Right. New forum = fail. Can changes be made?

Pokerface

OK - the general consensus so far seems to be that the new forum format is a massive fail. Yay for new features. Boo for the layout, etc.

I applaud the time and effort that has gone into the upgrade and obviously I/we are guests here.

But - just wondering if there will be an opportunity on your (BR) end to change some of the things that everyone hates and tweak the interface/layout so that more people are happy.

Change is always a difficult thing to deal with and I'm sure most people will settle in after the initial shock. But I also suspect that it will frustrate and drive away many others.


So BR - what do you say? Any chance to fine tune based on feedback? (And not the standard - just back to the old format comments)

whyamihere

It's being done. There's a couple of feedback threads already, and what's being posted in them is being taken on board and considered.

Pokerface

Superb. I think once people hear this they will be a lot happier.

(I, for one, only object to banner ads running through every thread. Can live with everything else!)

Rigga

Apart from the ads, i dont see any real difference? I don't get all these 'ugly' comments flying about?

Jeff Jones

Bugs and functional changes are being addressed first. Especially the IE 7 one.

Regarding the layout, we will allow users some time (e.g. a week) to get used to it before making any changes. I've actually had quite a few PMs from people who like the new format + functionality so 'general consensus' might be jumping the gun a bit.

Vesterberg

sorry - it's dreadful.

Old forum - clean, easy, usable, professional, adult
New forum - childlike, cluttered, messy, ugly, confusing

sorry to be so negative - just how I feel.

Pokerface

Jeff Jones wrote:

I've actually had quite a few PMs from people who like the new format + functionality so 'general consensus' might be jumping the gun a bit.

Sorry - the generally voiced public opinion. Perhaps the groundswell of support in private is greater.

The majority (not all) of comments that have been publicly posted seem to be less than complementary.

(Is it some form of off the shelf forum software or was it written specifically for BR? It looks very familiar)

supersonic

People are far more likely to post problems or complaints than comments on that they find it good/acceptable ;-)

But rest assured that bugs are being looked at, and ideas taken on board.

suzyb

Pokerface wrote:

Jeff Jones wrote:

I've actually had quite a few PMs from people who like the new format + functionality so 'general consensus' might be jumping the gun a bit.

Sorry - the generally voiced public opinion. Perhaps the groundswell of support in private is greater.

The majority (not all) of comments that have been publicly posted seem to be less than complementary.

(Is it some form of off the shelf forum software or was it written specifically for BR? It looks very familiar)

It's off the shelf and using the default layout of that software. Hence why it looks so crap.

flasher

Don't really like the new skin.

I run a forum using phpBB software and it's easy to install skin options, subsilver2 being my personal favourite, why not give a handful of alternative styles.

cooldad

I like it.

Velonutter

I don't have any issues yet, in fact I think it's a lot better than previously, but there again I run Firefox and that stops ads.

I run a few forums using either YABB or in the past VBulletin and this new phpBB is very similar as a front end, not sure what the back office part is like though.

I can appreciate that change is a horrible thing but so far I see loads of enhancements especially the attachment function that make it miles better than previously.

TimB34

Blimey, you managed to migrate the entire forum to phpBB without losing the whole thing... that's impressive. Good job. I agree the skin needs changing - sticky posts aren't clearly distinguishable, and the subforums list on the main page is cluttered (the old show/collapse layout was one of the good things about the old forum)

Edit : the sticky/normal display isn't so bad when logged in - the red highlighting on unread threads helps a lot.

But you seem to have fixed the single most annoying thing about the old forum - big pictures now seem to be scaled to fit the width. Thank you! Although the scaling seems to crop a small amount from oddly proportioned images, but it's no big deal, unless it's a very wide image like this one:

velocestrapture

I think the upgrade is a great improvement. I mostly browse on my iPhone and it is now much easier to use. The only thing that is still making it really hard to use from a phone is that the 'next' and number boxes for moving from one page to another of a really long thread are still really small, and difficult to use without having to zoom in on the page. Is there any way you could make these at least twice as large?

Jeff Jones

velocestrapture wrote:

I think the upgrade is a great improvement. I mostly browse on my iPhone and it is now much easier to use. The only thing that is still making it really hard to use from a phone is that the 'next' and number boxes for moving from one page to another of a really long thread are still really small, and difficult to use without having to zoom in on the page. Is there any way you could make these at least twice as large?

I'm pretty sure we can do that.

DrLex

Jeff Jones wrote:

I'm pretty sure we can do that.

That, my friend, would be wonderful; "re-skinning" is small beer next to such an enhancement.

Hoopdriver

I really, really hate this layout. It is truly awful.

I understand that it takes time to get used to new layouts etc but this just isn't working - at least not for me. I find myself far less interested in coming on here and browsing, and in fact probably won't bother much in future - I hate the layout of this that much.

I will check back though to see you guys make any changes. I sure hope so. I used to enjoy browsing the forum.

lost_in_thought

velocestrapture wrote:

I think the upgrade is a great improvement. I mostly browse on my iPhone and it is now much easier to use. The only thing that is still making it really hard to use from a phone is that the 'next' and number boxes for moving from one page to another of a really long thread are still really small, and difficult to use without having to zoom in on the page. Is there any way you could make these at least twice as large?

They're right next to an advert too.


Funny old thing. :roll:

Omar Little

Every forum i've been on has had people moaning after a redesign but after a couple of weeks everything tends to settle down once people are used to it.

g00se

TimB34 wrote:

...the subforums list on the main page is cluttered (the old show/collapse layout was one of the good things about the old forum)

Personally, I didn't like the old collapsing/expanding layout of the forum index - it always took 2 or 3 more clicks than necessary to get to the forum I wanted.

graeme_s-2

Omar Little wrote:

Every forum i've been on has had people moaning after a redesign but after a couple of weeks everything tends to settle down once people are used to it.

g00se wrote:

TimB34 wrote:

...the subforums list on the main page is cluttered (the old show/collapse layout was one of the good things about the old forum)

Personally, I didn't like the old collapsing/expanding layout of the forum index - it always took 2 or 3 more clicks than necessary to get to the forum I wanted.

Agree with both of these. I'd like to see some changes to a couple of the fonts (and maybe a bit more consistency in fonts throughout the site), but broadly I think it's a good upgrade.

Northwind

I think some of the functionality is good but the basic usability/viewability is awful, and no amount of other improvements will make up for that. I've viewed the website now on 6 different PCs/devices and only one displayed correctly. Some were just ugly, some close to unusable.

Doesn't display effectively in Windows 7 with Firefox in widescreen. Which is the most common OS, and the most common browser, and the most common new monitor format. Almost half of screen space wasted.

Doesn't display properly in some versions of IE-which is the browser used most by the technically inept, who are least likely to be able to fix it. Not to mention the browser used most in workplaces and universities, where users won't be able to make any changes. "Upgrade it" isn't an option.

Apparently doesn't work right in Chrome either. OK, not too bothered about Chrome.

Even when it's displaying correctly it's very overcrowded and has poor readability- big blobby text squeezed into small boxes, tiny icons to show read/unread... Got my dad, who's got fairly poor eyesight due to age, to take a look and he can't use the forum at all. Not good.

And this is all stuff that the old forum did fine.

nicklouse

NW can you get some screen shots?

width and spacing does not seem to be any different to me. IE forum pages or post pages.

guinea

Northwind wrote:

Doesn't display effectively in Windows 7 with Firefox in widescreen. Which is the most common OS, and the most common browser, and the most common new monitor format.

Doesn't display properly in some versions of IE-which is the browser used most by the technically inept,

Apparently doesn't work right in Chrome either. OK, not too bothered about Chrome.

Incorrect idiot troll is an incorrect idiot.

The only problem I have with the new format is thet it looks like a default skin seen on cheaper nastier forums. I liked the old one a bit better.

On the plus side, it's faster.

Northwind

It works for you so that makes all the people it doesn't work for idiot trolls? OK then! People with less than perfect vision can't read the site? Must be idiot trolls too. FFS.

Northwind

nicklouse wrote:

NW can you get some screen shots?

Hang on, here's one of the Firefox "middling":


Untitled by Northwindlowlander, on Flickr

That's a clean FF and Windows install, almost completely standard. Usable, but really highlights the poor formatting on the main pages- lots of info crammed in too tight, with lots of dead space everywhere.

I'll try and get some shots from the IE machines tomorrow, they're all as described in other threads though- text boxes cut off halfway across, right hand colimn splashing right over the top. Messing about with compatability mode fixed it on one machine. Android web-browser seems fine.

bompington

Well it displays perfectly on chrome, IE8, IE9, and the standard android browser on my galaxy - these being all the browsers I have available.
But the posting box still causes horrendous problems on the galaxy, cursor suddenly jumping around and the focus on the box (when zoomed in) shifting away from the cursor being the main ones. Exactly like the old forum.

Northwind

Update- all our IE machines look exactly like this, from Bails:

supersonic

guinea wrote:

Northwind wrote:

Doesn't display effectively in Windows 7 with Firefox in widescreen. Which is the most common OS, and the most common browser, and the most common new monitor format.

Doesn't display properly in some versions of IE-which is the browser used most by the technically inept,

Apparently doesn't work right in Chrome either. OK, not too bothered about Chrome.

Incorrect idiot troll is an incorrect idiot.

The only problem I have with the new format is thet it looks like a default skin seen on cheaper nastier forums. I liked the old one a bit better.

On the plus side, it's faster.

Post in that way again and you will banned. First warning.

JD_76

Sorry to ask if its been asked 100 times before, but when is the I.E. 7 fix going in?

P.S. Can you write on the left as I cant see the right hand side of the screen :-))

Cant Upgrade I.e. at work either.

josnor

JD_76 wrote:

Sorry to ask if its been asked 100 times before, but when is the I.E. 7 fix going in?

P.S. Can you write on the left as I cant see the right hand side of the screen :-))

Cant Upgrade I.e. at work either.

It should hopefully have just gone out!