New forum layout - Feedback

[drowningbitbybit]

So, the new forum design....

Seems to be faster, and Im sure I'll get used to the design (feels a bit icily corporate at the moment - the old one felt more inviting).

One problem though - the pinned threads dont seem to be pinned anymore. 'Latest Surfs' for instance is falling down the list of threads

[surf patrol]

I'll just hijack this slightly and make this the official new layout post.
As you have probably all realised the upgrade is now complete. There are a few bits and bobs that I am doing now to make sure that everything is running the same as the previous version of the forum.
Here are a few points so far:

1.As for your feedback dbbb I will go and re-sticky the topics that should be stickied (you can also do this as a moderator I think)

2.Passwords should be the same but I believe that there may be some issues depending on what password you originally had - you might be asked to reset your password when you log in.

3.I will be removing the inline ads for regulars once I figure out how - should not be too long.

The design is just a little change from the bog standard new layout that comes with the upgraded version. I might or might not be changing this at some point.

Feedback welcome. Let me know if there are any errors / missing avatars or anything else that is not working as it should.

[essex sucks]

will take some time to get used to not a big fan of how it looks

[PapaW]

We got signatures tho


Edit... oh ok they still don't actual show lol!


YEah does the job tho... Not seen if pictures change the size of individual posts or the whole page yet.

[thaya]

i'm all confuzzled

new layout a bit confusing. it doesn't seem as user-friendly or informal - but i'm sure i'll get used to it.

one thing though... you used to be able to view the most recent post on any thread by clicking on the name on the right hand side, but now I can't do this... it just shows the users profile and not their post

edit* also... it says i have pm's that can't be received cuz my inbox is full does that mean i now have to empty it before i can receive any more? i never had to do that before, it always said 100% full yet i received new ones without deleting the old... i assumed it self-deleted the oldest ones? will figure it out somehow!

[RJD]

The section areas are too heavy, and the siet banner at the top is OMG hueg and mostly empty, cant you shift something up there?

Lot of wasted space too, at 1280x1024 the actual forum content starts over a 3rd of the way down the page.

[surf patrol]

I have had a look at the pms. I guess that previously the oldest message was deleted to make way for the new one. I have set the inboxes to do the same again so new messages will be received straight away and have increased the number of pms you can have to 400

[surf patrol]

Seems to be faster

Good, I was hoping that it would be and it seems noticably faster to me.

[surf patrol]

one thing though... you used to be able to view the most recent post on any thread by clicking on the name on the right hand side, but now I can't do this... it just shows the users profile and not their post

You can get the latest post by clicking the little icon next to the username ->
I'll make it so the username becomes the link to the latest post.

[Sillysausage]

gotta say the site is much faster and pics etc load straight away. just the way it looks and works is a tad confusing but seems to be job well done

[PapaW]

Gettign used to the layout now and it is deffo WAY faster..

Just one thing thats niggling at me, dunno if anyone else finds this but actually in the topics.. its a little awkward defining between each persons posts. - I think it has to do with the title/author bar (that also has the edit/quite buttons on) being pretty much the same as the default post text...
Previously there was a solid line between each post now it blends together...

Thoughts?

[Real Pol]

Just one thing thats niggling at me, dunno if anyone else finds this but actually in the topics.. its a little awkward defining between each persons posts. - I think it has to do with the title/author bar (that also has the edit/quite buttons on) being pretty much the same as the default post text...
Previously there was a solid line between each post now it blends together...

Thoughts?

I don't really notice that, I think it is easy to see the difference.
I preferred the avatars on the left side though, you can see whose talking before you read their post. I find myself reading the post and then as my eyes get to the right I see who wrote it and then go back to the start of the post again. Loads of other forums have the pictures on the right so maybe if all the ones I use conform to this I'll get used to glancing to the right first, but in my opinion it reads wrong. (I need to get a life )

I've started getting used to the buttons being in the wrong place and having different names.

In the list of topics/threads what does the scrolling page icon mean? Red means new post, star means you've written something, but scrolling I can't work out!

[PapaW]

In the list of topics/threads what does the scrolling page icon mean? Red means new post, star means you've written something, but scrolling I can't work out!

I think its "hot thread" or a popular thread

[thaya]

thanks SP

[Real Pol]

Could you make the whole think look more like an xl spead sheet? So that when I'm surfing at work and someone goes past the window it looks like I'm doing work?

Alternatively you could get a "look out, boss!" button similar to the one on skybet.com which pulls up pie charts and bar graphs when the boss comes by........hang on, that's what the other windows on my computer are showing right now.....never mind.

[surf patrol]

Could you make the whole think look more like an xl spead sheet? So that when I'm surfing at work and someone goes past the window it looks like I'm doing work?

[surf patrol]

Forgot to mention. I know that a few of you used your avatar from the previous layout on other forums - that avatar will no longer display - you'll need to use the new avatar location for the link. Sorry about that.

[thaya]

i know everyone is saying the site is so much quicker now, but i'm actually finding it alot slower the last 2 times i've been on, it takes ages to log on and then when i do, each page takes a while to load up, whereas before when i clicked on something it went there straight away. is it just me??? perhaps i should learn to be more patient

[drowningbitbybit]

I use the 'search new posts' as my default page, but it doesnt show what sub-forum its in. This is a bit annoying as you cant tell whether ambiguously titled threads are surf-related?

[billie_morini]

Sorry, but I simply do not like the look or the layout. I really liked it the way it was. In fact, I dislike the new design so much, you won't see me here very often. Shame because I really used to enjoy this website's forum.
Billie