The New Site. Feedback and Info II

southernscouser

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

EDITED TO ADD: just re-read your posts and realised whet you meant. it may have been normal for you in the past, but it certainly wasnt for me, nor browntoa evidently. and its getting on me tits. same as the times new roman thing - serif font is not very kind on the old eyes would clearing my cookies help?

Thats really weird.

(2 hits of return to get here) It's always been this way for me!

Do you use quick reply or the normal way?

mdean

MSE_Martin wrote: »

A quick note on the right hand side bar.
I know some forumites don't like it and think "it wastes valuable screen size" to quote the above. Actually it is EXACTLY the same size as the old left hand bar so the screen width is EXACTLY the same; it's just the fact it's new that makes it more obvious.

We have lots of plans with the right hand space. Unlike most forums which are stand-alones - this forum is designed to be an integral part of the main site - with people moving too and fro. The right hand browse bar is a vehicle to do that and very important for the site navigation.

It's also got the Forum jump in - and will act as a noticeboard for important and urgent information that we need to let people know.

Please give it time to get used to it. There is more forum space than ever before (the top has been decluttered).

Martin

I too would prefer the end of the right bar - but would be less bovvered if each article did not first load at full screen width and then resize as the rightbar loads.(I'm in firefox) Should the rightbar not need to reload each time you read a new thread - my 2p anyway - still a great resource

nelly_2

when i write something its in a different font than what actually gets posted and bigger spaces between lines when i hit return whys that happened?

pavlovs_dog

southernscouser wrote: »

Thats really weird.

(2 hits of return to get here) It's always been this way for me!

Do you use quick reply or the normal way?

i use both, depending on what type of reply im making

postingalwaysposting

still loving it... more so now than days ago... thanks for reinstating your consumer revenge stamp to the right though, thats a mse feature that should always stay...

The only thing thats bothering me is that you arnt allowed

kuohu

PBA wrote: »

It's not actually the fact that it's new making it more obvious, but the way the new page loads. Each time I click on a page in the forums, it loads up full screen. About 10 seconds later, the right hand side bar appears. This never happened with the old site.

As a reguar user of the site, I don't need you telling me on every single page where I can find the articles. There should certainly be an option for the side bar to not be displayed.

This is exactly my problem with the right hand bar too. I take the point that it is the same size as it used to be, but now it makes page loading so much slower. If I'm reading a thread I can open it up and read/scroll down the first few posts and then 5 seconds later everything stops as the side bar is loaded and the forum view resizes.

This is an annoyance for me, and surely must be costing the site more in bandwidth too? I'd agree with a previous poster who suggested a control panel feature to turn it off. (A number of the links are in the top bar navigation anyway).

Willman_Rodders

Hi Martin,

I first found your site in May 2007 when a Google search showed an answer to a problem I had at that time. Since then I have enjoyed sharing my knowledge with others. However there are a couple of aspects that are now beginning to frustrate me.

1. Page Loading time.
When I researched the design of my own website I was advised that (with the exception of your home page for which people are prepared to wait a little longer) you should keep each page to a maximum download of 50kb. Each of your pages includes 12 graphic links to the other pages of your site with each graphic being 12kb+ i.e. 150kb+ in total - then add in your picture (31 kb), and all the other nice-to-look-at bits and pieces and you are looking at a sizeable page download. For the standard 56kbs modem user this equates to long page downloads, and watching a partially blank screen to load.

If you have broadband the pages will load almost instantly. For those people who do not have this technology (and I am one. I use my PC 4 hours per day but have no need to install broadband - and there are many people who still use the older equipment rather than the latest, modern technology) this delay will result in people not staying, or not revisting, your valuable site.

I might be wrong, but I have a suspicion that visitors in the 'Silver Savers' section have already fallen in recent weeks.

2. Menu Operation
I have read most of the specialist pages on your site. Interesting they may be, but once read I do not revisit them daily. Your forums however I trawl, daily - as do many other people.

I load the main forum page, wait for it to load ..., click on 'Silver Savers', wait for it to load ..., read the post summaries and click on those of interest, wait for them to load, then click on the main 'forum' button, wait for the page to reload, click on 'Money Saving - general', wait for it to load ... etc etc.

You get the picture.

Why can't I access 'Money Saving general' direct from 'Silver Savers' and why do I have to watch 12 or so graphics load (offering me pages that I will never look at) on each and every page. Replacing these 12 or so with one simple graphic - 'Main Index' or 'Home Page' - and a small size graphic link to the other forum sections, would speed up the operation of the forum considerably for all standard modem users.

You say you have taken considerable time to redesign your site - but whilst it might look good it is useless if it does not deliver the job it is designed to do. The forums should be fast paced, where you can log in, post your question, and wait for a quick response. If the respondents are getting frustrated (and their appears to be a common theme to this effect on your site, they will log on less frequently, slowing down the response time to those asking the questions. As the response times slow then you will have less people posting questions on your site. With less questions to answer the main supporters will log-on less frequently ... And the slippery, difficult to stop, momentum to oblivion has started.

I have seen it many time before. Unless the slide is spotted in the early days (and excuses such as its 'early days yet, give it time' are put to one side) you see potentially succesful businesses fail.

Please take action now Martin, as I suspect your supporters will start to find other sites easier to use.

I hope the above is helpful to you.

Regards,

Rod

espresso

Willman_Rodders wrote: »

2. Menu Operation
I have read most of the specialist pages on your site. Interesting they may be, but once read I do not revisit them daily. Your forums however I trawl, daily - as do many other people.

I load the main forum page, wait for it to load ..., click on 'Silver Savers', wait for it to load ..., read the post summaries and click on those of interest, wait for them to load, then click on the main 'forum' button, wait for the page to reload, click on 'Money Saving - general', wait for it to load ... etc etc.

You get the picture.

No not really!

Why do you load the main forum page, if your intention is to visit 'Silver Savers' board?

Why do you then click on the main 'forum' button, if it is your intention to then visit another board?

Ever heard of bookmarking web pages of interest? i.e. Silver Savers etc.

Try using the Forum Jump facility to navigate around the various different boards.

If you want to stay on dial up fine, but you don't need to go around to houses to visits the boards that you want to actually view!

:rolleyes:

Willman_Rodders

Hi espresso,

Many thanks for the tip. I'd missed that navigational tool - and yes it does make switching so much easier.

(I do already have 'the forum' saved on favourites, but now I can save 'Silver Surfers' and navigate from there.)

Thanks for your help on this matter.

Rod

Bogof_Babe

Still getting the double spacing problem, i.e. on typing a post it appears to be giving a paragraph width space where required, but when it is posted the lines are crowded up to the paragraph above.