# Should this site navigation change to sidebar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [June 16, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021 "2023-06-16T18:23:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spdegabrielle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/spdegabrielle/32/95_2.png) [@spdegabrielle](https://racket.discourse.group/u/spdegabrielle)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/1 "2023-06-16T18:23:40Z")
Hi, Discourse introduced a sidebar navigation last year and I've seen it across a number of sites. The sidebar is explained at [Try out the new sidebar and notification menus! - Announcements - Discourse Meta](https://meta.discourse.org/t/try-out-the-new-sidebar-and-notification-menus/238821) Do you have a preference? _Poll ([view on site](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/1))_ I'll admit it probably doesn't matter too much to existing users, but I do want to do whatever is easiest for new users. If one is slightly better than the other for new users I'd consider it a change worth making. I've included some screenshots below. Stephen # Sidebar Sidebar closed: ![sidebar closed](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/racket/original/2X/5/5cbe9fbe9a81b78b260b9a67a5cff9438186c6f4.png) Sidebar open: ![sidebar open](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/racket/original/2X/7/744b4357fbdf5f46b27bf6f3f3b8e7a62da15896.png) The current 'Header dropdown' popup/overlay navigation ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/racket/original/2X/c/c1ee4cdce5da6f48225d79ce09e0e81866938d86.jpeg) by comparison the current 'header dropdown' navigation. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/racket/original/2X/d/d808964a5ed63b359637d3226ffac3a79a6c1f25.png) ---
**Author:** ![sschwarzer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/sschwarzer/32/1940_2.png) [@sschwarzer](https://racket.discourse.group/u/sschwarzer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/2 "2023-06-17T16:00:34Z")
> [@spdegabrielle](#): > > The sidebar is explained at [Try out the new sidebar and notification menus! - announcements - Discourse Meta](https://meta.discourse.org/t/try-out-the-new-sidebar-and-notification-menus/238821) The "explanation" that I found says: > Today we’re introducing a **new sidebar** and a **new notifications menu** into Discourse to help you and your community members find and focus on what is most important to you. > > The new sidebar lets you customize your navigation so you can get to your favorite parts of your community, and the new notifications menu that lets you more easily decide which of your notifications deserve your attention now and which ones can be dismissed or be saved for later. I think this description is rather vague, and I didn't find much more information by reading the 20 or so first posts in that discussion thread. _On your screenshots_, the sidebar looks like a one-column version of the current menu, moved to the left. But from reading some of the discussion on the Discourse thread the side bar seems to be more than that. Due to that (IMHO) rather little information, I can't really tell if I'd like the sidebar more. From what I know so far, I don't have a strong opinion, but at least I have some experience with the old menu now. 😉 So I'm undecided if I should stick with what we have or _potentially_ get something better. My understanding is that whether the old menu or the sidebar is used, is a global admin-level setting in the sense that I can't _personally_ switch back to the menu if I prefer it. Is this correct? ---
**Author:** ![soegaard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/soegaard/32/19_2.png) [@soegaard](https://racket.discourse.group/u/soegaard)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/3 "2023-06-17T16:11:48Z")
> [@sschwarzer](#): > > Today we’re introducing a **new sidebar** and a **new notifications menu** into Discourse to help you and your community members find and focus on what is most important to you. It seems to me that the sidebar is meant for larger Discourses where the number of categories have grown so large, that it is hard to navigate. The Racket discourse has few categories and a limited number of new posts per day, so I prefer to keep the current interface. Visit the Swift forum to see how they use the sidebar: > **[Swift Forums](https://forums.swift.org/)** > > Swift Forums ---
**Author:** ![sschwarzer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/sschwarzer/32/1940_2.png) [@sschwarzer](https://racket.discourse.group/u/sschwarzer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/4 "2023-06-17T16:18:23Z")
> [@soegaard](#): > > Visit the Swift forum to see how they use the sidebar: That actually looks rather nice, but without creating an account I can't tell how the per-user configuration looks like, which would be an important aspect. So I still can't decide. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jryans](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/jryans/32/31_2.png) [@jryans](https://racket.discourse.group/u/jryans)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/5 "2023-06-17T17:02:43Z")
> [@sschwarzer](#): > > That actually looks rather nice, but without creating an account I can't tell how the per-user configuration looks like, which would be an important aspect. You can choose categories and tags to feature in your own personal sidebar: ![sidebar](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/racket/original/2X/3/3cd2b09d438d4f72e30e8c797bd167c3cb560bf6.png) ---
**Author:** ![cadence](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/cadence/32/998_2.png) [@cadence](https://racket.discourse.group/u/cadence)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 9:39am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/6 "2023-06-18T09:39:52Z")
> [@sschwarzer](#): > > From what I know so far, I don't have a strong opinion, but at least I have some experience with the old menu now. 😉 So I'm undecided if I should stick with what we have or _potentially_ get something better. I don't use the current "old menu" since it's hidden out of the way, I usually browse by clicking the boxes at the top of the home page. I expect I would use the sidebar if we had it. So for me it would be more useful than the old menu. ---
**Author:** ![soegaard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/soegaard/32/19_2.png) [@soegaard](https://racket.discourse.group/u/soegaard)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/7 "2023-06-19T19:03:41Z")
Now that the categories no longer fit in a single screen, I think it would a good idea either to enable the menu or to make the icons smaller. ---
**Author:** ![spdegabrielle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/spdegabrielle/32/95_2.png) [@spdegabrielle](https://racket.discourse.group/u/spdegabrielle)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 7:31pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/8 "2023-06-19T19:31:31Z")
I think the icons were a mistake so I’ve removed all but RacketScript as it is below the fold anyway ---
**Author:** ![sschwarzer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/sschwarzer/32/1940_2.png) [@sschwarzer](https://racket.discourse.group/u/sschwarzer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/9 "2023-06-19T21:04:26Z")
> [@spdegabrielle](#): > > I think the icons were a mistake so I’ve removed all but RacketScript In my browser the shown (default?) categories were "Languages" and "RacketScript" (which I removed and replaced with other categories 😉 ). > [@spdegabrielle](#): > > below the fold anyway What's below the fold should depend on the device / size of the browser window, shouldn't it? 🙂 The sidebar looks pretty nice. Good idea. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![spdegabrielle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/spdegabrielle/32/95_2.png) [@spdegabrielle](https://racket.discourse.group/u/spdegabrielle)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/10 "2023-06-19T21:08:50Z")
Thanks for the smileys. I hope I haven’t messed up the ux too much. I might try again with if I can make a style sheet change to render the icons a little smaller. Stephen ---
**Author:** ![sschwarzer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/sschwarzer/32/1940_2.png) [@sschwarzer](https://racket.discourse.group/u/sschwarzer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 9:15pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/should-this-site-navigation-change-to-sidebar/2021/11 "2023-06-19T21:15:23Z")
> [@spdegabrielle](#): > > I hope I haven’t messed up the ux too much. Don't worry. > [@spdegabrielle](#): > > render the icons a little smaller. On my Linux desktop and my smartphone the icon size looks fine.