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New Boards Layout

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Comments

  • #332
    honreal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 246 ✭✭honreal


    Im all for change but the new layout is horrendous. Whoever the UX designer is needs to have a long hard think about their future :D


  • #333
    Knex*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,475 ✭✭✭✭Knex*


    laugh wrote: »
    Interesting, so it's likely they are trying to attract less technically savvy users who don't block their ads etc.

    I get the impression that anyone who uses adblock, Boards won't care that they will no longer use their site once the new mandatory no adblock website is pushed through.

    It ignores the content or discussion we generate, and just focuses on whether or not they make money from you viewing the site. That's not going to end well.


  • #334
    whatismyname
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,707 ✭✭✭whatismyname


    Just caught up. Hadn't been aware that it's been forced on those outside of Ireland, ahead of everyone else.

    Sorry but feck that sh1te.

    I invest a lot of time into boards, but as I'm no longer living in Ireland, I get made use a site that is much,much more difficult to use, before others are.

    I have tried to get used to it. It's not just about not liking change, although that's what they seem to like to think.

    There's many reasons why the site is just so much more difficult to use now - in some cases I can see that functionality has changed in a way that makes it more difficult to use. In others I've yet to figure out if it's me just not yet getting the hang of it, but I've spent way longer than should be needed, trying to figure that out.

    Miss You Already Boards :(


  • #335
    12Phase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭12Phase


    Karsini wrote: »
    Most users ever online was 19,042, 20-05-2015 at 21:23.

    Not that long ago really.

    That was two days ahead of the Marriage Equality referendum. I think that's likely why.


  • #336
    maudgonner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭maudgonner


    Those animated poll bars are really very annoying. I think they'd be 50% less annoying if they were scrolling left to right. But that would still leave them very annoying indeed.


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  • #337
    12Phase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭12Phase


    Also the touch site really works very well on mobile. It's one of the best out there for this kind of interaction.


  • #338
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,414 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    Not sure what the story is regarding foreign access. I'm logged in from a French IP address (same as always, no proxies or anything clever) and I'm still getting the legacy site by default.

    Have voluntarily switched to the Beta/NewImproved version a few times to give it a "fair hearing" ... I've managed to stick it for nearly a full five minutes before changing back, although most of that was spent trying to understand the CSS for later customisation. :(


  • #339
    bear1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,934 ✭✭✭✭bear1


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    Not sure what the story is regarding foreign access. I'm logged in from a French IP address (same as always, no proxies or anything clever) and I'm still getting the legacy site by default.

    Have voluntarily switched to the Beta/NewImproved version a few times to give it a "fair hearing" ... I've managed to stick it for nearly a full five minutes before changing back, although most of that was spent trying to understand the CSS for later customisation. :(

    Have you tried logging in with your phone?


  • #340
    jester77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    smash wrote: »
    I'm still convinced that the 3 UI/UX people who worked on the new site were interns.

    Whether they were or not, it's pretty obvious they are not good at what they do. I would safely bet that there were no usability sessions, no a/b testing or no remote testing with any of their users.


  • #341
    12Phase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭12Phase


    Just be thankful this isn't boards.fr, riots would be happening by now!


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  • #342
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,414 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    bear1 wrote: »
    Have you tried logging in with your phone?

    Nope. Don't see the point of using a 5" screen for internet browsing.


  • #343
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Wibbs wrote: »
    bringing in "experts" who tell them that the site layout is putting off new members, so change must happen.

    I've been doubtful of this since it was first mentioned months ago in the original feedback threads.

    I can't understand how people for who it is claimed have a good understanding of the likes of Facebook and Twitter, but can't figure out how to use boards.ie and therefore this equates to the numbers registering dropping off.

    If they can't figure out a simple forum, how are we supposed to believe they managed to make contact with the right people and get such a change in motion. You see the odd person posting in the wrong forums but not to the extent that the site needs a complete overhaul to cater to the whims of what I believe is a very small amount of people.


  • #344
    Mesrine65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,949 ✭✭✭Mesrine65


    FAIL


  • #345
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Its a shame. I've been trying to adapt but whats happening is that I just spend less time here. 20% possibly? I've been checking in less thats for sure.


  • #346
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    Nope. Don't see the point of using a 5" screen for internet browsing.

    Thats the problem with the new site. The PC Desktop experience is now similar to using Boards on a phone.

    I'm using boards on a 18 inch monitor but its as claustrophobic and unwieldy as a 5" screen.

    Why anyone would do that to a site is a mystery.


  • #347
    Knex*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,475 ✭✭✭✭Knex*


    At the moment...

    Active Users: 4,056 (1,449 registered, 2,607 guests)

    Would really like to know what the two and a half thousand guests think of the new layout, tbh. Sure, a lot of them are likely registered users in some capacity, but still.


  • #348
    maudgonner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭maudgonner


    It's a minor quibble, but this syntax is mighty annoying :)


  • #349
    Discodog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,092 ✭✭✭✭Discodog


    12Phase wrote: »
    Also the touch site really works very well on mobile. It's one of the best out there for this kind of interaction.

    I agree & I use it all the time. But the powers say that it's useless.


  • #350
    smash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34,808 ✭✭✭✭smash


    According to the thread in feedback, the site as we know it isn't going anywhere for 2016. Maybe longer depending on the feedback. There does however seem to be a decision that boards should try and be a Facebook/Twitter/Inatagram type platform because they're successful :rolleyes:


  • #351
    bear1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,934 ✭✭✭✭bear1


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    Nope. Don't see the point of using a 5" screen for internet browsing.

    I do, if you are away from home, or at an airport with time to kill.


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  • #352
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,736 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    smash wrote: »
    According to the thread in feedback, the site as we know it isn't going anywhere for 2016. Maybe longer depending on the feedback. There does however seem to be a decision that boards should try and be a Facebook/Twitter/Inatagram type platform because they're successful :rolleyes:

    Posted here:
    Dav wrote:
    This site, as a "Forums" site is shrinking - a combination of changes in how people simply consume and create internet content combined with After Hours being seen as the "catch all" forum on the site has seen to that (that's by no means a criticism of AH or it's regulars, quite the opposite). All the specialist forums get quieter and quieter. Hardly makes sense to stick to a "Forums" structure when it's clearly eating itself. A tag system makes forums redundant, but it doesn't kill off communities. It does make them interact with one another though. Again, I state, we're not a forums site, we're a community site. Community revolves around discussion of a common interest which is why forums lend themselves quite well, but so do groups on Facebook or Lists on Twitter or even hashtags on Instagram. I'm not suggesting we simply copy what they're doing, but there's surely something to be learned from them given their global success? Look, it's an idea that's been in my head for a while and has rarely left it, I was just trying to share some ideas with the rest of you - encourage a bit of creative thinking from us all about where we drive this bus.

    For those of you who seem to simply hate the new site, well the good news is that I can guarantee you that the Legacy site isn't going anywhere for 2016 and the boss has indicated that if it doesn't cause us problems, he may leave it live indefinitely (that is not a guarantee by any means).

    I still disagree with the notion of abandoning the forum structure and the apparent desire to turn the site into some sort of Facebook/Twitter mash-up, but they seem to have gotten the hint on the enforced move to the new site... for now anyway!!


  • #353
    jaykay74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,611 ✭✭✭jaykay74


    I would have thought the drop off in usage of boards was more down to the lack of availability of the site for what felt like (and maybe was) weeks on end when there was database issues/ddos attacks. People just move on a bit and get their browsing fix from elsewhere.


  • #354
    12Phase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭12Phase


    bear1 wrote: »
    I do, if you are away from home, or at an airport with time to kill.

    Not to mention that a huge % of browsing happens on mobile phones generally and they're getting bigger and bigger. My Nexus 6P is 5.7" display for example.


  • #355
    Lemming
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 14,176 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    Posted here:
    Dav wrote: »
    Community revolves around discussion of a common interest which is why forums lend themselves quite well, but so do groups on Facebook or Lists on Twitter or even hashtags on Instagram. I'm not suggesting we simply copy what they're doing, but there's surely something to be learned from them given their global success?

    I still disagree with the notion of abandoning the forum structure and the apparent desire to turn the site into some sort of Facebook/Twitter mash-up, but they seem to have gotten the hint on the enforced move to the new site... for now anyway!!

    I don't know about anyone else, but the thought of the powers-that-be trying to ape social media sites because "they are successful ergo copying them will make us successful" is both a logical fallacy and more importantly, the antithesis of community discussion. Unless you're engaged in a particular discussion at a given moment in time, finding content older than an hour on facebook - for example - is a dire, abysmal experience, and does little to forment "community" or the meaningful dissemination of content. Why would boards want to become that?


  • #356
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Knex. wrote: »
    Would really like to know what the two and a half thousand guests think of the new layout, tbh.

    They can't figure out how to register in order to tell us, apparently.


  • #357
    Knex*
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,475 ✭✭✭✭Knex*


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    Posted here:



    I still disagree with the notion of abandoning the forum structure and the apparent desire to turn the site into some sort of Facebook/Twitter mash-up, but they seem to have gotten the hint on the enforced move to the new site... for now anyway!!

    I got it wrong with the twitter analogy, it seems. Apparently we're aiming for multiple large Facebook Group Chat scenarios.

    Yay.


  • #358
    12Phase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,026 ✭✭✭12Phase


    You could address all of those issues by just coming up with a much better trending page, a way of using keywords / hash tags in posts to make them searchable across the site and absolutely making the forums easier to find.

    I would suggest something like having a site editor (I'll do it if you'll pay me!) who would do a constant trawl of the entire site looking for interesting stories and keep those on a trending page, rather than just entirely relying on technology and hits to calculate what comes up.

    Also maybe it's something mods could do - i.e. be able to tag a number of posts that are particularly interesting to be flagged up onto the homepage.

    I don't think a total redesign of the entire UI was necessary or that it will do much other than annoy people.

    Again, I think you have to take a page out of Apple's book - you've a good system, just build on it and integrate new and cool technology. Ripping down familiar UIs which have not only become familiar, but have also been refined over quite long time is a recipe for a massive problem.

    Boards has lots of traffic, the issue is really keeping that traffic and enhancing the site. I don't think attempting to compete with mega-corps like Twitter and Facebook will do anything for you other than cause serious pain.


  • #359
    anothernight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,539 ✭✭✭anothernight


    12Phase wrote: »
    Boards has lots of traffic, the issue is really keeping that traffic and enhancing the site. I don't think attempting to compete with mega-corps like Twitter and Facebook will do anything for you other than cause serious pain.

    Google's Orkut comes to mind. At one point it was the main social media site in Brazil, and I think also popular in India. If you searched for anything Brazilian you were bound to be taken to one of Orkut's communities. It worked really well, until it was redesigned to be a crappy Facebook clone. Why? Because international audiences were using Facebook, which meant that surely Orkut had to be like Facebook. Within a few years it became the internet equivalent of a barren wasteland.


  • #360
    karma_
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,798 ✭✭✭karma_


    I'm generally in favour of change, but the new layout is bad, horrifically bad.


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  • #361
    karma_
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,798 ✭✭✭karma_


    anothernight wrote: »
    Within a few years it became the internet equivalent of a barren wasteland.

    I fear the same with boards now tbh. I think this will drive away many of the long-time contributors which would be ironic for a site which has proved to have such longevity.


This discussion has been closed.
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