Forum Update

skintandsad

"No thanks" button required! Glad to see that Martin is listening to his people :rotfl:

Jokey

broadpaws wrote: »

hi there, do you know where teh green tick button has gone from teh competition forum, the one that shows you've entered without having to go into the actual comp?

This is a BIG issue for me!! I would guess most people who use the competition forums on a regular basis will agree that it's essential to the forum

Will this be reinstated soon? Please? x

fermi

jen_br wrote: »

LOL Fermi I love that you go to Digital spy lol.

I don't go to all of those. Just picked some big well known ones. :cool:

https://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/ Stretchy, even with a sidebar.

meher

hang on my signature doesn't fit in one line anymore

wnoktnwbr

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Wow - we're the 7th biggest social network in the UK, so what do you run - its only the likes of twitter and facebook that come ahead?

PS we are 1000 pixels full width, the next stage of the design is to look at the overall shape of the forum. This is just a masthead chance

I'd rather not disclose publicly as I've posted things here I don't want associated with my work but you can find who I am if you check my accounts email. We're not a UK based site and neither are we catering to the same audience as you but we currently have just over 50,000 people online (with a 15 minute timeout, same as MSE I believe) and it's a slow day today ;-) Not sure how much traffic you do as I don't see it published any where, but we're doing just over 120,000,000 monthly page views.

MSE_Martin wrote: »

PS we are 1000 pixels full width, the next stage of the design is to look at the overall shape of the forum. This is just a masthead chance

The width would be fine if the side bar wasn't there. The side bar both "squashes" and draws focus away from the posts, so although you're only losing 200px of real space it gives the "illusion" of even more being taken. I think a good compromise would be much like the one you've done with the fixed/fluid width: have an option to "hide" the side bar, that way frequent "power users" have no problems and new users still see everything you want them to see.

arcon5

MSE_Martin wrote: »

OK Im going to leave before I get quite frustrated with the whole things.

There is a stretchy option. We havent changed the forum colours at all (barring the masthead) so its rather strange that some are saying they don't like the stretchy colours?

Any way the message of the people who came to discuss is plain. Yet we think its the right move, and I have to make that decision. However the option is there to change back for anyone who wants.

Thats a very wild comment to say the least. See what your members want and do the opposite because you like it -- surely in business it's about what your customer wants? The customer being us, who click on your masses of affiliate links plastered around the site.

freyasmum

MSE_Martin wrote: »

OK folks we've got the point about fixed width. Worth noting its one of the major complaints is the look of the forum that means many new users bounce.

So we have improved it we think for new users (the stats will tell) and given existing users a choice.

I take your point about fixed width but other sites which utilise his particular style use the whole width of the area for threads, they don't have posts and a sidebar. Yea, it's different but I don't find looking at the main forum index, or even the list of threads in each board, difficult. It's reading the posts themselves that seems a bit squished.

I know the information at the side is important but would it be possible to remove this from the page when looking at individual threads - it would still be there where looking at the main index and boards themselves. That would make threads easier to read AND you'd still have your fixed width?

endora wrote: »

I agree with Auto-man! We need an image that makes people feel welcome, more like 'open arms' rather than crossed arms!
:-)

Of course, the other way of looking at it is that I'll fight your corner for you. Come on and we'll stand up again the big boys together. We mean business and we won't take any guff from them.

mo786uk

Jeez, I think it is obvious people (on the whole) prefer a stretchy forum. I would suggest the way people use forums is very different to normal websites. I think when people are in 'forum mode' they just want the forum and anything extra is unnecessary - especially if you can access the original site via one click from the top of the forum.

As long as the stretchy option remains then I donn't think its a big deal.

However, it might have been better to do the full revamp all at once.

serendipity79

Thank you, i've changed mine to the new masthead, stretchy - less bright. I have photophobia so the bright sides were really hurting my eyes.

Abbafan1972

I have had to change the theme to stretchy, as I just hate the fixed width. It looks daft on my 17" screen.

I hope we will still have the green ticks on the comps forum, without opening the posts. As I am a regular comper on here.