How do you use Popular Boards?

[marcia2]

I, for one, couldn't care less which boards are most popular. What I really want is a list, always visible on the right side of the page, which lists all the boards, in alphabetical order, and which is easy to read, as this one is not.

Or maybe, a button to click which would allow the list to toggle between alpha order and popularity order.

But the list is incredibly hard to read and I don't care a bit about the function that the hard to readness is meant to supply.

What do you think? Am I in the minority or would most users like to see a change?

[Bobfrmia]

Wow, until reading this and going back to look for it, I've never noticed Popular boards. I think I have achieved the ability to auto filter things that are just a mess.

[marcia2]

Are the people who run this place listening? Doesn't sound like people want or use the popularity function. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to click on the little boards arrow to get a list of boards, but could just move from one board to another by clicking on an easy to read item on a list that's always visible on the right margin?

Helllooo? Designers? Are you paying attention?????????

[The Dairy Queen]

I use it all the time, but I think I'm in the minority.

When I come to chowhound.com, it only takes one click to get to the Midwest board from the "popular boards" rainbow/tag list. If I use the "boards" menu (right underneath the CHOWHOUND banner), it takes 2 clicks. One to bring down the list of boards, another to pick the board of my choice.

However, count me among those who don't care which boards are most "popular," i.e., which have the most posting activity. Afterall, the high posting volume on the Los Angeles board isn't going to help me eat much better in Minneapolis. (Not completely true--sometimes I do learn things from the other regional boards...but, for the most part, I only visit 1 or 2 of my favorite regional boards and the more general boards.)

What annoys me about the rainbow tag cloud is that the font size and colors are constantly changing (depending on relative posting volumes of the various boards.) This defeats the purpose for me of having it be a "short-cut" to the Midwest because each time I have to search for it. Is it yellow medium font today? Blue small font today? Etc. I want it to be the same everytime so I know exactly what I'm looking for.

I'd like to see the feature renamed to be "short-cut to boards" and have the colors and fonts be static. Also, there's something wonky with the spacing (probably to accomodate the constantly changing font sizes) that I'd like to see changed...

~TDQ

[Snackish]

I think it is by far the stupidest and ugliest thing on this board, and I am boycotting it.

I also think the way the "Boards" link works is stupid - I am forever clicking on the word and getting hot posts or whatever the hell it is that pops up, and having to go back and click on the stupid tiny down arrow.

Grrr.

[toodie jane]

boy, ditto on that--really annoying when it could be so easy

[Chris Mitra]

I think it is a ridiculously mis-used UI paradigm. You would think on a site about food, folks would not be drinking Web 2.0 kool-aid. :)

[Chris VR]

I never use it. Which board is most popular has no bearing on how relevant it is to my needs. I'd prefer to see that area used for a static version of the dropdown board menu.

[msbo78]

Add me to the list of people who never use the popular boards. I always use the little arrow, which I find to be a total pain.

[Sharuf]

Where is "Popular Boards"? I don't see it.

[ElsieDee]

If you go to the CH home page (http://www.chowhound.com/) the "Popular Boards" feature is on the upper right side of the page - it's the multi-colored "cloud" of board names - the larger the font, the more "popular" the board, I believe.

[jhammon]

I have no use for the Popular Boards list and I never look at it. I just click on the Boards link at the top of the page, which is useful. I can't think of any possible use for Popular Boards list as it now appears.

[oolah]

The popular boards list is a mis-implementation of a common web navigation device called a tag cloud. These are useful when you're trying to quickly pick out the most commonly used key words. As you pointed out, however, no one cares which board is most popular. It's just not important information in this case -- people will go to the board that near where they live or where they're visiting, regardless of its popularity.

I agree -- the designers should really kill this and replace it with a list.

[QueenB]

I never use Popular Boards.

[ChinoWayne]

I don't use Popular Boards, I click the down arrow next to Boards in the banner near the top of this page and get the board index that way, then I visit the boards I am interersted in.