Rob, you're right: my post didn't offer you much. Sorry--I was heading out the door. Here are my details, for what they're worth. While there are a lot of additional options in the new system, it seems more cumbersome (to me) to navigate them just to make a post. Perhaps that is due to familiarity with the old system...but, as an old 42 year old fuddy-dud, I like things simple & easy, and tend to avoid complexity for the sake of it. I will probably not be in the 1% of sophisticated users who can/will utilize all that you have added. In addition, frankly, having all these choices on each page--all these icons, symbols, etc--is confusing to me. Again, I am relatively unsophisticated WRT up-to-the-minute online technology, so I'm sure that is what is talking...but the new format is simply visually overwhelming (to me). All of that said, please take these comments in the spirit in which they were intended: not criticism for the sake of whining, but rather my gut-level initial sense of the new site (as a rather prolific veteran of the last one) in answer to the Subject Line of this thread. Best, Dave
I'm actually with Dave on this issue (but I'm a 23 year old techno-geek.) Just pull up the old and new board side by side, and look at all the extranious buttons. I don't need a "profile/pm/search/buddy/edit/reply" bar on every post! I don't need to know I can post replys/attechments at the bottom, nor do I need to 'rate' anything. I sure don't need any help 'e-mailing this page' to anybody. All in all, the new board's backend is hugely better, the front-end is even decent, but could use a lot of tweaking. Frankly, I come to Ferrarichat to relax. Generally, that means using something SIMPLE that gets out of the way and lets me chat with my buddies. With that design goal in mind, I'm sure you'll come up with something that we all will love! (if you want a better idea of the specifics I am talking about, let me know. I can photoshop up a version with just a few tweaks that would get the board closer to where I'd like it. You can then feel free to incorporate, or disregard!) Thanks for all your HARD work. Best! Ben.
At the very least, I want "reply" and "profile" buttons on each post. And I want "edit" on any of my posts. Given those are there, I also appreciate having "pm" to avoid having to go thru profile first. Given those are there, using the otherwise blank space for the rest of the buttons is fine, IMO. I will agree that all the buttons are a bit intimidating at first... but I think, once you all get used to them being there, and find the few things that you use all the time, you really won't have issue with it. And then later, when you suddenly say... damn, I didn't mean to say that... wish I could take that back... hey, that button says "edit"... I wonder... damn, it worked... cool! Over time, I'll bet you guys use those features... and if they were hidden away, you'd have never found them.
The old forum allowed one to Edit, view a profile, PM somebody, and reply quite well indeed. Withought adding extranious junk into the area containing text! Tne new forum, while a bit easier to use for those who are scrollbar-retarted, I find to be very distracting and MUCH LESS READABLE. I thus predict my reading will go down. And I do not want that to happen. Best! Ben.
