To be honest, I disagree. I looks a lot cleaner this way. Although I have to say that this will probably take a few weeks to get used to..
But overall it looks nice. I see that we no longer have reputation? And tags? [edit4] scratch that, I see how this works.
[edit]
Also: I have a 'delete' button next to my post, which I normally don't have in this forum. (I only mod soft-dev). Is this new or a bug?
[edit2]
I very much like the new static bottom-toolbar. I was just about to start complaining about the (again) disappearance of MFF :)
[edit3]
And the plot (rep vs postcount) in the personal page is very nice indeed :), although it looks like I'm doing a shit job lately because I only post in the "reported posts" forum, and you don't get rep for that :D
i can't hardly make sense of this site anymore. it's just so damn hard to read now.
I'm sorry to be blunt, but the monochromatic color scheme, the hard contrast, the incredible overuse of whitespace.... it's horrible.
Computer Science != Design. Being able to code some Java or CSS pages does not equal an ability to effectively layout a user interface. Microsoft understands this, and that's why they employ people who are specially trained in user interface design to create their interfaces.
I'm finding it pretty hard to read as well:
Fonts too large in post listings and buttons.
Posts take too much real estate for no real reason.
Not a fan of the light lilac - I didn't sign in to discuss my innermost feelings and get all weepy.
seriously. it could have been made more difficult to read, but you'd really have had to work at it.
Stupendusman is direct. But...
It does match my new Lucid Lynx, Ubuntu's theme better. All purplish.
[Edit:] I agree. It is a little harder to read than before. But the code posting rendering is somewhat better. Question is..., did the search feature get better?
I personally find this interface more user friendly and easier to read than than the last one, and this happens every time she changes it, a few people say it sucks, then everyone gets used to it and likes it a lot, and complains when it changes again. Some of the fonts are a little large, but other than that, I love the new format.
It's mostly the "largeness" that I'm having trouble with. It's like working on someone's machine who has the res set to 640x480, even though I'm at 1280x1024.
Perhaps I accidentally turned on senior citizen mode? ;)
I really don't want to bitch, but I don't like it very much. I was really wanting to like it. Really. I can't find the can of baked beans - it's not in the same aisle. It reminds me of the time I went on a break with my mates to Amsterdam and my wife cleared and redecorated the entire house. I thought I was still hallucinating. I'm gonna give DW a week to see if I can get to grips with it. Sorry Dani - didn't mean to be negative.
//EDIT
And another thing - I was one of the featured posters in this week's newsletter and was 'bribed' to participate with a nice shiny 'Featured Poster' badge. Well that didn't last long, like my Sponsor badge. Not that I give too much of a fig about this, but it just seemed to happen with no warning or consultation. Hmmph, next time Dick Dastardly offers me a medal, I'll refuse and let him fall to the ground.
//EDIT again
Dani - you'll have to change your donate page and delete the 'Sponsor Badge' from the list of stuff you get as a sponsor.
I hope there are some improvements coming down the pipe, I don't really care for the new style, it's too ... flat. There really isn't any style to it at all.
The threads and posts in the listings take up way too much vertical space, it makes the pages too tall, they can't be read efficiently. I'll wait until later to comment on the thread icons, I don't have enough active posts yet to accurately judge them, but I have some concerns...
I've figured out how the adding and deducting rep work, but how do you see what the rep comments are for the post, if any? From what I can tell, you can't without bouncing around through profile pages. Again, it's inefficient.
The target seems to be threads you've posted in. The star seems to be a solved thread, the page seems to be non-new/read threads. The new is pretty obvious, problem is, the target only seems to show up on threads that you've posted in that don't have new posts, and aren't solved. This gets to the heart of my concerns mentioned in my previous post.
The "Threads I've Posted In" link is nice, but that's the only way to keep track of new posts in threads you've posted in. You really can't quickly tell from any other view. I really liked the "pencil" from the old design, it made it really easy to tell which threads you were in from the forum view. If there was a pencil and the title was bold, you immediately knew.
[edit]
Well, I found the "View Rep Comments" button. It doesn't show up until you add/deduct rep from a post. Problem is, it doesn't show up on your own posts that have received comments. Also, it disappears if you navigate away from a page then come back. That's just not right...it must be a bug.
I'm not sure what has happened to the badges, could just be a glitch I guess. I'm sure Dani will let us know in due course.
I like to think I'm more Muttley than Dick Dastardly.
And another thing - I was one of the featured posters in this week's newsletter and was 'bribed' to participate with a nice shiny 'Featured Poster' badge. Well that didn't last long, like my Sponsor badge. Not that I give too much of a fig about this, but it just seemed to happen with no warning or consultation. Hmmph, next time Dick Dastardly offers me a medal, I'll refuse and let him fall to the ground.
Star means: it is really hot and has many views and replies
Bullet means: you posted in it
Paper means: it is a regular forum thread
New means: well... new
Rest assured there will be a legend coming soon that will explain these and other symbols.
Folks, we really appreciate the feedback whether it is positive or negative, thanks. Please give the new design a chance and use it thoroughly so your comments offer better advice and not just a knee-jerk reaction to something new. We’re all creatures of habit but the beauty of that is that soon you will all have a new habit :)
The site truly is designed to allow for faster navigation and posting with fewer clicks. You will also have more information and more organized access to it at your fingertips. The new site also loads much faster, no matter which browser you are using.
Forum threads may seem like they take too much vertical space but if you look closer it is only the original post that is formatted that way to allow for ads (we still have to pay the bills here). Also note the “Expand Post” link that allows you to expand the width of the first post and completely hide the advertisement on the side. The rest of the posts in a thread are beautifully formatted and offer better functionality. Voting has been improved. Replying is easier.
Now take a look at member profile pages. It offers a wealth of info, nicely compiled and neatly formatted. Groups will be expanded and offer greater networking opportunities with like-minded members.
There are more goodies coming soon. We just re-launched today but it is not a complete re-creation of the site, just a cleaner look with better flow. There will be more features and improvements coming as well as some changes based on your valuable feedback, so keep it coming.
in Seattle, we have a new downtown library. A Rem Koolhaus design, it's very nice. but the bathrooms are painted entirely in this horrible lime-green color that makes you want to get out of there as soon as possible.
they did that on purpose, you see. the research shows that the grating color deters people from loitering in the bathrooms, and thus keeps the homeless and the junkies from setting up shop.
this is how i feel when i log in to Daniweb now: i go to the front page of my favorite forum, and i want to flee. once i'm in a thread, the visceral reaction is dampened, but it's still such an unwelcoming format with all the whitespace and nearly-legible font face, i don't like to linger.
did you guys do any sort of usability study? did you beta-test it? did you apply any of the numerous lessons from the vast literature of Human Factors in the design?
WASDted - fair point. I'm staying with Dani, while I can put up with FF as opposed to my beloved Chrome. The reason? FF allows me to turn off the CSS. I am in the process of creating a user-defined css sheet. When I finish it, I'll make it available - probably a few years. Seeing as there are more add-ons (or 'goodies') in the pipeline, I'll just stick to the main layout and colour scheme for now. I'm going back to the dirty mustard a puke puce. Bleaaarghh.
//EDIT
Ahh, was getting stressed for a while. Might even give Lynx a whirl!
I rely on the big orange negative rep flags and the negative votes to alert me to people I should be wary of helping. That and the avatars zone me in pretty fast. All three seem to be missing now. You have to click on the thread now and then check out the rep to see the big Scarlett Letter. I generally find that those orange dots are well earned. Any chance of bringing them back? And oh yeah, where's the nice pinned "We only give help to those who show effort" thread at the top?
On the other side of the coin, does it seem to load faster now to anyone but me?
Personally i like the site as a whole. I love the bar down the bottom. I think it is a lot cleaner than the old sidebar. Though i still think it needs cleaning up. when i click 'My favourite forums' it doesn't align them very well and it looks really messy, especially on forums with long names.
I'm sure i'll get used to it. :)
Edit: also, the edit button has "Edit/Delete"... though i don't think we are really meant to delete posts on daniweb.. it could be a glitch. I'm not sure.
EDIT 2: It is just me or do the pages load faster now??
