Defnitely agree, though I think from a pure usability perspective, the alternate would be more intuitive for newer users to discourse (especially those on a tablet - how would they know what the colored circles mean on the first mockup?) Perhaps a user setting to allow them to switch between the layouts (i.e. users start out seeing the first, then as they become more experienced users could switch to the top)
I realize that - I mistyped(/spoke/whatever). My point is that it’s perfectly clear for those in the know (i.e. experienced staff), but for those new to staff, it’s clear as mud.
We’ve currently got 20 people who would be considered “staff”, and as with any large community, real life gets in the way and so we probably have on average one or two new staff members a year. Becoming staff is daunting enough with those extra responsibilities/roles, and having to decode glyphs which have no obvious meaning (not to mention possible color blindness issues) worries me - I think the alternate view is more obvious on quick glance. I don’t have to remember which color means which, or what the order of the glyphs mean, or have to hover over the glyphs to get their meaning (which isn’t tablet friendly either).