What is wrong with the site? (Please read updated post #1)

gandalf

The Moldy Gowl wrote: »

I can see a dav meltdown coming soon, with all the hate that is ongoing.

Why this isn't personal hate aimed at Dav. I would count Dav as a friend (I'm not sure if he still counts me as one!). This is honest feedback and either the powers that be want that or they don't. I believe Dav is just the "mouth of Sauron" and he isn't the UX designer of Sauron

I care about boards, I have been a member since it started, I modded on it for years. My interest has wained in recent years and I have only stayed posting on the soccer forum on a regular basis with the odd foray into AH and Politics every now and then.

This new design would probably drive me away from the site even more and I am sure I wouldn't be the only one judging from feedback on this thread and the other.

Francie Barrett

gandalf wrote: »

This new design would probably drive me away from the site even more and I am sure I wouldn't be the only one judging from feedback on this thread and the other.

+1

I think the big problem with the new site is that they have tried to make it a nicer experience for tablet/mobile users. In fairness, I do have to say it is an improvement if you're on that kind of device. The problem though, is that the experience for desktop/laptop users is significantly worst. So much padding, white space, enlarged icons, fields, etc. means that you are constantly having to scroll about with your mouse to go through posts and threads. The experience is so awful that if I am on a desktop/laptop, I would certainly use the site less, maybe not at all.

shrapnel222

is this where we ask where we can switchback? god this is beyond awful.

smash

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I think the big problem with the new site is that they have tried to make it a nicer experience for tablet/mobile users. In fairness, I do have to say it is an improvement if you're on that kind of device.

I disagree. Everything gets lost pretty fast.

gandalf

Francie Barrett wrote: »

+1

I think the big problem with the new site is that they have tried to make it a nicer experience for tablet/mobile users. In fairness, I do have to say it is an improvement if you're on that kind of device. The problem though, is that the experience for desktop/laptop users is significantly worst. So much padding, white space, enlarged icons, fields, etc. means that you are constantly having to scroll about with your mouse to go through posts and threads. The experience is so awful that if I am on a desktop/laptop, I would certainly use the site less, maybe not at all.

That's only if you are using the touch site which I believe is an abomination. I use m.boards.ie on the mobile and tablet for speed of loading. Yes I do know I don't have a lot of the features on it but for reading content alone it is very quick and does what I need. For me the key driver of using this site is the quickest access to the content.

The Moldy Gowl

gandalf wrote: »

That's only if you are using the touch site which I believe is an abomination. I use m.boards.ie on the mobile and tablet for speed of loading. Yes I do know I don't have a lot of the features on it but for reading content alone it is very quick and does what I need. For me the key driver of using this site is the quickest access to the content.

I primarily use touch and find it grand. I don't really care about the little details under people's names or that ****e. I also don't have any ads on mine.
It's an easy switch over to full site if I need to post an image which about the only extra thing I do.

I don't get the hate for the touch site.

_Kaiser_

There's a poll now running on the AH thread.. currently at 43-1 against the new site.

Given AH is the most popular forum here I think that says it all really.

CramCycle

shrapnel222 wrote: »

is this where we ask where we can switchback? god this is beyond awful.

I am still on the old site, not sure how to get onto the new version.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Dav wrote: »

The members of the site are only a part of the site's audience. They're the most important member by a considerable margin, but they're the only ones who say they're happy with the status quo. Registrations are down, this is no secret. Making a site that's less confusing and more enticing to the overwhelming majority of our visitors (people with no account who find us via a search) is one of the biggest driving factors.

Making the site more confusing is goign to drive existing members away, resulting in less to attract new members.

That said, as long as you maintain the option of the legacy site so existing members can keep it the way it was, I've no problem what you show to new members, obviously.

_Kaiser_

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Making the site more confusing is goign to drive existing members away, resulting in less to attract new members.

That said, as long as you maintain the option of the legacy site so existing members can keep it the way it was, I've no problem what you show to new members, obviously.

Unfortunately it seems the idea is only to maintain the "legacy" site until the obvious bugs are worked out, then that'll be it.

I don't see why they can't just have a "legacy" skin (as long as it's also dark!) on the new site for those who prefer it myself. Then they still get away from VB/maintaining 2 sites and they keep the existing users happy as well.

Forcibly pushing everyone to the new layout will just alienate people, drive them away, thus reducing content, thus killing the whole point of the site, thus reducing even more the number of new sign-ups etc...

Dav

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I don't see why they can't just have a "legacy" skin (as long as it's also dark!) on the new site for those who prefer it myself. Then they still get away from VB/maintaining 2 sites and they keep the existing users happy as well.

Building 2 separate and unique looking sites still means we have to maintain 2 separate and unique sites regardless of whether they're on VBulletin or our own API and that's what we're trying to get away from.

We will be having a dark version of this new site though, I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the rest of my says looking at white and blue!

Nody

Dav wrote: »

Building 2 separate and unique looking sites still means we have to maintain 2 separate and unique sites regardless of whether they're on VBulletin or our own API and that's what we're trying to get away from.

We will be having a dark version of this new site though, I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the rest of my says looking at white and blue!

I can live with the new layout but my main problem is the wasted space.

I lose over 50% of the threads in the beta skin which is simply a "no go" for myself to be able to use the skin and I can't find anything in the settings to shrink that empty air

Francie Barrett

Agree completely with the above. The big, big issue is the wasted space. Otherwise, I don't mind the new site.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Dav wrote: »

Building 2 separate and unique looking sites still means we have to maintain 2 separate and unique sites regardless of whether they're on VBulletin or our own API and that's what we're trying to get away from.

We will be having a dark version of this new site though, I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the rest of my says looking at white and blue!

So, will you be taking feedback on board before you scrap the legacy site, or is this it?

sioda

Is m.boards now gone or what's the story new site is unusable from my phone cluttered and impossible to jump to last viewed post. If this is new boards tbh my use will drop off a cliff

gandalf

Dav wrote: »

Building 2 separate and unique looking sites still means we have to maintain 2 separate and unique sites regardless of whether they're on VBulletin or our own API and that's what we're trying to get away from.

We will be having a dark version of this new site though, I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the rest of my says looking at white and blue!

Sorry Dav I don't agree with you on this. The complex part of this is the DB which is in the back end. It is separate from the front end or it should be in a well designed system.

Why are the team so one minded on this total redesign. Why can you not put up a site that is forum centric that looks like a vbulletin site and then tweak it bit by bit and not go for a grand slam like you are trying to do? (btw when I say you I mean boards management and not you personally)

Where are the management getting the momentum for this dramatic change from. Has there been a Survey carried out of potential users? Surely there is real data to back up this need for change. I really hope this isn't a knee jerk reaction to dropping numbers and assuming a site change will sort things out? I really hope there has been some proper research put into this change and not a finger in the air by some half arsed UX/UI Designer.

Dav

gandalf wrote: »

Sorry Dav I don't agree with you on this. The complex part of this is the DB which is in the back end. It is separate from the front end or it should be in a well designed system.

Why are the team so one minded on this total redesign. Why can you not put up a site that is forum centric that looks like a vbulletin site and then tweak it bit by bit and not go for a grand slam like you are trying to do? (btw when I say you I mean boards management and not you personally)

Where are the management getting the momentum for this dramatic change from. Has there been a Survey carried out of potential users? Surely there is real data to back up this need for change. I really hope this isn't a knee jerk reaction to dropping numbers and assuming a site change will sort things out? I really hope there has been some proper research put into this change and not a finger in the air by some half arsed UX/UI Designer.

The DB is the simple bit, we're essentially keeping the VBulletin schema. It's the middle (our own API and Symfony) and front (Bootstrap) are the hard parts.

One could easily argue that the last 10 years have been that gradual change you're suggesting, but ultimately you have to rip the bandage off. Touch. and the Talk To forums for example are a significant departure from VBulletin, that's the path we've been on to bring us here.

We did a survey a year ago (in fact it was a year ago last week), so that along with anecdotal and written feedback about the site we've been receiving for years is what we're basing this on. We're a discussions and communities site. That is not the same as "we're a forums site" and we shouldn't impose limitations on ourselves or how we think about where the site goes (money no object? I'd personally do away with forums completely for example and just tag content so that you can join in any conversation anywhere, but that's not happening any time soon and it'd require a hell of a natural language processor to apply tags in a smart manner ).

T-K-O

Do away with forums...we'll I'm happy you're not in charge....oh wait a minute

channelsurfer2

Ok Dav I have to say it is a massive shock on an android phone!!! No a-z and no latest only "trending" please please don't go ahead with this. Give me back the old version or show.me where the a-z is at least

smash

Dav wrote: »

The DB is the simple bit, we're essentially keeping the VBulletin schema. It's the middle (our own API and Symfony) and front (Bootstrap) are the hard parts.

I've no idea about your API, but bootstrap is a doddle!

gandalf

Good luck with that Dav. If boards continues on this path it WILL lose a lot of its established users. I suppose you buy content in and have taglines "The site lost its users but you'll never believe what happened next....." sort of ****e.

smash

http://talkto.ie Is owned by distilled media. Why don't they just get it over and done with and set it up, link it from header like what was done with adverts and leave boards as it is?

IvyTheTerrible

I've been switched over to the new site on my phone. I can only access "my threads" because I have it bookmarked. The icons at the top of the page (to post, to access my profile and search and follow threads) are unresponsive. No idea how to access mod functions on this either.

The Saint

Dav wrote: »

We did a survey a year ago (in fact it was a year ago last week), so that along with anecdotal and written feedback about the site we've been receiving for years is what we're basing this on. We're a discussions and communities site.

It seems that the outcome of the previous survey didn't exactly capture what users actually wanted. It's pretty damning when over 95% of your user base is telling you that you that they don't like the user layout. Perhaps Boards.ie should listen, although I'm not very optimistic.

oscarBravo

The Saint wrote: »

It's pretty damning when over 95% of your user base is telling you that you that they don't like the user layout.

150-odd people isn't 95% of the user base.

Edward Hopper

oscarBravo wrote: »

150-odd people isn't 95% of the user base.

Give it a few years.

_Kaiser_

Edward Hopper wrote: »

Give it a few years.

Or even a few hours/days.. the poll was only put up this afternoon.

Dav's latest post confirms what I've been thinking though - there's a fundamental disconnect between what the management team think the site is/should be, and what the users (who generate the content that makes it what it is and makes it attractive to commercial clients) think it is/should be.

Do away with the forum concept entirely? They don't seem to be grasping the point that it's that forum concept that has generated the communities and discussion on the site - and that community is not on-board with this move.

As for random conversations/tagged content.. That sounds like a disaster!

rex-x

Dav wrote: »

The DB is the simple bit, we're essentially keeping the VBulletin schema. It's the middle (our own API and Symfony) and front (Bootstrap) are the hard parts.

I'm beginning to wonder if you maybe have the wrong developers for the type of application you need, bootstrap is heavy, really heavy and not what you want on a big site! A node.js backend and a nice frontend using reactjs or similar would be far easier to develop and use way less overhead, and you can easily have a mobile layout and desktop layout from the same code that look totally different.

And really, you are a forums site. Not a discussions site, not a community site, its a forum and that's why people come here! madness

anothernight

rex-x wrote: »

bootstrap is heavy, really heavy and not what you want on a big site!

You're not supposed to include absolutely everything that it comes with. You remove features you don't need. The official website encourages it.

rex-x

anothernight wrote: »

You're not supposed to include absolutely everything that it comes with. You remove features you don't need. The official website encourages it.

Try it compared to react