The Look - do want a choice of this new style OR a version of the old Style?

[Grant Johnson]

We've had a couple of requests for the old look - so here's your chance - Let us know if you prefer the old look - or the new look.

We can offer a "skin" or style sheet choice to users, but it requires I create it - which will probably be a few weeks at least. I don;t mind doing it, kinda flattered you like the old look that much! BUT I don't want to do it if it's only for one person.

Vote!

Grant

[Robbert]

Not sure whether it's resistance to change, but the old one feld like a pair of well worn shoes.

The new lay out is more generic, fiels less intimate, less the hubb, ...

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Change is fine as long as it is an improvement and more user friendly. Does the new style and look help any to make it easier for non-computer nerds to navigate the HUBB ? I readily admit to being a complete newling with computer stuff, I do not own a pc and can't see myself getting one anytime soon. The only thing I know how to do with a pc since taking a little instructional session at the library four years ago is how to surf the web, tap in web adresses, do free Hotmail.The work I do totally does not involve me with computerstuff, but I do get to use the office computer for my interest during lunch. The HUBB employs the acme of my skill, and now just as I was getting a feel for it you throw up this roadblock.
Questions : Will I have to remember a whole new series of steps and play with the mouse (I am NOT a cat!) to make a row of selections before I get to the target area? This is just like playing telephone - tag with an automated answering service.
Q With the new wide display will everything show up on a paper copy when I hit the " print"button.? I find it extremely annoying when some of the "old HUBB " topic areas contain on screen displays which require the viewer to shift the image sideways. Worse yet is when the printed page lops off the righthand side of the printing- useless. Okay, so a computer whiz can probably punch in some numbers and instructions and get it all moved around to fit in one view but I cannot.
Q Just from a first glance I saw a note in the list of things one can't do saying YOU CANNOT EDIT YOUR POST .Is this true ? how is one supposed to correct a serious error which might have been left in and is only discovered after the SUBMIT REPLY button was hit?


I hope the "new " site includes a good set of instructions to explain how to use the new features.

[jeff_watts]

i like it but really loved being able to see all the current days posting
but thanks for the site anyway
jeff watts

[Ekke]

So I'm not voting...

But, I find the improvements (especially being able to see 24 hours back as opposed to today's date postings) so overwhelmingly good that harping about minor cosmetics seems kind of pointless.

[Nigel Marx]

I do like the new look (not to say I didn't like the old one!) and I like the way it is much easier to search for things like all the posts someone has made. I found a number of old posts I made that I had not read peoples replies to, so that was good. I actually think the new HUBB will help make this place feel more like a community, because you can see who is on line and where they are when you are here too. Before, it was more like you where here by yourself. I do think it will be more of a challenge to new users, because there is so much more on every screen, so there is more to choose from. This is always a problem for computer novices, and it takes time to learn the skill of not looking at everything, but only seeing what you need. One thing I don't like is the way the default setting seems to be to show only a day or two's threads when you first go into a forum, until you tell it to show more. For a while I thought that not all the past threads had made it to the new HUBB. Well done Grant and Susan, I know from being in the IT biz that 98% of the work on a project like this is invisible.
Kind regards

Nigel in NZ

[MoroCycler]

The only thing that bothers me a little is the extra light comming from the my monitor with the white new screen, maybe a soft color would help.

[Grant Johnson]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

Change is fine as long as it is an improvement and more user friendly. Does the new style and look help any to make it easier for non-computer nerds to navigate the HUBB ? I readily admit to being a complete newling with computer stuff, I do not own a pc and can't see myself getting one anytime soon. The only thing I know how to do with a pc since taking a little instructional session at the library four years ago is how to surf the web, tap in web adresses, do free Hotmail.The work I do totally does not involve me with computer stuff, but I do get to use the office computer for my interest during lunch. The HUBB employs the acme of my skill, and now just as I was getting a feel for it you throw up this roadblock.
Questions : Will I have to remember a whole new series of steps and play with the mouse (I am NOT a cat!) to make a row of selections before I get to the target area? This is just like playing telephone - tag with an automated answering service.
Q With the new wide display will everything show up on a paper copy when I hit the " print"button.? I find it extremely annoying when some of the "old HUBB " topic areas contain on screen displays which require the viewer to shift the image sideways. Worse yet is when the printed page lops off the righthand side of the printing- useless. Okay, so a computer whiz can probably punch in some numbers and instructions and get it all moved around to fit in one view but I cannot.
Q Just from a first glance I saw a note in the list of things one can't do saying YOU CANNOT EDIT YOUR POST .Is this true ? how is one supposed to correct a serious error which might have been left in and is only discovered after the SUBMIT REPLY button was hit?


I hope the "new " site includes a good set of instructions to explain how to use the new features.

Sjoerd, I'll try to answer a couple of your concerns here.

1. One of our big concerns WAS to make it easier for novices - we have lots of people whose only interest in the internet is our website! At the same time, we want to stay up-to-date, with all sorts of new Community oriented features, such as who's online and a host of other things, some as noted in other posts on this thread. Most of the usability improvements are in the look, things should be easier to spot. The old HUBB was very simple, based on 1997 technology - this one is WAY more up-to-date, in fact is the leading bulletin board software available. As such, there are LOTS more options - which can make it more confusing for novices. It's a balancing act, and we try hard to make it as easy as possible - and as feature-rich and useful as possible. After a bit of poking around and learning the new features, I hope you'll agree.

If you have any questions, use the FAQ link above. There's lots of information there. If you can't figure it out, just ask here and someone will be happy to help. We're ALL learning - I'm still learning the options and settings myself!

2. Width - this is one of the hardest arts of the web to get right - in fact it's almost impossible. All our screens are set to be "fluid" in other words, they should adjust to the width of the monitor or window as much as possible. Obviously if you're using an ancient 14" monitor with 640x480 resolution, you're going to have to scroll sideways. BUT on anything better than that, which is 99% of all users today according to our own stats, you should be fine. However, occasionally you get someone who puts in a giant long link, or strings-words-together-like this for two screens worth - and this prevents the words from wrapping - which forces the screen wide. Can't help that, the nature of the web is that the user has control, the designer can only make the best of a bad job.

Printing should be fine - within the above constraints as well. If all else fails a neat trick is to set the print job for landscape - normally easily available by clicking Print setup - normally on the same menu and next to Print. and choosing landscape instead of portrait.

Re: YOU CANNOT EDIT YOUR POST - you absolutely should be able to - make sure it doesn't say "may not be able to" because everyone has full permissions set to be able to edit their own posts. If you find you cannot, let me know. There WILL be errors and bugs that need fixing - ALL software has bugs, it 's the nature of the beast - we just hope they don't cause problems. And I make mistakes - there are thousands of options, and I may have got one or three wrong!

RE: Will I have to remember a whole new series of steps and play with the mouse (I am NOT a cat!) to make a row of selections before I get to the target area?

I don't think it's much different than before for the stuff that is the same - posting and replying basically. All the many new things didn't exist before, so yes there will be a learning curve - but you don't have to use them either, they're PLUSES - not required!

Hope that helps, and again, if you can't figure something out, just ask - you won't be the only one trying to figure something new out!

[Grant Johnson]

Originally Posted by jeff_watts

i like it but really loved being able to see all the current days posting
but thanks for the site anyway
jeff watts

Jeff, you still can - and more! See Ekke's post after yours - and see the New Posts link on the "nav bar" just below the box showing breadcrumbs - where you are on the site - and the Welcome/Login box.

[Grant Johnson]

Originally Posted by Robbert

Not sure whether it's resistance to change, but the old one feld like a pair of well worn shoes.

The new lay out is more generic, fiels less intimate, less the hubb, ...

well-worn shoes - yep agreed - I was VERY used to it! Admin was easy too, this one is MUCH harder - but in the end, the old shoes end up with holes in them and let the water in, so it's time for a nice shiny new pair - and eventually, they're a nice well worn pair too.

[Grant Johnson]

Originally Posted by MoroCycler

The only thing that bothers me a little is the extra light comming from the my monitor with the white new screen, maybe a soft color would help.

Sounds like the brightness on your monitor is too high - most come from the factory much too bright - because it looks better in the store! Just turn it down a little and you'll probably find a big improvement everywhere.

See:
http://www.office-ergo.com/setting.htm

"Bauer and Cavonius (1980) found a lower error rate, with dark letters on a white background. Snyder and his colleagues (1990) also compared black and white backgrounds. Eight out of ten subjects increased their performance by using dark letters on a light background. The improvements ranged from a low of 2.0% to a high of 31.6%. The tasks were visual search and proofreading."

For much more google

monitor adjusting contrast brightness

and you'll get some great tools and information on how to correctly adjust your monitor. Hope that helps!

[Red Bull]

I love the New Functionalities and Capabilities !,,I agree with the Dark letters on white background thing. David Ogilvy > of the Ogilvy and Marther fame also believed so...
No Problem with the brightness as yet..

Just that I have a small view,, Maybe till now not many people are used to and comfortable and used to the Look and feel of the NEW HUBB, so the ratings fro the NEW HUBB are not as High as I thought they should be ..
How about if we repeat this poll after maybe a few months so that by then PPl are aware of the Features and have used the NEW Hubb too quite a bit?

Anyway >> Thanks for giving us the NEW HUBB !!! GRANT and Sussan!

[Grant Johnson]

Originally Posted by Red Bull

How about if we repeat this poll after maybe a few months so that by then PPl are aware of the Features and have used the NEW Hubb too quite a bit?

Anyway >> Thanks for giving us the NEW HUBB !!! GRANT and Sussan!

Great idea - will do! (you are now responsible for reminding me )

[simmo]

It may be Grant that I am just too used to looking at green symbols an a dark grey background! Come to think of it, I prefered the dark room before we all got into btu's.

[Grant Johnson]

poll ends on the 28th -what do you think? New style or old?