cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

New forum V New forum

James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

In addition to emoticons which don't all look the same!
br1anstorm
Rising Star
Posts: 126
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎24-06-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

I guess there's always a temptation to opt for the devil you know... ie the old forum style.  And it takes time to adjust to any new format or colour scheme.
But one feature that I got used to - and liked - was the alternating background colour for successive posts in a thread.  The uniform and continuous white background for all posts in a thread in this new forum is harder on the eyes and makes it more difficult to "track" the evolution of a discussion, or glance back at earlier posts.
And on almost the same theme - I find the new forum's layout of quotes from previous posts (blue background, and isn't it also smaller print?) less legible than the old forum style.
Which means that - for the moment - my vote in the poll has to go to the old PlusNet forum.  I presume, however, that the feedback in this thread might result in some changes to the new forum?  So there's still hope...
br1anstorm
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Quote
was the alternating background colour for successive posts in a thread.

These forums do have an alternating colour too, unfortunately it doesn't show up too well on some monitors. This is something I have asked about before so hopefully when we get the functionality to change skins the new ones will be clearer.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
Liam
Grafter
Posts: 2,083
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Yep... I can't see the alternating colours on my Laptop's LCD.  The background of all the pages is a clear white to me...
br1anstorm
Rising Star
Posts: 126
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎24-06-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Alternating colours - if indeed they are there - don't show up at all on my laptop.  Maybe you have to be clairvoyant to be able to see how the new forum really looks!
br1anstorm
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Yep, doesn't show on my laptop, but on my home LCD I can just make out the differences. If I tilt the screen the difference shows up more, but then again I don't want to be typing with the screen at a daft angle Wink
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
chesterfield
Grafter
Posts: 2,349
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

I think the problem is that there is noe definition between sections.
The avatar section blends into the actual post as there is no border, the colour difference between alternation posts is so small its hardly noticeable, if at all on laptops.
There is very little definition between one post and another, the border between one persons signature and the next persons post is almost invisible.
As for it being part of the corporate colour scheme - the only orange I see is on the PN staffs avatars, where is it the rest of the time.
Like others have said, this is far too bright, and it seems so much more detached from the isp section as there are none of the familiar links.  I used to be able to switch from the forums to my account details with one click, now I may as well be on any old bulletin board as this one.
How many clicks to get to the website settings section of your account from this site?  How many from the old site?
This feels completely and utterly disjointed from being part of the ISP.  I now have to log into the member centre seperately of the forums etc.  Just looks like the first step toward canning them altogether to be honest.
If this is how its going to be, which it clearly is, then I shall not consider the loss of the forums as bigger deal as I did before when consiering migration.  This is just rubbish compared to the integrated forums before.  Truly a step in the wrong direction in my opinion.
It would also be nice to see at a glance which topics Ive read and which I havent, but the current set up doesnt even provide this basic functionality.  I suppose this is the price we are now paying thanks to the BT investment.  The rot starts with the forums.... Sad
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Chesterfield,
Firstly thanks for the feedback, but I would make one key point.  the Community Site has absolutely nothing to do with BT or the takeover.  It is entirely designed in house and we will take feedback onboard and try to make amendments to make everyone happy.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

<<smirk mode on>>
with my nice new 22" widescreen LCD monitor with 1,000 to 1 contrast ratio I can see the shade changes easily
<<smirk mode off>>
but with my old 19" CRT it was very indistinct to the point of being useless. I think the banding colours need to be a bit more pronounced.
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

I'll see your 22" LCD Widescreen and raise to 24" LCD Widescreen Smiley
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Ah! but mine is in focus
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

I think you just have a better camera Smiley
dennisb66
Grafter
Posts: 371
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

I think i'm suffering from snow blindness  Grin
br1anstorm
Rising Star
Posts: 126
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎24-06-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Quote from: chesterfield
I think the problem is that there is no definition between sections.
...the colour difference between alternation posts is so small its hardly noticeable, if at all on laptops.
There is very little definition between one post and another, the border between one persons signature and the next persons post is almost invisible.
As for it being part of the corporate colour scheme - the only orange I see is on the PN staffs avatars, where is it the rest of the time.
Like others have said, this is far too bright, and it seems so much more detached from the isp section as there are none of the familiar links.
...
How many clicks to get to the website settings section of your account from this site?  How many from the old site?
This feels completely and utterly disjointed from being part of the ISP.  I now have to log into the member centre seperately of the forums etc.
...
It would also be nice to see at a glance which topics Ive read and which I havent, but the current set up doesnt even provide this basic functionality.

I agree with several of the points made by Chesterfield - especially those in the selective quote above.
I can see the argument in favour of a collective "community" site for all the vISPs now under the PlusNet umbrella (Force9, Metronet etc), and I guess this was one of the motives for the change.  I wonder what the membership figures actually are?  I have the impression that PlusNet members are the most numerous and/or vociferous, and hence the comparisons are mostly with the old PlusNet forum.
It looks as if the developers need to look at two main sets of issues:  (a) the "readability" of the new forum - colours, background, borders, type size etc, where the new site is less friendly than the old PlusNet one;  and (b) the "navigational" aspects.  The Community site is at the moment like a large room with a lot of conversations going on at the same time (some well-structured, some just stream-of-consciousness), and it's not always obvious what's being said where, and how useful it is. 
The old PlusNet forum - because it was within the portal - was more useful especially to those (most of us?) who tend to be seeking information and guidance and are not simply on the forum to ramble or let off steam.
So the challenge will be to improve not just the decor and colour-scheme of the new site, but also the headings, signposting and menus/links.  If there isn't a decent and structured framework, then as the volume of posts and blogs on the new site grows it will become impossible to find one's way through the mountain of words!
br1anstorm
Neil_A
Grafter
Posts: 450
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: New forum V New forum

Thanks Br1anstorm, some useful and constructive comments there that we can work on.
Colours and look and feel should be easily resolved and we're already working on a choose-your-own-skin option.
I think there are also some navigation improvements we can make to.
It's worth remembering that it's 7 years since the portal forums were created and it's taken that long for them to be so easliy usable. This is the first day of the new community site being live and there are tons of improvements we're going to make over the coming days and weeks
Smiley