Old thread: 2012 Forum redesign

poppy_f1

im not that keen on it but my main gripe is the online/offline icons are way too big imo

waddy80

I use my smartphone (htc desire hd) for most of my browsing. Much prefer the new version. Once i tap to zoom in a bit it fits much better on the screen. Also the spam button is no longer accidentally pressed when scrolling through posts

squeaky

I don't understand this "fixation" on fixed width ??

Anyway... for those using Firefox, and especially when viewing the stretchy version there's a handy add-on...

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/remove-it-permanently/?src=ss

You can right-click and choose not to show various parts of a web page - either for the whole site, or just that "set" of pages. (And it's reversible).

So I've "binned" the masthead* and all the "clutter" that I know is available whenever I need it but do not need to see it all day and every day** - and in particular the side bars. So I have full screen-width available for the post contents.

As for the new layout: too much white space, top poster info bars on posts not good (they were better placed on the left), some colour on post pages is fine - in fact I like the colour (for a change); but there's too much "contrast" between "headers" and post content area and I've now got that bright electric yellow zigzag in my eyes which is a precursor to a migraine.

* Particularly because of those blasted pop-ups on mouseover. If I wanna see a menu I'll CLICK on the damn thing. At least add a script to extend the "hover time" so that passing over them doesn't trigger them.

**And I am here a lot. And busy.

Anyway... sorry but I'm off back to my nice clean stretchy version

mintymoneysaver

Still prefer strestched, but it's slightly better than the original new version, and I do like the pins for the stickies,

the_pink_panther_2

Yup, as a quick tweak I like it. Is more subtle/delicate/modern in appearance - more welcoming. I haven't read all the posts to this thread and don't understand all the terminology (like reference to 'masthead'- I'm fairly new to this forum) so can't comment on aspects like that though. I do agree that in some sense it looks flatter, I think it's because the boarders are more delicate than they were. Perhaps some enhancement of this could be good long term but I think it's good that you're making tweaks rather than massive change all at once- that way it's easier to identify specifically which features are more positive and which are negative. I like the way you're approaching the update:-) erm... I just wanted to use a proper MSE smiley but couldn't find them. Don't know if they're gone or I'm being a wally.

pqrdef

Too wide. It's well known in typographical circles that over-long lines are harder to read. About 8 words to a line is considered about right.

As it is, I have to turn my head from side to side like a Wimbledon spectator.

mintymoneysaver

Couldn't get back to stretchy for a minute there, I was panicking! Just a further comment, I really don't like that huge dark grey box that appears at the top when you first click forums, very gloomy indeed! And is it just me, but has stretchy suddenly got even stretchier, just to put us off using it? It's not fitting on my monitor while I'm typing this, and it always has before!

maryb

This may already have been said, but I miss being able to see the poster's location details. I know you can get them by clicking on a user name but when someone is talking about a good place to find something or other, then it's useful to see at a glance if they are anywhere near your own part of the country. Appreciate that not everyone gives their location but a lot do

lavinia21

I really like the new version I find it very clean and easy to use thumbs up from me

nykied

I don't like it - it's too clinical and one dimensional. Plus I really don't like the user names above the posts. Really don't like that.