Welcome to the new look MoneySavingExpert.com

jitsuguy

I must admit it is a good job and looks much brighter and more appeasing. But I find the front page has too much on it and it looks as if its information overload. Could you either increase the spacing between articles making it look more spread out or reduce the number of articles on the front page. I have always been a fan of keeping it simple and this looks a little complex.

Jitsuguy

Kimberley

I love the vont and like the site

MSE_Martin

I've deleted the post explaining how to get rid of the right hand bar.

It is an integral part of the forum and will include announcement and other information that's crucial to users. By not having the green bar you risk missing out on such info (changes of rules, of etiquette of how the forum works).

As noted above it is the same width as the old bar on the left - the forum is an identical size as before. I'll be honest I've no plans to change it. It does what it's designs to do which is intergrate the forums and main site more and provide info to those who come straight to the forums from google. I'm sorry if you don't like it - i've done my best to keep in mind the needs of regular users and the occassional users for whom the right bar is crucial and I've no plans to change it apart from adding content down the right over time.

What makes me smile a little here is that as the site is new, things are noted that haven't changed, but they've been seen for the first time. For example the articles are exactly the same before, fixed width, with large space on either side; yet as the large space has changed colour, the change makes people notice it when looking. It'll soon seem normal though.

Martin

meher

There seems to be a little problem about manoeuvring between boards - do we need to click on chat and look for threads all over again or am I missing something.

I’m also missing that pastel shade consumer revenge seal the forum had - it seemed so exclusive to MSE.

It could be just me nonetheless an observation - the colour of the forum outline/box - it's brown - I'm guessing it might blend a little more into the background if they were grey.

Overall it looks compact - user-friendly lay out - the teams' work at creating the newlook is very much appreciated.

redux

Thanks Martin, but please note that since you read the replies so far, I edited my post 32 to include -

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Those who are saying "there's a big gap on the right", do remember "there used to be a big gap on the left" and this way those on 800x600 don't have to scroll right to read posts. It's the same size, so there's no space lost - in fact we worked incredibly hard to get the right hand browse bar from the main site to squeeze into that small space.

Sorry to disagree, but sometimes when changing pages, and every single time when re-opening a post to edit it, and yet again after posting the edit, the page auto-scrolls to the right, giving me the whole green column, and hiding usernames and avatars.

Even this itself is inconsistent in the movement or width shown: sometimes I can see the tin of MSE Martin's username on the left; sometimes just the inally of Originally posted by ... So now I have to scroll to the left instead, and this could easily become much more tiresome than before, as previously one sideways scroll would usually last
_____

And at the moment, as I said in the earlier post, without this scroll to the right, the right menu bar is mostly hidden on an 800 wide page

chicarg

Jakaru wrote: »

Not trying to be awkward Martin, but most forums purposely don't put big bars down the side, reducing the visible width. Instead having the main forum set to take full screen width (i.e. 100%) so that its scales to fit the window/monitor of the user. (In fact, I've just done a quick click around ALL of the forums I use regularly, not a single one has side columns...)

Trying to hard to squeeze the whole Right/Left bar down was a bit of a waste of time. The left was quite cluttering and annoying - so in a huge redesign, its just been moved to the other side...?

We're here, we're IN the forum. You have our attention, we're browsing the site already. The bulk of people neither need or require links to all sorts of info and gubbins down the side.

Add to that the fact that those boxes only go 1-2 screens worth, when most forum threads go on for much longer, and all you end up with is a huge amount of pale green space. (I've just noticed how much green space you get on the Cards Loans page... eesh! It's worse than the forum.)

I would say it's best not taking a 'Trust us, we've worked hard on it, its good' approach, if the people who actually use the forum every day don't agree... and theres been a lot of comments about the green space.

Totally agree with everything above.

I read after this post that Martin has no plans to change it; and fair enough as it is his site, but honestly you do end up with loads of empty green space on the right in long threads which has no use what-so-ever?!

I think having the tabs above are enough to link to any info you might be looking for, but the busy banners on the right are really disturbing to the eyes....

Bendybops19

Well i've been on MSE for a few hours now today, and i have to say i'm getting used to it and its growing on me

Can i ask why you chose the bar to be on the right instead of the left? It feels really weird, i think i preferred it on the left just because i was used to it.

MSE_Martin

Hi redux,

I can't quite visualise what you're saying but it sounds like a bug not design - so will get it looked at.

apprentice_tycoon

The site looks good - it's neat and crisp but I can't begin to tell you how much I HATE this wide green strip >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If it has to be a side strip can it go back on the left?

iwanttosave_2

Sorry but I really don't like it

The colour is really really dull and quite sickly to be honest.

I have searched for the coockie trail and can't find it at all so I am having to go into my favorites and reload the forum every time I want to come out of a thread. Very annoying.

It seems like not much thought has gone into it (I am sure it has )or it was an afterthought (oh well we have a bit left over, might as well do that room too) but its its a bit of an anti-climax, all these notices about the brand new, new look all singing all dancing forum and you come on and its like "oh, its green"

Can we not at least like other forums be able to have 2 skins? Those that like this can have this and those of us that don't can have the old one back?