topic to find a new thread. With only one new question showing, I find if it's not of particular interest to me, I log out rather than staying online. With the previous format of three questions visible, I usually found at least one of interest & was more likely to stay online &/or contribute a response.
Just a thought... 😊
Thanks.
👣 🌏
When I open the forum, I click straight to What's new. Five items show up - I think it is five! That starts me off, then I click show more. If I am looking for a thread that has moved far down the list, I search the name of the op.
 
I always thought emojis were about emotions, not about navigation or sorting or clarifying anything but 'how i feel'. Somebody please educate me!! I am sure they have evolved since I was playing with 'dingbat' font in the early 90s.
No, you’ve not missed anything. They’re simply part of the slow drift towards a ten-second attention span and the inability to construct a sentence becoming normalised.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I always thought emojis were about emotions, not about navigation or sorting or clarifying anything but 'how i feel'. Somebody please educate me!! I am sure they have evolved since I was playing with 'dingbat' font in the early 90s.
What you are referring to are emoticons. Emoji is a Japanese word and apparently means simply picture word. It‘s a kind of visual abbreviation, similar to a yellow arrow or a stylised scallop shell.

So I have learnt today that the word emoji comes from Japanese e (絵, "picture") + moji (文字, "typographic character").
 
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I always thought emojis were about emotions, not about navigation or sorting or clarifying anything but 'how i feel'. Somebody please educate me!! I am sure they have evolved since I was playing with 'dingbat' font in the early 90s.

I still call them ‘smilies’ ... 🤷🏼‍♀️


... and haven’t yet spotted them on threads ...
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I always thought emojis were about emotions, not about navigation or sorting or clarifying anything but 'how i feel'. Somebody please educate me!! I am sure they have evolved since I was playing with 'dingbat' font in the early 90s.
I am also something of an old fogey in the field of emojis. But I can see from their use by my younger colleagues on discussion forums (e.g. Slack) that they have developed quite a vocabulary, and one that is constantly growing. They are used, not just to convey emotion, but as a shorthand and a colourful way to express a variety of concepts, not just in posts but associated with them (think of the reaction emojis here in this forum with the hands together for "thank you" and the person walking for "buen camino").

I can see them being used as a similar visual and colourful way to augment a forum name. Personally, I don't have strong opinions either for or against.
 
Some points from the discussion that I absolutely agree with:
  1. This site is Ivar's baby and he will do as he sees fit.
  2. It's nice that Ivar has asked members what they think.
  3. Success comes from iteration - and willingness to fail is essential
  4. Shoes are equipment
My thoughts in response to these points:
  1. There is no dispute. This is Ivar's baby and he will do as he sees fit.
  2. It could be nicer:
    (a) Ivar's interpretation of the survey results (grouping "indifferent" with "positive" and claiming an overwhelming mandate) is a politician's use of data rather than a business person's use of data.
    (b) The fact that Ivar "likes" posts that support his decision and does not "like" those that are critical creates an "echo chamber," that disincentives opposing points of view.
  3. (a) Progress comes from experimentation, but smart experimentation avoids failures that others have documented:
    (b) Don't judge the experiment by survey responses alone. Track engagement metrics and monitor search to see if the addition of icons has any impact. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
  4. I already knew this.

Bottom line = This is Ivar's baby and he will do as he sees fit.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-

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