User blog comment:Meighan/Thoughts, Feedback & Fixes Around the Admin Dashboard Rollout/@comment-824313-20110809025837/@comment-957747-20110809052201

This was probably the most argued point of the Dashboard's release. I don't see how RC 'living' within the Dashboard is a help to ANYONE. Newer admins (which this is designed to help) will be using Wiki Activity (since that is what is listed on EVERY page's header) more than they will ever use RC. As several veteran users have stated, once a user appreciates the benefit of RC, the reliance of the Dashboard won't exist as much as it would to a new admin.

Even with the navigation added back, RC within the Dashboard is more cumbersome and more difficult to peruse. I shouldn't have to re-skin the entire page to make it look tasteful on my wiki for our admins since that is what Theme Designer is supposed to do.

I honestly think this feature should be re-thought out. Navigating to a special page via a link on another page should be themed as normal. I have absolutely no issue with links clicked on via the Dashboard to open in the Dashboard and be themed within it. This will allow users that would like to view pages seamlessly within the Dashboard, like Ryan PM pointed out, to do so and still allow other users that wish to view their pages the way they always have to do that as well.

I for one love the idea of having several admin pages that are not necessarily relevant to each other listed all in one spot for ease of use. However, most of the pages that I wish to view are easily entered via a URL or bookmark or via the search bar. I have no need for the Dashboard to show up on every single one of these miscellaneous pages that are visited by normal means. If I were to view them within the Dashboard, it makes perfect sense that the Dashboard continues to theme the page for me.