# Off Topic > Suggestions for Improvement >  >  Excel Forum Banner

## Phoenix5794

This may seem like an absurd request, but I thought it might be nice to allow a small banner to rest at the top of the Excel Forum screen that follows your screen as you scroll such as this site allows here. 
And the biggest points to make are:
Be sure it is unobtrusive (no more than one word height)Include the search buttonPerhaps a dynamic timer for when the search button will be available againSimple links such as to your CP page or forum pageMake it customizable for users to pick what is included along with whether or not the user wants to use it (most important because not everyone will want it)
I think adding something like this would give the site a more modern and professional feel which would compel more users to subscribe. This is a great forum and these simple tools can really make a difference.
Of course I'm only one person, so let me know what you think. Anything you'd add or take away? Is this a bad idea all together? Remember that I think it should be an optional feature.

(This is apparently called a DIV and isn't terribly difficult to implement - especially with all of the excel/programming geniuses on this site.)

Thanks!

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## Phoenix5794

Looking for anyone's opinion - good or bad. This seems like an easy (and useful) function for our great site.

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## arlu1201

How do you think it will benefit the site?  How is it better than what is already there?

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## Kyle123

I think fixing the issues should take precedence over adding features. 

However, getting the tech team to add requested features has always been a non starter. There is actually a very good Excel forum that we aren't allowed to mention here that offers a bar like you suggest.

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## Mordred

I'll say it Kyle, *The Code Cage* has a banner like that and it's great!  The really good thing about it is the ability to make it float or keep it stuck.  *Simon Lloyd* did a great job with that.  *HIS* idea to implement that was well excepted by most.

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## Kyle123

hehehe, I'll give you 30 mins at most before you get deleted  :Wink: 

Simon does do a great job at taking feedback on board  :Smilie: 

---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------

I'll also say that the site which must not be named has a ratio of experience to new users that I've never come across on any forum anywhere  :Wink:

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## Domski

It's a nice feature at The Code Cage. First time I'd seen it on a forum and I really like it as it gives you access to pretty much all the links you need without having to scroll back up to the top of the page.

Dom

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## Mordred

Well it's been over an hour, maybe there has been a change in attitude regarding other sites now?!

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## royUK

[/quote]I'll also say that the site which must not be named has a ratio of experience to new users that I've never come across on any forum anywhere  :Wink: [/QUOTE]

That's because most of the quality posters that used to answer here support Simon

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## Phoenix5794

> How do you think it will benefit the site?  How is it better than what is already there?



As Domski so eloquently put it:





> First time I'd seen it on a forum and I really like it as it gives you access to pretty much all the links you need without having to scroll back up to the top of the page.



I won't make any assumptions as we know what kind of person that makes one, but you appear to be unwillingly to look towards change. And the thing to point out here, is nothing is really changing - this was a suggestion for an _option_. Regardless, I think that this *unobtrusive* feature would make sifting through threads much easier: as you're looking down a long list you don't have to scroll back to the top. Plus the added feature of having a countdown timer for your search bar would be most convenient (it sometimes gets annoying to be sent to a separate page for it to tell you that you have to wait 20 more seconds before you can search).

My two 'cents': this was posted in a Suggestions for Improvement section and with my intentions fully geared towards the betterment of this site, I thought I would offer something that could help us out as a community. Who better to receive advice from than those who use the site often? Not to mention, I don't think this is a terribly difficult feature to implement as I said before "especially with all of the excel/programming geniuses on this site".

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## Mordred

> "especially with all of the excel/programming geniuses on this site".



Excel programming and html editing are two very different beasts.

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## Phoenix5794

> Excel programming and html editing are two very different beasts.



I can agree with that (though I know little about HTML programming). I'm familiar with other programming languages and they indeed can be vastly different. There is a certain level of logic involved though and it was my hopes (and understanding from others) that this is a feasible function to be added.

As Kyle had mentioned though: 



> I think fixing the issues should take precedence over adding features.



I'm curious as to what issues we're having.

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## Kyle123

Well for starters, the double posting issue still hasn't been resolved - it's when you submit a reply, then you're taken to another screen saying you can't post twice in 30 minutes but your post is already there and in the last 2 days I've had permission denied errors whilst trying to post.

@Roy, yes I agree, I wish it had higher traffic/more questions to answer, the site/simon certainly deserve it

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## Phoenix5794

Ah, I have yet to experience the double post issue (of course I'm sure I don't post quite nearly as often as you) - beginner's luck I suppose.

And I checked out The Code Cage, but it was a forum that I wasn't too fond of the interface. It felt too overbearing with the sponsor links and not very logical in its layout. That's my opinion though (and perhaps other's which is why it has a lower traffic rate).

EDIT:
After checking out the Code Cage a bit deeper: it's a standard site as far as aesthetics are concerned (content should really be the main concern for forums anyways).  I do like the scrolling header, but a more minimalistic approach could be taken to reduce the 'overbearing-ness' of the header to help it flow to the forum links better.

This being said, I'm a minimalist and a functionalist (as I would imagine a lot of programmers/techies are). To be able to minimize clutter on the forums while maintaining functionality would be great. Perhaps I'll do some research on my own and figure out what it would really take to have some of my wishes come to fruition.

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## Phoenix5794

What typically happens to posts like this in the Suggestions for Improvements section?
I'm guessing if it gets enough attention it gets to the eyes of the admin/moderators and is then decided whether or not it is worth implementing.

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## Mordred

Your guess is as good as anyone's guess Phoenix5784!  Chances are nothing will come of this and eventually it will end up on page 4 or 5 and never seen again.  That is standard EF protocol!

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## Cutter

> What typically happens to posts like this in the Suggestions for Improvements section?
> I'm guessing if it gets enough attention it gets to the eyes of the admin/moderators and is then decided whether or not it is worth implementing.



It has gotten to the eyes of this moderator, but that has exactly the same weight as anyone else seeing it.  I would love to have that feature but I would love to be rid of the double-posting (and related issues) even more.

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## npamcpp

Past experience shows that the eyes and the voices of the moderators have absolutely no impact on what the tech team does or does not implement at ExcelForum. Past experience also shows that the tech team often struggles with simple html principles, never mind complex CSS and vBulletin specifics. 

@Phoenix: The other site has two skins to choose from. The standard skin is a gray/metallic theme but there's also a blue skin that looks very different. You can set the skin by scrolling to the very bottom of the screen, where you will find a drop down on the left hand side (if you are a registered member. Registration is free, of course.).

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## Marcol

@ Kyle




> Well for starters, the double posting issue still hasn't been resolved ...



Thought I'd try and see if it was indeed resolved, Arlette seems to think it is!

---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 PM ----------

@ Kyle




> Well for starters, the double posting issue still hasn't been resolved ...



Thought I'd try and see if it was indeed resolved, Arlette seems to think it is!

---------- Post added at 01:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------

There you go Kyle got a message




> This forum requires that you wait 30 seconds between posts. Please try again in 5 seconds.



Reposted and the posts were merged ... wow great solution ... congratulations to the tech team.
Why fix a problem when you can devise a simply wonderful work around ...  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Kyle123

hehehe a great solution  :Wink:

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## Mordred

How does the merging of double posts work for moderation deletion now?  Does a mod have to go into the post, highlight and delete the double or do they un-merge when moderating?

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## Phoenix5794

Are you guys referring to posting and then at the bottom in your quick reply box there is still the message you just posted?
I just refresh the page if I see that down there.

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## arlu1201

Phoenix had asked for an ExcelForum Banner and this has been implemented.  If you check the right hand side of your screen, you will see a vertical menu having a list of one-click options.

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