Forum Update

Jacks_xxx

I've only read the first five pages of this thread, but I just wanted to say that on a 1280 x 1024 screen using IE8 I just hit CTRL and + and it made it all bigger and easy to read.

No problemo.

I expect the forum looks better on smartphones and tablets than it did.

I'll try it on all our machines and all our operating systems later on but so far - no biggie.

Biggles

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

I've only read the first five pages of this thread, but I just wanted to say that on a 1280 x 1024 screen using IE8 I just hit CTRL and + and it made it all bigger and easy to read.

That just exaggerates the main problem, ie that the narrow format involves far more scrolling. It isn't the size that's the problem, it's that squeezing the text makes it take up more space vertically. Making it bigger would just make for even more scrolling.

And I certainly wouldn't want to have to be changing zoom settings for each site I visited.

Magi74

Biggles wrote: »

That just exaggerates the main problem, ie that the narrow format involves far more scrolling. .

Yes it's a little odd for a forum to fix the width in this way, but I'm sure my mouse wheel can cope with being used a little more. Plus the "fix" takes less than 10 seconds to implement - and the new look works way better on tablets.

I have to say this as well - I always find it amazing that people have large widescreen monitors....only to maximize a single browser window. What a waste of screen real-estate!! If you're researching a particular topic (and there's loads of financial related topics that we would be looking at) why not have 2 or 3 browser windows open with related pages at the same time? Or maybe your on-line banking in a brower and a spreadsheet open elsewhere on your screen.

Far too much anger about a trivial topic!

custardy

as an aside,I'm on the mobile today. (4.3" screen) regardless of skin,the sidebar takes easily a fifth of the screen. any chance of making it user configureable or a pared down mobile skin/site. I use another VB site who has one(pared down mobile site),however I don't use it as the sidebar is only on the home screen
& sub forum main pages. not in the threads

barnabee

Anyone else spending less time on the forums after the change? I have given it over a week now and am still having problems with the harsh white background and having to log in everytime to get the stretchy fit to activate.

I reckon I am now spending about a third to a half less time now reading the forums and am spending more time on other websites that I didn't frequent so much before the changes.

custardy

barnabee wrote: »

Anyone else spending less time on the forums after the change? I have given it over a week now and am still having problems with the harsh white background and having to log in everytime to get the stretchy fit to activate.

I reckon I am now spending about a third to a half less time now reading the forums and am spending more time on other websites that I didn't frequent so much before the changes.

I'm always logged in,so not an issue. however i do find the white harder on my eyes,combined with being off sick and more online time

APennysaved_2

I too, have opted for the stretchy skin as the white expanses at the sides are too harsh on the eyes and a waste of space.

But please, PLEASE can you urgently do something about the mobile format?? I'm on a smartphone, but the pages are now humongous and takes ages to load (easily 1.5MB for a forum page with no pics posted on it!!). What's more, you have to scroll down over halfway down the page before the actual forum posts start....miles of site areas above it. This is totally unnecessary seeing as there is a drop-down box with options to go to different areas already. We don't need to see all these options on EVERY page!
It takes forever to scroll down while out and about and it's extremely annoying to have half the page wasted on options you don't want, every time. Not to mention expensive for those of us who pay for data usage...not very MSE! Surely a simple link to the main site/forum area would suffice, from where you could navigate to your chosen section.

Please forum team, improve this feature - or just get it back to the way it was, as it (the mobile version) is now it is not an improvement.

meher

the forum really needs highlighting this green isn't clear enough on a dim grey background

it might be wrong to assume that people would know that there is a forum

Jacks_xxx

Magi74 wrote: »

Yes it's a little odd for a forum to fix the width in this way, but I'm sure my mouse wheel can cope with being used a little more. Plus the "fix" takes less than 10 seconds to implement - and the new look works way better on tablets.

I have to say this as well - I always find it amazing that people have large widescreen monitors....only to maximize a single browser window. What a waste of screen real-estate!! If you're researching a particular topic (and there's loads of financial related topics that we would be looking at) why not have 2 or 3 browser windows open with related pages at the same time? Or maybe your on-line banking in a brower and a spreadsheet open elsewhere on your screen.

Far too much anger about a trivial topic!

I agree - but I do understand that if people have sight problems it's horrible when a change happens that makes it harder to read something you rely on.

That's why I mentioned the CTRL and + fix. It mollified all the silver surfers at our library instantly. It's adjust to fit, not very techy and it's instant.

On the screens at our Library it gets rid of the left hand white band immediately, and as the right hand band is full of different text boxes for quite a lot of the scroll down the "too much white" issue is ameliorated.

I agree with Meher about the green of the area around the word Forum not being a bright enough colour. I find myself scanning for it at times and I know it's there. A nice bright yellow or chartreuse would make it stand out better for new users.

jayII

The forum is running really slowly for me since the change. Every other site I visit is fine, but MSE is so sluggish!