[trex33]

What is your opinion on this layout issue? Do you think member profile should be placed above each post or to left of post?

IMO main advantage of placing profile to left of post is readability. This forum is good example of that. The member profile (and avatar) does not break up the flow of the discussion.

On the other hand, the “left side” approach seems to limit your layout options. For example, if you want add a right hand column for hot tags, ads, etc., you start running out of width room.

What do you think?

[chrishajer]

Make it wider if you want sidebars on both sides. This layout is pretty narrow and works down below 800×600 resolutions (and on mobile devices I hear) but most web browsers are using 1024×768 and above (use Google Analytics to see what your users are browsing with). You have room to add sidebars on both sides, if you want.

I prefer the profile links on the left, BTW.

[fel64]

I’d certainly not have anything other than the username in the main text column; anything else, be it avatar, signature, status, rep, whatever, just gets in the way. As long as the username is sufficiently noticeable in the sidebar (or alternatively if you’re using avatars) posts remain very recognisable without breaking the flow.

[Olaf Lederer]

yeah the profile belongs to the left like in other forums (it’s not MS office 2007)

[trex33]

Thanks for the responses. Interesting that some of the larger forums like 9rules notes and forum software (e.g., Vanilla) display the profile on top of the post. I’ll probably stick with the left side approach.

[Olaf Lederer]

Hey trex33, the bigger forums are using vbulletin