"User CP" label confusing to Newbies ...

XavierP · 06-06-2005, 11:49 AM

Personally, I am used to seeing "User CP" - both as a member and as a mod. Other VB forums I frequent use similar language - "User CP"/"User Control Panel"/"Control Panel" so I'm fine with the current setup.

david_ross · 06-06-2005, 12:21 PM

I'd say leave "User CP" and add "Edit Options" and "Edit Profile". That gives you 3 ways to get to the same area of the site but to specific pages.

jeremy · 06-06-2005, 01:44 PM

I'll add "Edit Options" and "Edit Profile" to the "My LQ" nav.

--jeremy

trickykid · 06-06-2005, 05:21 PM

Perhaps changing the User CP link to read as "My Settings".. would allow more newcomers that the link is actually their own settings and not something else on the site. Most probably don't know what CP stands for and I would assume most do know what "Settings" means since most computer applications refer to "Settings" for configurations..

titanium_geek · 06-06-2005, 10:03 PM

may I suggest that you add this to the FAQ on the side bar (the same one that talks about where the forum is, do I have to register etc) Something like: what is user cp? (cp? I was wondering what that stood for. until like just now. ) or how do I change my settings?

I like the curtness of usercp, I wouldn't like to see a change of names to something overly "idiot friendly"

perhaps (though maybe not, just an idea)
there could be something so it says *username*'s settings, ie jeremy's settings for jeremy, titanium_geek's settings for me...

titanium_geek

Simon Bridge · 06-07-2005, 04:38 AM

Ah - good point. In that "My LQ" box over there, there's a "My Threads" and so on ... perhaps the "LQ user CP" could become the "My Settings" or a two-line: "user CP\\profile" ?

theYinYeti · 06-07-2005, 05:49 AM

For English people, "CP" may have a meaning, but to me at least, it has none.

Even though I'm not a newbie in computing and linux, and I know the web since '95, and I'm familiar to forums, I never understood "user cp" (though I understood its usage: I clicked on it once to see) until I came into this thread.

So it is Control Panel... You should write it plainly, or change it.
"My Panel" ?
"My Controls" ?
Just don't use acronyms.

Yves.

titanium_geek · 06-07-2005, 09:06 AM

yes, I knew how to use it, but cp? and I'm not even coming from a non-english background, and I still missed that one. I was fine with it when I knew what it does, but I guess a timid LQ newbie wouldn't bother clicking on it if they didn't know what it was.

titanium_geek

jeremy · 06-07-2005, 10:43 AM

I have added Edit Profile and Edit Options to the right hand nav. We could change the UserCP link on the top nav to something like "MyLQ". Thoughts?

--jeremy

trickykid · 06-07-2005, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeremy
I have added Edit Profile and Edit Options to the right hand nav. We could change the UserCP link on the top nav to something like "MyLQ". Thoughts?

--jeremy

With a quick glance, that looks like MySQL to me..

I like "My Settings" to be exact.. not easily confused with anything in my opinion.

titanium_geek · 06-08-2005, 08:58 PM

heheh. I see what you mean trickykid- but I like My LQ (see the space?) or even My_LQ.

titanium_geek

trickykid · 06-08-2005, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by titanium_geek
heheh. I see what you mean trickykid- but I like My LQ (see the space?) or even My_LQ.

titanium_geek

Another thing I mentioned to Jeremy was that the actual block of links is already titled My LQ.. I think the word "Settings" describes what it actually does more over than any other words, at least on a standpoint even with members not fluent with english, I wouldn't be suprised to know if most don't know what the actual LQ stands for or means..

manhinli · 06-09-2005, 12:46 AM

Although User CP is a little confusinhg at first, why don't you make something like a link page right after registration on to the 'How to use LinuxQuestions' on LinuxAnswers.

This may help more, and you don't need to change the 'User CP' term...

Even then i've got some ideas:

My Profile
My LQ Settings (Too Long?)
My LQ (Maybe not...)
User LQ
LQ Profile

Just some...

Simon Bridge · 06-09-2005, 02:03 AM

theYinYeti: may I assure the internationals that "CP" has no conventional common meaning in English either. (The site is USA maintained - while what is obvious to a Yank may not be to anyone else - there have been plenty of yanks puzzled by this too.)

I see this is in the process of clearing up. Thanks Jeremy - you do listen

jeremy · 06-09-2005, 09:52 AM

I'll change the upper link to "My LQ" (since that is the page the text really does link to) and we'll get some feedback on that. If something better comes up we can easily change it.

--jeremy