Need Feedback

MP Guy · 01-24-2005

Feed Back.

You guys are not shy when it comes to letting me know what you think.

I am working on the development site and would like some feedback. This will be on going. This is strictly the forum side and not the portal. All the buttons are not there yet so don't get to excited. Again, this is development and is not affecting the RFF you guys use. Same data as RFF but different db.

Also, browse around and use get familiar with its usage.

Here you go: http://www.isettheprice.com/forums/

alansoon · 01-24-2005

Can you do something about the header? The logo banner looks a bit, er, "uncool." You should consider a logo banner competition to coincide with the new look. I'll be happy to provide one if you're interested (not that I'm an expert on graphic design).

MP Guy · 01-24-2005

The logo actually Sucks. Once I have an ok for the forum I will have a logo made professionaly.

MP Guy · 01-24-2005

I like the way you can collapse forums by clicking on the arrow on each forum category.

Also, made fonts bigger.

24x30 · 01-24-2005

the following is just a personal view

:

The Memberslist shows less info than before, and the avatar at this place is not necessary.

on some pages there is those background with dots ... huh ... don't like it, woud like a plain color.

I like the function 'all threads started by 24x30' in the member menu.

Everywhere in the new design where the avatar occures a lot of space is lost, but I don't have an idea how to solve.

/rudi

SRMC · 01-24-2005

The beauty of the site as it stands is that there is an easy link to see all of the active threads and go directly to the new posts. Others may use the site differently, but I don't browse the forums individually. If I am looking for specific information I'll use the search button. But, 99% of the time I just want to see what forums are active and see the new posts. I almost always use the "View today's posts" link. I'm probably in the middle of the age group, but I still like things simple and uncluttered. In contrast to many other forums, yours is easy on the eyes, takes only one click to take me to a list of all of the active threads, and with one more click will take me to the first new post of any thread I find interesting. For me, that is a big plus, and should merit inclusion in the development site. The other site I find similarly appealing in simplicity and organization is diyaudio.com.

I hope this is helpful to you.

SRMC

mac_wt · 01-24-2005

I agree with SRMC. I almost exclusivly read the forum trough the 'view new posts' button. I don't really care for the sub-forum structure. If I need something specific I'll do a search.
I do appreciate the larger font on the test-site. That's allready a very good change vs. monday's version.

Wim

Kris · 01-25-2005

Jorge, I like the thumbnail preview for attachment.

I still use dial-up at home and when opening W/NW type of thread, it can take a while especially when people post large size photos. With thumbnails feature, I can just click on those that catch my eyes.

back alley · 01-25-2005

ditto!

as moderator i try to read every post on the forum and this feature has great value to me.

whoever said trying to change things on guys who use 50 year old cameras ain't gonna be easy was dead right!

joe

Quote:

Originally posted by SRMC
The beauty of the site as it stands is that there is an easy link to see all of the active threads and go directly to the new posts. Others may use the site differently, but I don't browse the forums individually. If I am looking for specific information I'll use the search button. But, 99% of the time I just want to see what forums are active and see the new posts. I almost always use the "View today's posts" link. I'm probably in the middle of the age group, but I still like things simple and uncluttered. In contrast to many other forums, yours is easy on the eyes, takes only one click to take me to a list of all of the active threads, and with one more click will take me to the first new post of any thread I find interesting. For me, that is a big plus, and should merit inclusion in the development site. The other site I find similarly appealing in simplicity and organization is diyaudio.com.

I hope this is helpful to you.

SRMC

Pherdinand · 01-25-2005

That one was me, Joe

I also use the read new post button - always and almost exclusively.

BJ Bignell · 01-25-2005

I posted a big chunk of feedback on the Dev forum. Here's a link, just in case:

http://www.isettheprice.com/forums/s...8967#post38967

FrankS · 01-25-2005

Jorge, I read the new (active) posts page as well. I would like it to be a bit longer maybe so I don't miss anything.

I loved that attachments appear as thumbnails first, and that threads which have new posts were bolded, letting me know I need to check back into them.

Thank you so much for all your work!

Oldprof · 01-25-2005

Jorge, I'm not sure I understand your rationale for having this "development site." Is it a test lab for trying out new ideas and possible forum features? Or is it a mirror of the RangeFinderForum site where those who wish can access the Forum material in alternative ways?

MP Guy · 01-25-2005

The dev site was created to develop the furture look of rff. As it stands they are two separate sites. I just took the data from rff and used it in the dev site so we had something to play with. What ever you do on the dev site does not get reflected on the rff site.

Frank,

The active post can be altered to show more. All of this will be on the home page. But, I have not completed color changes to the home page yet. So we are only evaluating the actual forum page at the link given in this thread.

JT

peter_n · 01-25-2005

Jorge, before you spend a lot of time developing a "new" RFF you might want to test the waters with the current membership about changing this design at all. A bit of marketing research, if you will.

My sense of the reaction to the return of the "old" design was that it was one of relief. I think that maybe the majority of members like this design, they are used to it and the way it works, and they might want to keep it, especially now that members who don't like the gray have an alternative color scheme. The only way to test this is to run a poll:

Do you want to keep the current design of this forum?
Would you like to see a new forum designed and implemented?

I do want to emphasize that we are all very grateful for your hard work and enthusiasm, but as you said in your thread It's old but its back "if it ain't broken don't fix it". It may be that a majority of members agree with you, really like the way it is now and don't want to change it. OTOH, maybe most would like it changed. We don't know what most members really think and I'm wondering if a poll would help before you put in a lot of hard work... Just my 2¢.

Roman · 01-25-2005

Jorge,
are there any advantages to changing for you, like easier maintenance or less storage space needed? If so, I could understand why you'd want to change, but if not, well, I guess almost everyone is happy with the way it is...

Roman

Natalia · 01-25-2005

I can live with the original ste (that's why I stayed and keep coming back)...The only thing - maybe have a bigger mailbox? If not, this site still rocks! <-----this was actually the title of my very first post....sniff, sniff.

MP Guy · 01-25-2005

I will need to change to the newer software regardless. There are security issues and bugs which are addressed with the newer version. There are also peformance issues such as thumbnail previews rather than the whole picture. This makes loading faster for those who have slower connection. Security and Bugs. Remember. Its not that I have an urge for a change but an actual need. The test site is intended so we can work out a gray color scheme we all somewhat like. I will have both a gray and a blue scheme available when completed. But the changes are required.

Take the time to dink around on the dev site and become familiar with it. It will make the inevitable transition a lot easier.

taffer · 01-25-2005

Jorge in fact I liked some of the new options but could only explore them at work and the next day at home the forum was back to its origins

To give you an idea, I liked this layout I'm attaching, it was pretty much like this one, elegant, simple and easy to navigate around, if the grey theme could be applied to that one, then it would be still better

MP Guy · 01-25-2005

Taffer, when I apply the gray it will be as in yourimage but just a different color. Its actuall like that now at the test site in a darkish gray color. Also, you can view dslrexchange.com for tyhe new layout.

MP Guy · 01-25-2005

more feedback.

alansoon · 01-25-2005

Ok, here's another suggestion (as if you don't already have enough on your plate!) -- make this RSS friendly. That would make it easier to sort through the active threads.

DougK · 01-25-2005

i like the look and feel of the dev site as it is. The only suggestion would be maybe make the background color a little more true gray rather than the bluish gray (although this could be my monitor).

back alley · 01-25-2005

will the font always be this small size?
it gets a bit tough to read after a while.
just too small.

Doug · 01-25-2005

The test site's "darkish grey" comes out for me as a sickly dark greenish grey. How about making the new forum look and act as nearly as possible like the current one?

I do agree a longer list of recent posts would be nice... or as in the short-lived new forum where there were pages of the most recent posts in chrono order. I liked that, so as not to miss some.

Also, clustering the avatar and other member info together at left makes sense from a space utilization standpoint, and making it easier to read.