FerrariChat.com update - Questions

Thank you thank you for posting that screen shot! Empty space is driving me crazy... also the fact that 'first unread' only dates back to transition day?
Multi photos on Ipad is the first real improvement I've seen! Do they now load in correct orientation as well? That would be a win.

 

Ok thanks,but it is not possible to do it in 'old style'? (the oldd fashioned way

 

Don't know.

I'm busy familiarizing myself with the "new" version. when I get that ALL figured out, maybe I'll dive into the "old" version.

D

 

That toggle does not appear on my iPad regardless of the theme.

 

This brings up a pertinent question. Is the goal to phase out the look of the old format and promote the look of the new format?

 

I have no idea, BUT, why would Rob bother to spend lots of hours, and money, getting an "old version" simulated just to make it go away?

D

 

Well that sucks...

I have not tried an iPad on this thing. Maybe, if hurricane IRMA doesn't kill me, I'll steal my wife's iPad and try it on Monday.

D

 

That's one of the main issues with "responsive" design. Many variables that need to work across many platforms. It's a tall order. I'm Also not running the latest iPhone / iPad software so perhaps some of what I noted will be different on the latest software.

Wishing you and everyone else in FL the best with this storm.

 

It's about 6 hours south of us right now. Gonna stay offshore as it passes us, but that'll give us a bigger storm surge. Can't win with this one.

D

 

Maybe not phase it out, but I would be pretty surprised if the old format was as supported and evolved as the new format over time. I can see initial bug fixes then not a whole lot of modifications. I see the old format as a way to appease some people while the new format is pushed. Rob said he wanted to attract a new, younger audience, so that makes sense to me.

 

I'd call that possible bordering on probable. Rob hasn't said anything to me about that, neither has Jack. Certainly first priority is getting the new version as bug free as possible, then backtracking to the old version.

Mark, are you on the old version? Have you tried the new version for more than 30 seconds? I actually prefer it now that I'm used to it. Sure, the avatars suck, and the spacing is still a little funky, but you can turn off some of the stuff that makes it so, um, spacey.

D

 

The new theme is the default theme. I think that sets the stage. I intend to use the old as long as possible.

 

As I understand it the host software was no longer supported and that was the reason. It was functioning rather well and still does for many other automotive forums out there but if it's going to become vulnerable then I understand that issue. None of that negates the well honed design which still had some issues like search and photo/attachment handling. I don't think the appearance of the new design is receiving bad marks because it's merely a change. I swapped to the old format because the new one is not a good visual design layout. PERIOD.

Again, I haven't made detailed analysis of all the features now available but my quick take is that the new system has most of the old system's features (it should ...) and having a format closer to the old system's doesn't necessarily negate any new benefits provided by the new system. It's a style thing. I happen to think doing this was a wise move. Because it lessens the shock and also allows one to wean people slowly onto new features and slight format changes each time instead of WHAM! Here's the new format now live with it!

It's about design ...

 

Are you a conspiracy kind of guy? I dunno, but thinking that Rob has some long term nefarious or sneaky plan in place gives him a LOT more credit than I think I'd give him, he's just not that kind of guy. Now, I must admit, I have had very little interaction with the new owners or their minions (a few PM's err, conversations, back and forth on motorinteractive) but they don't seem like they're the sneaky snake types either.

I will say this, if they transition to the "new" format only, it'll only be after all of the issues the 100,000 users here have aired and addressed. I can't see that being a short term thing.

D

 

What's conspiratorial about thinking they employed a smart transitional management technique?

Having the old format simulation available from the get go was clearly planned.

 

Observation / bug:

Old theme, iphone, cannot select text from a post to copy.

Edit - partially works. Can't seem to select and copy a single word

 

In old style, I've discovered that if you click on the thread title in unread watched threads, it'll take you to the first unread post. The unread watched threads list also shows the elapsed time since the last post and that's actually an active link that takes you to the end of the thread (i.e. I could click on "20 minutes ago" in this screenshot):

Image Unavailable, Please Login ​

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I disagree on the bugs if it's been designed internally correctly but yes there may be some new features which cannot be practically implemented under the old format skin. Only you and your design team know that.

Two suggestions.

1. You should have defaulted to the old format for about a week or so to cut down on the flak.

2. It may already be somewhere that I missed ... but having a list of the new features and goals for the updated system would be nice.

Perhaps as a lure over to the new format once you make it's style far more palatable.

 

Same here. Admittedly, it's getting more tolerable/less sucky, but I haven't tried to do much yet, knowing that Rob & Co aren't finished with the tweaking yet.

Will we get the "multi-post" option back again, or will we just have to keep working around it?
Also curious about the insertion of pics within text, and remember when this was a "new thing" on the old FChat.

I thought it was there yesterday..... Maybe that was before I switched to Old View.

Any way to get the old logo back at the top, or something similar that doesn't look so....... 1994 crude?

 

Forums in general are not what they used to be. This is not an F-chat only thing. There has been a slow down on most forums. Unfortunately many users have gone to posting automotive things on Facebook and other social media. I don't have a Facebook account and never will.

 

I've had that exact proposition as replacement for an old forum I help run on Yahoo Groups. Facebook maybe the awesome sauce they've been weaned on but it's hardly a functional replacement for an automotive themed forum with multipurpose capabilities. Even this one falls short in some ways. No database ...

 

Hubolt or Hublot?

In any event, I think you'll be losing older subscribers that way though I'm still not seeing what's so gee wiz bang amazingly different about the new look?

Even Hublot themselves has classic looking watches.