Extremely difficult to browse and read RWI post crash on new forum software

[reppy]

I'm finding it extremely difficult to browse and read the forums here since the crash.
On some of the pages, as little as 25% of the width of the page has the actual things you're trying to read.
It gives me a headache every time I come here, so I haven't been coming around a lot

Here's an example of another forum that I visit where it is easy to read.

 

[lorenzo1910]

Mmmmh.... May I suggest to use CTRL+?

 

[Fiddo]

Yeah, adjust your browser magnification which makes everything bigger and it fills the screen. That doesn't solve the date and time placement, though, which may be a specific feature/limitation of VB forum software? I agree, it would be nice to be able to collapse/eliminate that sidebar stuff.

I believe they are working on stuff to make things look and flow more smoothly. Initially, that was not a priority as other more serious issues took precedence. Give it time! All will be well!

trailboss99 would be more knowledgeable as to what is coming.

 

[trailboss99]

The sidebar is the index page only and TBH I find that forum you find "easy to read" a messy jumble.
There will be changes, that skin was thrown together in a matter of hours to get us back up, it will be changed around when time allows.

 

[Automotiveromance]

The only thing that annoys me to no end is that topics have no summary of how many pages said topic has. So I end up clicking it and halfway through page one realizing ‘I’ve read this before’ and subsequently seeing it’s 8 pages long and then having to navigate to the last page. I know you can directly go to the last comment by clicking the >> behind the username of the last member who posted, but there’s no way to tell whether a topic even has more than 1 page from outside the topic. To me, adding a number of pages summary behind the topic title would massively improve the forum experience.

 

[optical]

the biggest issue I find, is that the stickies are at the top of every thread list, so even when you click on the second page of threads, the stickies still appear at the top.

 

[tripdog]

Drawing red lines over everything, one of my favorite pass times.

 

[Daft_Punk]

It's called formatting. Columns and rows. Same with your 'huge gaps' and 'wasted space' , FYI this is called negative space in design kind of like the difference between a two line sub and a brietling Navitimer for reference (see what I did there), one is actually easier to read.. the site has to work for everyone not just you so that means a tablet or a Big screen TV ... typical non sense I get from my clients on GUI design.

 

[cheld]

the biggest issue I find, is that the stickies are at the top of every thread list, so even when you click on the second page of threads, the stickies still appear at the top.

This. Even at proper magnification the Rolex/Tudor forum only gives you 6-8 non-sticky threads per page.

Also the jump-to-bottom thing is severely annoying, especially using a browser on iPad.

 

[ssouthall6]

Have to agree with the op, the other forum posted is far easier to read, RWI does seem loads of clicking now to read threads. Grateful to have RWI back and appreciate the work gone into to get us back to where we are, but it is far more difficult to read and get around now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trailboss99]

And yet the main complaint for new members with the old style was that there was too much info on the index page and it overwhelmed them. Daft_Punk would you like to put some thought into this and maybe give us some ideas on a better layout?

 

[Daft_Punk]

And yet the main complaint for new members with the old style was that there was too much info on the index page and it overwhelmed them. Daft_Punk would you like to put some thought into this and maybe give us some ideas on a better layout?

Would be my pleasure ... PM incoming

 

[pilworx]

please try to fix the jumping to the bottom of the page. on desktop it doesn't do this but on my android it's infuriating.

we also need quick links to the rest of the forum at the bottom of every page. very tedious to have to go back to the main page to go to a different section.

really miss my Breitling wings too. ;-(

 

[medusa95]

I agree with many points made here, the wasted space is a shame. But the colours are on point

 

[Daft_Punk]

This forum is not a democracy, and no design by committee... well someone likes the pretty colors, so all is not lost.

 

[reppy]

It's called formatting. Columns and rows. Same with your 'huge gaps' and 'wasted space' , FYI this is called negative space in design kind of like the difference between a two line sub and a brietling Navitimer for reference (see what I did there), one is actually easier to read.. the site has to work for everyone not just you so that means a tablet or a Big screen TV ... typical non sense I get from my clients on GUI design.

The formatting makes the site extremely hard to browse and read.
We read from left to right, then down.

Let's say I read Sticky and then "What Rolex are you wearing today"
ad then my eyes move to the next row.
But, instead of the next topic, I read something different that I am not looking for. Something that belongs in a different column.
Then I have to navigate a large gap. Now I have to skip over a blue icon and the word sticky to find the next subject.

Furthermore, when the topics only take up a QUARTER of the width of page for basically no reason whatsoever, and the subject lines/links unnecessarily have to WRAP, this is not good design.

I'll try to say this as politely as possible, but that's some nonsense about "negative space in design"
This is not a volkswagen car or apple computer advertisement.
The design needs to be optimized taking into account the way people read and to facilitate ease of reading.
The subjects shouldn't wrap, multiple types of information should not be in the same column, and the gaps between text should not be so large, or should at least be consistent and uncluttered.

 

[cheld]

To piggyback on reppy's comment - responses matter, views and likes do not (but they waste two lines).

 

[Daft_Punk]

The formatting makes the site extremely hard to browse and read.
We read from left to right, then down.

Let's say I read Sticky and then "What Rolex are you wearing today"
ad then my eyes move to the next row.
But, instead of the next topic, I read something different that I am not looking for. Something that belongs in a different column.
Then I have to navigate a large gap. Now I have to skip over a blue icon and the word sticky to find the next subject.

Furthermore, when the topics only take up a QUARTER of the width of page for basically no reason whatsoever, and the subject lines/links unnecessarily have to WRAP, this is not good design.

I'll try to say this as politely as possible, but that's some nonsense about "negative space in design"
This is not a volkswagen car or apple computer advertisement.
The design needs to be optimized taking into account the way people read and to facilitate ease of reading.
The subjects shouldn't wrap, multiple types of information should not be in the same column, and the gaps between text should not be so large, or should at least be consistent and uncluttered.

The part you did not put red lines around ... in white that has number of responses .. views .. likes. That is what is driving the row height on your examples, so regardless of wraps, font size etc. the rows will remain at the height unless the responses, likes etc is changed. All in consideration within software and coding changes. Will take some time and I have a few things on at the moment.

Negative space allows your eye to scan by providing a gap between pieces of information.

Same as the gaps in this response. Or the space between a sentence.

 

[Daft_Punk]

To piggyback on reppy's comment - responses matter, views and likes do not (but they waste two lines).

Agree so there is room to recover some of that real estate. Always a trade off

 

[Raddave]

please try to fix the jumping to the bottom of the page. on desktop it doesn't do this but on my android it's infuriating.

we also need quick links to the rest of the forum at the bottom of every page. very tedious to have to go back to the main page to go to a different section.

really miss my Breitling wings too. ;-(

i thought you were a rolex guy