New style what we weren't consulted on

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:09

This new board design is a challenge to my eye.

Day-glo yellow is great for people wearing safety clothes, and also as a warning in nature for things like bees, wasps and pus. I'm unsure about having it on the board though.

Do we have a facility in our options to change back to the one we were used to?

Who decided the board should look like this?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:17

Dadaist wrote:Do we have a facility in our options to change back to the one we were used to?

Who decided the board should look like this?

The default is set to the new theme but you can change it back to the old one using your profile settings.

The Management team are all agreed on the new theme. We have been using it ourselves for the past wee while so are therefore more familiar with it.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:33

I find it really difficult too....... particularly editing white lettering on a black background, so I've switched back to the old style.

Post by **wangi** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:48

rathbone wrote:editing white lettering on a black background, so I've switched back to the old style.

That's an oversight, and something which will be changed. I'm sure you understand it's hard to test every browser combination, especially when you cannot run them (Like yours - Safari).

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 24 Mar 2007, 15:29

Don't like it I'm afraid but then I never do like changes to anything

Will have to change back to the old style.

magbagpuss · Post by **magbagpuss** » 24 Mar 2007, 15:31

I like it , it grows on you

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 24 Mar 2007, 17:24

Im not sure about it. Will probably live with it a while and see if it grows on me...

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 24 Mar 2007, 17:44

Clearly, the future under the new management is so bright that we've gotta wear shades. One of the great things about phpbb is that it is infinitely customisable. If you don't like one design there are dozens of others to choose from and countless other mods (modifications rather than moderators in this case).

As Marya suggests, if you don't like this theme you can change back to the original subSilver by clicking on 'Profile' and scrolling down to 'Board Style', though you will have to be logged in to see the difference.

Personally, I find subSilver a little easier on the eye but I think it's important that talkporty establishes its own identity and I'm all for a bit of experimentation.

Post by **wangi** » 24 Mar 2007, 18:06

Bob Jefferson wrote:One of the great things about phpbb is that it is infinitely customisable. If you don't like one design there are dozens of others to choose from ... As Marya suggests, if you don't like this theme you can change back to the original subSilver ...

Ah ha, but of course it's not that simple

This new theme wasn't just downloaded off some website and loaded onto the site in a flash. I spent a fair bit of time actually creating it... All those darn little images have been created from scratch.

From the point of view of maintenance it is much easier to have just one theme on the site. It avoids duplication of effort when applying security fixes and the like. Therefore having subSilver still available is just a short term thing - once all the niggles have been sorted out it can be removed. Niggles such as Rathbone identified with the black text areas when using Safari.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 24 Mar 2007, 18:22

wangi wrote:This new theme wasn't just downloaded off some website and loaded onto the site in a flash. I spent a fair bit of time actually creating it... All those darn little images have been created from scratch.

That's a lot of work.

From the point of view of maintenance it is much easier to have just one theme on the site. It avoids duplication of effort when applying security fixes and the like. Therefore having subSilver still available is just a short term thing - once all the niggles have been sorted out it can be removed. Niggles such as Rathbone identified with the black text areas when using Safari.

There is also an issue with white text being almost invisible on a pale blue background on some pages, inc the front page.

Post by **wangi** » 24 Mar 2007, 18:58

Bob Jefferson wrote:There is also an issue with white text being almost invisible on a pale blue background on some pages, inc the front page.

Original plan was to not display that text at all, given that it's not essential to the understanding of the content. Displaying it in white is a compromise. I'm still uncertain if we need to display it at all, or in a darker shade.

Post by **wangi** » 24 Mar 2007, 19:08

wangi wrote:
rathbone wrote:editing white lettering on a black background, so I've switched back to the old style.
That's an oversight, and something which will be changed. I'm sure you understand it's hard to test every browser combination, especially when you cannot run them (Like yours - Safari).

Now fixed.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 24 Mar 2007, 19:57

Ow! My eyes hurt! What was wrong with it before?

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 24 Mar 2007, 19:59

Who's a clever monkey?

Well done for all the hard work Wangi.
Still deciding whether I really really like it but at least its diffrent from other forums I visit(lurk) so I should know where I am. (If only the same was true in life)

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 24 Mar 2007, 20:19

Marya wrote: The Management team are all agreed on the new theme.

Good for you.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 24 Mar 2007, 20:19

wangi wrote:having subSilver still available is just a short term thing

Shame. Still, I guess the management team are happy so who cares eh.

Beach Babe · Post by **Beach Babe** » 24 Mar 2007, 21:28

this new design has prompted me to log in and post for the first time in ages

I dislike it

it's hard on the eye, I don't like the lack of lines in between topics/posts

I could go on but instead I'm off to change it back

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 24 Mar 2007, 21:55

This new design is great. It's prompted me to post for the first time in ages

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 24 Mar 2007, 22:13

I appreciate all of Wangi's hard work but I hate the new board

. It's far too childish for a sophisticated forum like wot this is. We're all too mature for it to look like a kid's magazine.

seashell · Post by **seashell** » 25 Mar 2007, 00:30

Another lurker here - I rarely post but keep up with the board. And I don't like the new look either - which does seem to be the majority view.

What was the reason for the change? Seems like the old version was more legible and more accessible for the majority of folk, not to mention more popular.

The background has reduced the colour contrast and the lack of dividing lines just makes the whole thing a bit confusing.

Any chance of a rethink and return to the old version?

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 25 Mar 2007, 00:44

I note the only people who seem to like it are those who haven't made many posts(mods excluded) so it's not such a big change for them as it is for us more regular posters.

One of my main dislikes is the lack of lines between posts, doesn't make for easy flicking through threads which I sometimes do.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 25 Mar 2007, 01:20

wangi wrote:Give it a rest. Step back and consider the time that people spend on this site, just so you have the opportunity to have a go at them.

Constructive criticism is very much welcome.

Wangi, you're obviously a bit hurt by the critisism of your new design for the overall site, which added to the criticism of the logo(s) which you designed can't be too nice.

But the fact is that the new design for the board makes it much more difficult to read. Web design generally, particularly for a chat site, should be about making things user friendly and easy to read, and the new design certainly is not that.

If you really want to change the look of the site, why not ask someone who is actually a designer - eg Skeely, whose TalkPorty idea was the only one near to being good - to have a look at it?

If not, then give people the choice of what format they want to view it in - I've changed my browser back to subsilver because your design literally makes my eyes hurt, but if I'm not given that choice then I'll be off too.

Cheers,

Patrick.

Post by **wangi** » 25 Mar 2007, 01:35

The "lips" wasn't my design, I just put it together, anyway...

Can you expand on what you are saying, why do you feel it is harder to read? I have been very careful during the design to ensure that the actual content is very readable - black on a very light blue background certainly is.

We are limited by the people who are available, and who make their time available. With reference to Skeely in particular we did ask (re the logo), and he had other commitments - fair enough.

I'm not willing to have two styles on the board because that is even more of my time I have to spend maintaining them both. And I already spend far too much time maintaining the site, never mind yet another thing to worry about.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:13

teddygirl wrote:I note the only people who seem to like it are those who haven't made many posts(mods excluded) so it's not such a big change for them as it is for us more regular posters.

It was a big change for us Admin and Mods too Teddygirl when we first started using it and so I can sympathise that folk are reeling a bit right now. Any change is always disorienting at first. I would suggest that those of you who have reverted to the 'subsilver' style try the new one out for a few days and then decide which aspects they can live with and which still grate.,

One of my main dislikes is the lack of lines between posts, doesn't make for easy flicking through threads which I sometimes do.

The lack of lines (apart from some of the colour changes) is possibly the most striking difference and at first I feared that this would be detrimental. As bearcub recently discovered we have to read all posts sometimes several times over and being able to scan through threads is important. However, after using this format for several days now I can honestly say that I don't find it difficult to skim and scan. Posts are still quite distinct from one another - particularly if users post an avatar, which the bulk of regular posters do.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:29

Nelson Hatstand wrote:Web design generally, particularly for a chat site, should be about making things user friendly and easy to read, and the new design certainly is not that.

Well, for you anyway Nelson. When I asked a friend who had never seen the site before which format he preferred he choose the talkporty format because it was 'simpler' and 'easier to spot things'. Epykat's crticism that it looks like a kid's mag also seems to be based on the fact that it has a simplistic, pared down appearance.

If you really want to change the look of the site, why not ask someone who is actually a designer - eg Skeely, whose TalkPorty idea was the only one near to being good - to have a look at it?

Any designers out there with a lot of spare time on their hands, who are willing to work for nothing, for a very critical client , with a varied and contradictory remit, please step forward now!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:42

I'm glad that you've admitted it needs to be designed properly and I suggest, Marya, that in the meantime you ditch this style.

You imposed it on us like a fine.

This rhetoric about giving it a chance is just that - you're holding up the people who agree with you as being right, but telling the people who don't that they need to - essentially - change their minds.

Why not consult everyone in the first place about whether it even needs to change?

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 25 Mar 2007, 10:04

wangi wrote:
wangi wrote:
rathbone wrote:editing white lettering on a black background, so I've switched back to the old style.
That's an oversight, and something which will be changed. I'm sure you understand it's hard to test every browser combination, especially when you cannot run them (Like yours - Safari).
Now fixed.

Thank you.

Now can we have lines back between each posting, then I might consider unilaterally switching to the whizzy new format

(Though a vote might be democratic)

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 25 Mar 2007, 10:13

Thanks for responding to the points I made Marya, I have been giving the new style a go mainly because it comes up in that format if you are not logged in and a lot of the time I don't bother logging in as I'm just on for a browse, so I'm using this opportunity to try and get used to it.
Have reverted back to the old style when actually logged in though.
Would it not be possible to have some sort of compromise ? and introduce some sort of distiction between posts ? I still think the old two tone effect made for easier reading.

ali · Post by **ali** » 25 Mar 2007, 10:16

What a bunch of grumps!!

I love the new design. Light on the eye - plenty of space. I don't understand why people need the lines to mark out the posts. I use Opera as a browser and I can report that the site looks just great on it.
Well done - a definite improvement.

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:17

I must admit that I am finding it hard to get used to the new style. However, can we at least have the dates in the day/month/year format or even month/day/year.

Post by **wangi** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:26

Scorpion wrote:I must admit that I am finding it hard to get used to the new style. However, can we at least have the dates in the day/month/year format or even month/day/year.

You can have the date in any format you want - it's another option in your profile (that hasn't changed).

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:29

Scorpion wrote:.... can we at least have the dates in the day/month/year format or even month/day/year.

Ah! Was wondering what you meant at first Scorpion. On Safari (which I use) the date format is the same as the subsilver display, but then I tried viewing the site with Firefox and the date display format is different on that.

Post by **wangi** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:34

But not logged on? The date/time setting isn't tied to the style used.

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:40

What I meant was that when you are not logged on the date is in the format 2007-03-25 which I find awkward to read when I am just browsing.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 25 Mar 2007, 19:44

Hadn't noticed this before, but sure enough, when not logged on (in my case on PC using IE7) the index pages show the date of the last post as yyyy-mm-dd, but when looking at the individual threads the day is as before e,g 05 Jan 2007. My profile shows D M d, Y g:i a

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

New style what we weren't consulted on

New style what we weren't consulted on

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Re: New "Pus" design