New Look

[Martin WParticipant @martinw]

Hi

Tried IE10 with Windows 7 with no problems at any magnification settings from a minimum of 10% up to a ridiculous 850%.

Martin

Edited By Martin W on 02/10/2013 13:03:50

[Katy PurvisParticipant @katypurvis79544]

Again, thanks for the positive comments, I've tried to address the less positive ones below

David, I think more content, not necessarily larger, is a better approach, I try to keep the main pages and side pods balanced where I can on PP. On the Friends issue, I think it has been there for over a year, and it isn't really using up a huge amount of space. Maybe it is used less here than on the other websites. I find it useful to know who else is online myself. Statuses have been here since the website was launched as far as I remember, but I rare;y use those.

Dave Greenham, sorry you hate it, but not sure how I can improve matters for you at the moment.

Jason B, Jason Udall, Steambuff and Richard, there is wasted space at the sides, but it is the same amount as there was last week with the previous layout. I'll put this and the resize screen issue on a list for further work.

Old Elan, This was only ever intended to be a layout change, and not a redesign of the whole website.

KWIL, It took me a couple of days to get used to the member icons, but not long at all, so please bear with it for a little while yet.

I am working on MREmag and Popular Patchwork this afternoon, and I will be out at my daughter's school tomorrow morning, but I'll come back and see what else comes up here. I'll make a list of any outstanding issues that I can see a fix for at the end of the week. Please understand that this website is part of a bigger entity, and not all changes will be possible, but I will try to fix the most important things.

[Gordon WassParticipant @gordonwass]

I'm still getting used to it, but do find it easier to read. But can someone explain the different clours in the" latest forum posts" ? Black, blue and green, seemingly at random.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Not just forum posts but all the RHS panels. Blue you've not read it, black you have read it,  – both go green when you hover over them ? I can see utility in black and blue but, at present, not in green. Anyone have any ideas!

Cheers

Norman

 

Edited By NJH on 02/10/2013 14:53:11

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

It's quite common in web design for the link to change colour when you hover on it simply to show that you have actually picked it up rather than having a "near miss" and clicking the background.

Keith

 

(edit)

If you select the links in the green header band you'll see something similar in that when you hover on the link you get underlining. Just a visual aid to help you actually select the link

Edited By Keith Long on 02/10/2013 14:58:27

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by NJH on 02/10/2013 14:50:37:

Blue you've not read it, black you have read it, –

.

It's probably too difficult, but; it would be nice to have them change back to blue if the content is updated after your visit.

For info. … On iPad, a "refresh" doesn't help; but "Clear History" does.

MichaelG.

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

OK
Not bad but think I will now opt out of this forum
getting very tiresome and boreing.
Bob

[GaryMParticipant @garym]

Just my two penn'orth but I think the new look is an improvement, much cleaner looking, easy to find what I want. Works well in Chrome on PC and Dolphin on Android tablet. Also, Katy is to be commended for her attitude in trying to sort out the complaints. Now, lets get back to the engineering.

Gary

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by GaryM on 02/10/2013 23:34:04:

Just my two penn'orth but I think the new look is an improvement, much cleaner looking, easy to find what I want. Works well in Chrome on PC and Dolphin on Android tablet. Also, Katy is to be commended for her attitude in trying to sort out the complaints. Now, lets get back to the engineering.

Gary

Give that man a prize of the top shelf.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by GaryM on 02/10/2013 23:34:04:

Now, lets get back to the engineering.

 

We never left it – it's there in plenty of other threads.

This particular thread is about the website's "New Look", clearly posted in the forum's "Website Questions, Comments, and Suggestions (sic)" category, for those that want to participate …. but there's no compulsion.

Edited By OMG on 03/10/2013 01:10:52

[Barry McDowellParticipant @barrymcdowell95834]

I think the new format is great. I find it easy to navigate and an improvement over the old.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Katy

Having used the 'new look' layout I think it has a slight edge over the old format, but that's me, what I don't like is the reference sections i.e. 'For sale ' Wanted' & 'Shopping partners' interspersed between ads, may I suggest that these are all boxed together in the same location, then followed by the ads, then there would be some continuity down the page

George

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Posted by mechman48 on 03/10/2013 11:43:08:

Katy

Having used the 'new look' layout I think it has a slight edge over the old format, but that's me, what I don't like is the reference sections i.e. 'For sale ' Wanted' & 'Shopping partners' interspersed between ads, may I suggest that these are all boxed together in the same location, then followed by the ads, then there would be some continuity down the page

George

I have to agee, I am getting used to the new layout but I think the for sale, wanted etc should be grouped together rather than interspersed with the ads

Cb

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

George,

Good suggestion to group them but the order is important. The advertisers pay to appear on here, it's one source of revenue for the publishers.

 

We, the great unwashed, and I include myself, are not forced to pay anything to use the forum. Some have magazine memberships, some help out by answering questions and some do neither. However it is open to all.

 

If I was an advertiser I know I'd be a bit miffed if after shelling out I was relegated to page 2.

 

We will leave page 3 out of it…………….

Edited By John Stevenson on 03/10/2013 12:46:19

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by mechman48 on 03/10/2013 11:43:08:

Katy

Having used the 'new look' layout I think it has a slight edge over the old format, but that's me, what I don't like is the reference sections i.e. 'For sale ' Wanted' & 'Shopping partners' interspersed between ads, may I suggest that these are all boxed together in the same location, then followed by the ads, then there would be some continuity down the page

George

George,

On the old site, the advertisers were on the top right, first in the queue – as they should be . Already, this is a p***take, by putting 'Latest Forum Posts' first in the order which it is in. Secondly, by popular demand, there are links to 'ten' new posts in that section. So, down we go again. Now you are asking them to put us at the bottom. Considering that we 'the advertisers' pay the most to be on here, how do you think we are likely to respond?

So Katy (who is underpaid and overworked), Georges suggestion is great, but please do consider us poor advertisers

Ketan at ARC

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Put all the ads on page 1 (I defer to advertisers)… then put we peasants on page 2… grouped together as mentioned, then I can zip down the page & find all I want … en bloc… simples! … no doubt some members will surely comment on this solution but … ce la vie!

p.s. I fail to see on my web browser where page 1 & 2 separate? page 3… is there one? maybe some delineation is called for, as for the mass of white on either side…?

George.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by mechman48 on 03/10/2013 14:18:44:

Put all the ads on page 1 (I defer to advertisers)… then put we peasants on page 2… grouped together as mentioned, then I can zip down the page & find all I want

It would suit me but I guess the obvious comment from advertisers would be that you will simply bookmark page-2 and never visit page-1.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by mechman48 on 03/10/2013 14:18:44:

Put all the ads on page 1 (I defer to advertisers)…

George.

You would

Ketan at ARC.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Easy solution ……..

Lets go back to the 3 column version … User stuff down the left and adverts down the right. Then that keeps both parties happy.    (Would be even better if they used the full width of the screen)

Dave

Edited By Steambuff on 03/10/2013 14:59:39

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Hi Dave,

I have been advised by the Ad Man at MyTimeMedia that all the forums in their group of magazines follow the same style.

We at ARC accepted this to be the case, before they moved over. Personally, I liked the old style which was in the manner you suggested, and personally, I liked the smaller sized ad box. But, as I understand it, this style is the one they have adopted across the group, and it is unlikely that there will be a change to this structure.

So all is well.

Ketan at ARC.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Steambuff on 03/10/2013 14:59:07:

Easy solution ……..

Lets go back to the 3 column version … User stuff down the left and adverts down the right. Then that keeps both parties happy. (Would be even better if they used the full width of the screen)

Dave

Edited By Steambuff on 03/10/2013 14:59:39

I've got a better idea.

I would think that by now Katy's head is spinning, why don't we all ease off and let her get on with it in her own time? (Ironically it is partly/mostly in her own time).

This is the first time that any worthwhile improvements are happening to the site after years so lets not frighten her off.

Ian P (happy with the adds first!)

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Katy, good afternoon.

My mother tongue is not English (I'm Portuguese) and by that reason I run the risk of not tell you exactly what I mean. Accepting to run that risk, this is what I want to tell you:

I was an information systems professional for over 30 years and most of that period I was an analyst/programmer. Naturally I followed the various techniques and methodologies that were offered to my profession in that period for developing applications and most of those methodologies recommended or proposed isolation from the application's end users (users of applications). Despite that, for various reasons the applications I developed or had guided in the course of my professional time were always analyzed involving end users, just as you are doing. I never regretted that choice and I know that in recent years lots of other professionals follow the same path following modern analysis methodologies.

When you started this work I feared you were preparing to turn the forum into a showcase of commercials and relegate to a less prominent plan the interfaces related with the interests of the forum participants but now I realize that this was not the purpose.

Let me tell you your work to this point satisfies me not forgetting, I must add, I'm all in favor for modifications you may want to do in order to care for the people with eye sight health problems affected by the interfaces..

It is therefore from the double perspectives (as a recently retired professional of information systems and as a reader – forum end user) that I thank you by your efforts to improve the interfaces of the forum and also for the technical quality of the work already done.

Kind regards
Dias Costa

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Dias

Not much wrong with your command of English! As far as the sentiments go I think that those too are spot on.

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 03/10/2013 16:47:10

[Katy PurvisParticipant @katypurvis79544]

Thanks everyone, especially Dcosta for his kind words, I think we might be moving in the right direction now

Gordon, NJH, Keith and Michael, yes, you've interpreted the link colours correctly. I use the colours and the latest posts page to find out what I've read each day

Mechman, Coalburner, John, Ketan, OMG and Ian The order of the Latest forum posts/ads/wanted and for sale pods can be changed at any time by Diane or David, so you don't need me to finalise this now. Having said that, the ads will have to stay as near to the top as possible. Our Advertising Manager, Duncan has written a better explanation than I did to explain why, so here it is.

"As the Ad Manager I thought it wise to respond to everyone who has commented on the advert situation. On this site adverts are sold on the basis that they appear in certain sections of the website. Ad Boxes, or Buttons, to the right of this forum appear on every page, enabling the advertiser to have the sites full availability of impressions. We will not be able to limit the number of pages they appear on, nor would I want to.

The advertising revenue is an important part of this website, as are the supplier associated with it. Most of them have been supplying the industry for years, and for some, as the attendance at shows is becoming less frequent, allows the companies to promote their businesses to you all.

Currently the Latest Forum Posts have been moved to the top, although I believe this doesn’t affect the adverts, as the 1^st post in every thread is still in line with the top advert, moving them lower could encourage them away from the website, something we obviously wouldn’t be keen on."

Your suggestion that forum posts could be moved down next to sales and wanted is totally valid, but I'll ask Diane and David to look at that for you. Changing the order of everything except the ads is not a problem

Steambuff, I'd love to be able to say I'd just put it back for you, but I can't, sorry…

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks Katy, Given the general feeling in the "friends" thread would it be a good idea to move that lower down with the classifieds, that way we would still have latest posts at the top which I think most members would prefer and the extra bit of space created by lowering friends will make Ketan's ARC add just come onto the home page without having to scroll down. You could even try to charge him a premium for being at the top of the list

J

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