• Home
    • ›

    Best thing about this forum is the people

    stevenewstevenew Posts: 66Member
    edited August 2016 in Community Feedback
    Hi, I only joined the forum 2 weeks ago, so probably I didn't have much time to get used to the old design and decide whether I liked it or not, I certainly didn't find it hard to navigate but I think now you have grouped things better it does make it quicker to get to where you want. It does seem cleaner. Colour scheme: I'm not sure I like the lemon yellow, the brown is fine as is the 'parchment white' of the background, but that is just me, it's probably fine:-) Best thing about this forum is the people, easy going and accepting of different ways of doing things. Some guitar forums, indeed some music/recording forums very cliquey, you really feel like you are intruding and god forbid you disagree with the majority! Anyway thanks for the forum, I know how time consuming it can be. Steve 
    · Share on Twitter

    Comments

    • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

      The colours are neither better or worse but I detest the layout of the menus. Everything I wanted to read was accessible before.  Now I have to trawl through the entire menu looking for the categories I am interested in.

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator
      Originally Posted by Jocko:

      The colours are neither better or worse but I detest the layout of the menus. Everything I wanted to read was accessible before.  Now I have to trawl through the entire menu looking for the categories I am interested in.

      Hi Jocko

       

      What do you think now?

       

      With regard to the menus?  Are you using a mobile phone?

      · Share on Twitter
    • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

      These colours are better.  I use a PC for all activity on the site.  Notice that you appear to have removed  access to the Blog draft queue.

      · Share on Twitter
    • stevenewstevenew Posts: 66Member

      Hi Richard,

       

      Colours are better, the 'light brown/beige' is much better than the yellow, it has a more 'wood' like feel, which is more 'guitar like':-). It's looking good.

       

      Steve

       

      · Share on Twitter
    • stateitstateit Posts: 55Member

      Hi Richard, 

       

      Website design is b@llache, as you know.

       

      Anyways, the new site:

       

      The reactive site using Chrome on Android... I hit a link for a forum topic view,  it partly loads, then have to go back and  hit it again. Then it fully loads. (Desktop site on Chrome on PC is fine).

       

      Didn't happen last week...

       

      I'm an old fogey as far as forums go. They have come a long way since Bulletin Boards.

       

      I'm happy giving this 'blog-style' forum a whirl as it keeps me on my toes, as I'm sure it does yourself.

       

      Nevertheless, I do find this style of forum a little harder navigating than the more traditional style of forum, where more info is readily visible on screen, and tabulated for ease of viewing (Thread | Last Post | Replies | Views). 

       

      I'm sure if I'm beaten around the head enough with it I'll eventually come round to your way of thinking though.

      · Share on Twitter
    • stevenewstevenew Posts: 66Member

      Hi Richard,

       

      Btw I use Safari on Mac and also checked the site with Firefox on Mac and it looks & acts consistent as far as I can see.

       

      Steve

      · Share on Twitter
    • stateitstateit Posts: 55Member

      Another thing (positive)...

       

      I do like the 'latest comments' tab on this and the previous incarnation of the forum. 

       

      Another thing (negative)...

       

      The 'latest comments' tab doesn't display any latest comments, and when clicked on(" See All") returns "Error. You do not have permission to view this restricted area"

       

      As an aside, I maintain (for love, not money), upwards of 10 small community and personal sites and appreciate the work you're doing trying keep this resource going onwards and upwards.

      · Share on Twitter
    • AndyjrAndyjr Posts: 659Member

      This looks and feels OK to me, Richard.  Better than the earlier yellow. 

       

      Appreciate the work that goes into this - it's a great forum!

      · Share on Twitter
    • Graham GeorgeGraham George Posts: 496Member

      OK Good Folks,

       

      You might like to check out the other posts in the topic, "Change for the sake of Change?", to browse over others comments of the ongoing forum 'Spring Clean'.

       

      Thanks.

       

      http://www.guitars.co.uk/topic...-the-sake-of-change?

      · Share on Twitter
    • fingersforbesfingersforbes Posts: 56Member

      I possibly hadn't paid enough attention to the old layout and design and I'm not sure what you've done but it does appear on my PC screen to be less cluttered.  I managed to find my way around the old site too so it didn't cause me any problems.  Keep up the good work! image

      · Share on Twitter
    • Graham GeorgeGraham George Posts: 496Member
      Originally Posted by fingersforbes:

      I possibly hadn't paid enough attention to the old layout and design and I'm not sure what you've done but it does appear on my PC screen to be less cluttered.  I managed to find my way around the old site too so it didn't cause me any problems.  Keep up the good work!

       

      On behalf of Richard and myself, thank you Iain.

      · Share on Twitter
    • Reg SoxReg Sox Posts: 3,121Member

      The major thing I miss after the spring clean is the fact that the "Latest Topics" summary has disappeared from the right hand side bar.  There's a summary of latest comments but there is no way to determine to what topic they relate - I have to waste time clicking through to them just to find it's not a topic I'm following.  The rest of it is probably stuff I'll get used to, but the topic summary is really useful.

       

      Cheers, Reg.

      · Share on Twitter
    • jollytunesjollytunes Posts: 0Member

      To be honest I don't come here often enough for it to bother me. The design's fine for me but I still find the letter spacing very wide, both on the website and in Richard's emails, which still puzzles me. Good if you have poor visibility, I guess. What suits one person will never suit another. C'est la vie!

      · Share on Twitter
    • Reg SoxReg Sox Posts: 3,121Member

      Latest Topics back again - thanks!

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richard - Richards GuitarsRichard - Richards Guitars Posts: 679Member
      Originally Posted by jollytunes:

      To be honest I don't come here often enough for it to bother me. The design's fine for me but I still find the letter spacing very wide, both on the website and in Richard's emails, which still puzzles me. Good if you have poor visibility, I guess. What suits one person will never suit another. C'est la vie!

      What do you think now?!

      · Share on Twitter
    • Derek_RDerek_R Posts: 1,721Member

      It's all changed again...and this time I can spot all the changes.

       

      I think I'll wait for things to settle down and meanwhile head on over to the AGF... Only joking!

       

      But I shall wait for the upgrade to be finished before figuring out which page to bookmark to take me straight to where I want to be.

       

      Cheers

      Derek

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richard - Richards GuitarsRichard - Richards Guitars Posts: 679Member
      Originally Posted by Derek_R:

      It's all changed again...and this time I can spot all the changes.

       

      I think I'll wait for things to settle down and meanwhile head on over to the AGF... Only joking!

       

      But I shall wait for the upgrade to be finished before figuring out which page to bookmark to take me straight to where I want to be.

       

      Cheers

      Derek

      Hi Derek

       

      Thanks for your patience - I really do appreciate it.

       

      I think you will find all the major tinkering is now complete for now?

       

      I have removed all the navigation to areas which frankly for whatever reason have not been so popular as I hoped, allowing people to see these features exist through the front page or delving but not cluttering up the navigation with them.

       

      More emphasis on latest topics and posts - more focus on the forum with access to blogs too.

       

      I have made the text closer together too! ha ha

       

      Hope you are ok with it all.

      · Share on Twitter
    • Reg SoxReg Sox Posts: 3,121Member

      A quick picky comment, but as it's top of the list that everyone sees, it's "Newcomers", not "Newcommers".

       

      Best Regards,

      The speling, punc'tuashon; and gramma pollizze.

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richard - Richards GuitarsRichard - Richards Guitars Posts: 679Member
      Originally Posted by Reg Sox:

      A quick picky comment, but as it's top of the list that everyone sees, it's "Newcomers", not "Newcommers".

       

      Best Regards,

      The speling, punc'tuashon; and gramma pollizze.

      Nahhh you must have been mistaken?

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richard - Richards GuitarsRichard - Richards Guitars Posts: 679Member

      ok... hands up... I changed it

      · Share on Twitter
    • Derek_RDerek_R Posts: 1,721Member

      One quick comment... the link I've always used takes me to this page:

       

      http://www.guitars.co.uk/activityStream

       

      From there I can see all the latest messages - which is nice :-)    The moment I click on one of those messages and maybe reply, I'm a bit stuck as to how to get back to the rest of the latest messages without using the back button or using my original bookmark link. It's not a showstopper - and maybe I'm the only person who ever used the activity stream page - just an observation.

       

      Cheers

      Derek

      · Share on Twitter
    • Richard - Richards GuitarsRichard - Richards Guitars Posts: 679Member
      Originally Posted by Derek_R:

      One quick comment... the link I've always used takes me to this page:

       

      http://www.guitars.co.uk/activityStream

       

      From there I can see all the latest messages - which is nice :-)    The moment I click on one of those messages and maybe reply, I'm a bit stuck as to how to get back to the rest of the latest messages without using the back button or using my original bookmark link. It's not a showstopper - and maybe I'm the only person who ever used the activity stream page - just an observation.

       

      Cheers

      Derek

      Your wish is my command!

       

      I messed up - have put it back with the word "activity" for you too... There's service!

      · Share on Twitter
    • Derek_RDerek_R Posts: 1,721Member

      Tremendous! Cheers Richard. You couldn't post me a Stonebridge, too, could you?

      · Share on Twitter
    • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

      Stick "Totally Not Guitars!" (used quite a lot) above "Musicians And Bands" (very little traffic) and I'll settle for that.

      · Share on Twitter
    • Reg SoxReg Sox Posts: 3,121Member

      Is there a way to get consistent treatment of external links out of the forum?  Sometimes when you click on a link the external page opens up in a new tab, and sometimes the new page opens in the current tab.  My personal preference is for any external links to open up in a new tab.

       

      Edit:  And another thing.......  On the front page of the "Forums" link there is the ability to collapse all the sub categories under the major categories.  This is great for uncluttering the "Forums" section front page, leaving each section expanded or collapsed based on individual preference.  The problem is that selections aren't maintained between visits, and by default every section is presented as expanded every time you go back to the "Forums" front page.  It makes the ability to collapse sections pretty meaningless if the settings can't be maintained between visits to the page.  If it is possible to maintain settings it gives the ability to significantly tidy up the Forums page based on my preferences.  For example, jumping in there now, my entire screen is taken up with the Newcom(m)ers and Community Feedback sections - I can't even see any guitar related content without scrolling down.  If I could collapse those sections and have that choice maintained I can see what I'm interested in seeing on a regular basis, and only expand the sections I rarely visit on an occasional basis when needed.

       

      Cheers, Reg.

      · Share on Twitter
    • stevenewstevenew Posts: 66Member

      Richard,

       

      I am not a great user of forums on phones, too fiddly for me, but I checked out the forum on my iPhone 3gs IOS 6.1.6 (using Safari) and it seems to load OK and is pretty easy to navigate. I appreciate it is using a different template for mobiles devices but compared to some forums which I find unusable it works well.

       

      Steve

      · Share on Twitter
    • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

      Thanks Richard and Graham.  I'm happy.

      · Share on Twitter
    • jollytunesjollytunes Posts: 0Member
      Originally Posted by Richard - Richards Guitars:
      Originally Posted by jollytunes:

      To be honest I don't come here often enough for it to bother me. The design's fine for me but I still find the letter spacing very wide, both on the website and in Richard's emails, which still puzzles me. Good if you have poor visibility, I guess. What suits one person will never suit another. C'est la vie!

      What do you think now?!

      Er... to be honest it doesn't look much different. Perhaps a little better. It probably sounds incredibly picky but I used to work in graphic design. My guess is you use the same font settings in your emails as your webpages. It all looks a lot more laid back and mellow again with the new colour scheme. I don't check in as often as I'd like but when I do it's usually the acoustic section. The electric violin recently posted got a like from me and I'd have thought an Other Fretted/String Instruments section would have been of interest to others too.

      · Share on Twitter
    • SmartySmarty Posts: 403Member
      I haven't I read through all the posts on this thread so bear with me! I really have no preference. I mean, I'll still visit the site pretty much regardless of how it looks. Having been a member for years now, it's already changed a few times already. Changing a few orders and layouts here and there are really not going to break me! And really, if you're the sort of person who does get a bit upset when a forum changes it's design a little, then surely you've not got enough going on in your life have you!!??
      · Share on Twitter
    • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator
      Originally Posted by jollytunes:
      Originally Posted by Richard - Richards Guitars:
      Originally Posted by jollytunes:

      To be honest I don't come here often enough for it to bother me. The design's fine for me but I still find the letter spacing very wide, both on the website and in Richard's emails, which still puzzles me. Good if you have poor visibility, I guess. What suits one person will never suit another. C'est la vie!

      What do you think now?!

      Er... to be honest it doesn't look much different. Perhaps a little better. It probably sounds incredibly picky but I used to work in graphic design. My guess is you use the same font settings in your emails as your webpages. It all looks a lot more laid back and mellow again with the new colour scheme. I don't check in as often as I'd like but when I do it's usually the acoustic section. The electric violin recently posted got a like from me and I'd have thought an Other Fretted/String Instruments section would have been of interest to others too.

      OK well... the text is closer together as requested.  I can have a look at putting it closer but I think its about right now - I just wish you could tell the difference your end as it was you who mentioned it.

       

      With regards to other instruments I am afraid I wouldn't want to divert from guitars.  I am sure there are other forums that could do justice to other string instruments better than I can.

      · Share on Twitter
    Sign In or Register to comment.