# How to simplify the forum? (couple of needs listed)

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-simplify-the-forum-couple-of-needs-listed/332576
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [October 24, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-simplify-the-forum-couple-of-needs-listed/332576 "2024-10-24T13:20:47Z")
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### Author: ![Firsh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/firsh/32/454861_2.png) [@Firsh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Firsh)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-simplify-the-forum-couple-of-needs-listed/332576/1 "2024-10-24T13:20:47Z")

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I’d like to use Discourse and already set it up successfully. However, the decisionmakers don’t like it much citing that it’s too complicated (but the alternatives are technically quite bad, so this is still our best bet). I’ll remove elements visually that they consider clutter, but there were a few wishes that I don’t believe are possible (my modification skills cover CSS), but correct me if I’m wrong.

- Reverse the order of posts in a topic to last on top → a quick search here told me it’s not possible.
- Instead of the floating composer, embed it at the top right below the OP, but above the last post (if reversing was possible) and also disable the preview.
- **Make it more like Reddit in a way that replies to a particular post don’t appear on the top level, ONLY under the quoted post and have the “X Repies” open by default.** → This is not just a reveal with custom CSS as that element is not in the DOM until opened. Automatically clicking these buttons via JS on page load sounds a bit hacky. Hiding them from top level can be done via CSS `:has()` but again feels like abusing the core. Interestingly the [Post Voting plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-post-voting/227808) does something similar.
- Make it more clear what each reply button does, to whom the reply goes to. They kept seeing a forest of reply buttons, and now that I think of it, I can understand there is really a lot.

I believe many concerns stem from not being used to Discourse or a misunderstanding or assumptions over how people will use the forum and why. I’m aware these go against the core philosophy of Discourse but they reason that the default UX deters non-technical people not used to Forums, but social media. What should I do, apart from convincing them it is fine as it is?

BTW, in my _foruming activities_ I was never too hung up on who replied to what (there are quotations if it’s really important for context), and the flat view has always been logical. The reply features are more like a spice to me than a forced way to make subthreads.

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