On Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 1:07 AM, Erik Moeller erik@wikimedia.org wrote:
The original intent of the UX team, as I understand it, was to help readers find essential (frequently clicked) elements in the navigation more easily by collapsing less essential ones.
This is wrong approach of reworking sidebar. To do it correctly, you have to prioritize existing things. Add icons to most important items and move them to the top (random article is far more popular than current events). Move toolbox to the bottom and, ensuring youself before that most users don't use it, hide it for anonymous users only. Move most probably used interwikis to the top (I'd volunteer for coding this if I was sure I had enough spare time this summer). Add language codes, they are much easier to understand and to look for in a long list than a language name in language itself. Add more icons, so things are distinguishable.
Oh, and no wonder that IW links are used less in Vector than in Monobook. Monobook sidebar has clear division between blocks. Vector has some loosy line between them. Also, in Vector sidebar elements are on the grey background, so most people don't notice them. Honestly, the set of blue links on the grey background is one of the worst thing you may introduce to improve the usability of the sidebar.
--vvv