Gaudy enough for you???

I read a couple threads in the main forum and then came down here for a quick check of what's up before getting on with my day. Font is hard on the eyes to me and I see no reason for the red blobs on the left.

Functionality is disappearing - search....join dates....can't click for 'last post' in threads. I don't want the forum to be a book to read but an info site I can navigate easily.

He, he, he....my psychokinesis is working.

But on the plus side, Jody, I bet it's made you forget about those irritating social media widgets for a while.

.

Pat -

I noticed that was gone - too bad you weren't given an option to save all the info before it was deleted. Did you have advance warning from anyone?

I see a join date - but only the year - have to look in profile to see if someone who is posting like a banshee joined today...or this week.

I was expecting the changes - not this much perhaps. Had hoped we would have "fixes" first but guess not.

It's their forum so I don't have a real problem with it. I know where the door is and have been using it more often lately:p

Lance,

Could you elaborate on that, please....'cause I'm havin' a hard time readin' between the lines?!

Thanks,
Jody

+1 Hopefully the search functions are fixed and/or stabilized soon. It's also hard to believe they changed the copyrighting section URL. WoW.

I don't like the way this new font messes up the look of the arrows I like to use either ---> Bummer.

-don

And me, and a LOT of others. There have been quite a few complaints, including one by me in the main forum where I linked to a study showing Verdana (the previous font) was the easiest to read on a computer screen AND helps prevent CVS (computer vision syndrome).

Arial sucks. I don't know what Arial looks like on mobile devices and other small viewing ports, but I can't imagine it's good.


That, and the icon for going to the first unread post. I know you know how handy that is when you're monitoring a thread.

I don't see anything too horrible in the new design. If they weren't listening this site would now be blue. There are a few things about the design, that if cleaned up, the new design would be very palatable and not a big stretch from the original, which was always just fine with me. I made my suggestions in the open thread in the main forum for what I saw as design flaws and a few bugs.

I'm glad they changed the copywriting forum back to copywriting. That was a mistake for certain. This place needs a forum for the best copywriters to discuss their trade.

Management seems to be listening, which is always a good sign .... maybe.

As for the search, it is frustrating. What is so hard about getting it right?

This is what Paul said above and it is certainly a major blunder.

Note that Any site you are on that has too small of a font, just hold down CTRL and click the plus sign [ + ] key and each time you do it will make the text larger and larger - to put it back then do CTRL and minus key [ - ]




( testing smilies)

confirmed the yellow one hurts

Unless you are making and/or editing images for a living. Some monitors/graphics cards do have easily selectable settings presets so I guess all could be good.

Cheers!

Even in this thread, I think I have something of a minority viewpoint.

I like most of the changes I see, and I'm really erring strongly on the side of "giving the new guys the benefit of the doubt" over anything I instinctively dislike, too. (I tend to dislike "change" less than most people, anyway, I think.)

Re-arranging the "contents" into different sub-forums was long overdue, no? What a mess it was, not having a separate folder for SEO only, for a start? (Not that I think those threads should be quarantined, or anything.)

I admit I freaked out, momentarily, when I saw "Content Marketing & Copywriting" (or whatever the wording was) earlier today, which would perhaps have been a nightmare and a disaster, but look how quickly that was amended.

I appreciate that to most people this will be the most inconsequential "issue" of the lot, but I'm not quite sure yet about the slightly-different smilies. I'm trying to get used to them. But then again, I've always brought some skepchick smilies with me in the past and nobody's asked me to stop using them, so what the hell? I'm happy.

(And if I'd spent over $3 mill, or whatever it was, on buying a forum, whatever my longer-term objectives for it, I know I'd want to experiment and change some stuff in it, too.)

.

Jody, Nope. I handed that and the source docs to Alaister and Matt and told them it was their baby, if they wanted it. They have a different view of a lot of things, and it seems appropriate to let them tailor it to that view.


Paul

Yeah, if you are gonna have small ones then give the little guys some cool. But then again we don't want the silly little guys to be too distracting in the serious world of the other forums...
I wonder who will be the first to blast us for using too many silly emoticons on this gaudy off topic thread?

Suzanne,

I agree on some of the changes being unnecessary. The new emoticons, for example, are ridiculous. As is that silly cartoon creature at the top of the page.

As far as the WAMA discussions, I like the idea. They appear to be trying to bring some of the higher level topics in for discussion. That's a very good thing, for the forum as a group and for the members individually. By adding those things, they're offering a broader mix than the usual "What's the best web host/autoresponder" and generic "How do I get more traffic" threads. That can, if it's nurtured, raise the value of the conversations here a lot. Which could well mean more people sharing higher level strategies and bringing back the sort of cutting edge stuff that once characterized this forum.

As far as who they pick for them... Likely the same thing that drives most such choices: Who do they know and have the kinds of relationships with to make things happen?

None of this means the things we like now have to go away. It just means there are more choices on the buffet.

They added an email marketing section, which I think is long overdue. It will need careful watching to avoid turning into a place for spam advice, but it's an important topic that's been largely neglected here. (I suggested that one to Allen again back in February. I suspect the impending sale is the reason he didn't do anything with it.)

I think I see where they're heading with the topical stuff. If I'm right, it will be a very good thing. As long as they don't blow too much up in the process.

The search function has reached a serious point, though. You can't hope to raise the discussion level while restricting the mods' ability to weed out the serial nonsense posters. That's a pretty broad group, with a whole lot of variety. I think it's useful to remember that this place wasn't founded with a single section of that group in mind. And that the "Joe Schmoe" you mention is the person who chased out folks like Yanik Silver and Marlon Sanders and John Reese and Jonathan Mizel for years. And that kept them from bringing in folks with similar work philosophies.

I think Matt and Alaister are looking for a new balance. I doubt they want to throw out the newcomers to the biz, but it wouldn't hurt us to see more of the old hands.

It's not going to happen overnight, but raising the level of discourse is probably the best way to get rid of the "instant experts." As more people become more familiar with how things really work, it will get harder for the "I think it, therefore it must be right" types to just toss out foolish or mistaken ideas as gospel and be left unchallenged.

Jody, Matt seemed to like the idea of the thing, so it may end up being updated. I doubt it's high on their priority list, though.

Turning the PDF into a user's guide to the forum might be a good thing.


Paul

Yeah, I read that they put the discussion leader idea on hold, but I do sort of wonder if they haven't attempted it with a few in house people. This one discussion that seemed contrived, the one with the two reserved posts, was poorly implemented if it was one. I won't point it out in case he's just a dork. lol. They did delete the two reserved posts because I reported them. There's been a couple of conversations I've read recently that just seemed fake, as if they were meant to "inspire" conversation. At any rate, I'll just hope for the best and hope they don't change the WF to "death."

EDITED TO ADD

I made no comment about the cartoon in the header because when I saw it, my dropped to the floor and rendered me speechless.

If you wish to learn, I probably wouldn't do it in this thread as we're discussing changes that took place before you joined just now.

The main discussion forum is a good place to start, probably best to just have a look around. This is off topic so we like to have conversations about low level sub atomic fusion, the diversification and biological changes of molecular structures and other things like balloons, snails and Shane often throws in a few space ship tales.

And Steve SHOUTS A LOT!!!!!!

Whoopee - look who's here

See - it's just not the same with the shadow smilies...

Excellent idea!

And, would you please consider replacing the existing "Thanks" buttons etc.? They're way to big and bold. Feels like they're screaming at us.

We don't need to go nuts on adding a ton of smileys. We just want to be able to see them. these faded out smileys just don't express feeling very well.

Thanks for the font change. Much easier on the eyes and glad the redirects are in place.