8/1 Testing New Infinite Scrolling Theme For Some Users
08-02-2017, 11:00 AM
#46
Nolan,
No offense, but this place was at its best just before IB bought it. Stop trying to "improve" it until one of you actually comes up with a decent idea.
If you want to fix something, fix the bug that makes the random picture thread show one more page than actually exists.
Patrick
No offense, but this place was at its best just before IB bought it. Stop trying to "improve" it until one of you actually comes up with a decent idea.
If you want to fix something, fix the bug that makes the random picture thread show one more page than actually exists.
Patrick
08-02-2017, 03:00 PM
#52
Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks for the feedback, this is only a test and we knew Rennlist would not hold anything back with regards to comments. There have been more feedback comments posted in this thread than on any of the other four websites we have previously tested.
My apologies for any confusion and if anyone wants back to the old theme but cannot figure it out, please send me a PM and I will get this sorted for you.
We are going to change the font back to a smaller size. Related threads has seen a ton of negative feedback across all sites and will become an option for logged in users as it is primarily for folks visiting from a Google search.
We will get the members websites back.
Pages still exist and the URL changes as you scroll so you can link directly to any page in a thread. Bottom right navigation lets you jump to any specific page so you can keep track of what page a specific photo might be on.
Great point and we will look at how we can make the edit box expand. With the old quick reply, you had to be at the end of the thread. Idea here is that you can start a response at any time and scroll through to reference other posts. We may simply add the Quick Reply back to the end and have the pop-up reply as an option.
A fix is in progress and there is an updated classifieds coming
Pages still exist and the URL changes as you scroll so you can link to specific pages or posts like the old style. According to search engines, everything is in the same place and we are only changing how each page loads.
Post tools show up in bottom bar as you begin selecting posts. Shoot me a PM if you are missing some moderating items on the test style and we will get this sorted out.
Related threads will be an option to turn off for logged in users.
If you scroll back up slightly on an ipad the top bar will appear with a link directly to the GT4 subforum, or whichever subforum the thread you are reading is in.
My apologies for any confusion and if anyone wants back to the old theme but cannot figure it out, please send me a PM and I will get this sorted for you.
We will get the members websites back.
In addition, with all due respect, I don't find the infinite scroll feature to be an advantage. Pages just seem to present information in a more bite-sized format.
...Plus, everyone knows when you find a particularly delightful lass in the IHI thread, you memorize the page she's on!!!
...Plus, everyone knows when you find a particularly delightful lass in the IHI thread, you memorize the page she's on!!!
I've been toggling back and forth between the two styles. I gotta say, I much prefer the old feature where the "Quick Reply" box was big, very obvious, easily seen at the bottom of the page, and ready to go. No buttons to click, just start typing.
Edit: I just don't see the advantage of needing to click a button to bring up what used to be there by default.
Edit: I just don't see the advantage of needing to click a button to bring up what used to be there by default.
I was curious what all the crusty feedback was about, so I intentionally set it to the new style. It's unusable.
The screen real estate gets too compressed with the pop-up headers and footers. And when visiting a huge thread, I quickly got lost within it. Then I somehow got teleported to a "related thread" without intentionally clicking on it, and I was further confused about where I had gone.
I get why an "infinite scrolling" feature sounded like an interesting feature to attempt, but as said before, it's way harder to navigate than with distinct pages.
I switched back to the classic view.
The screen real estate gets too compressed with the pop-up headers and footers. And when visiting a huge thread, I quickly got lost within it. Then I somehow got teleported to a "related thread" without intentionally clicking on it, and I was further confused about where I had gone.
I get why an "infinite scrolling" feature sounded like an interesting feature to attempt, but as said before, it's way harder to navigate than with distinct pages.
I switched back to the classic view.
Please take me off the beta and put me back to how it was.
When in a thread on my iPad I tap the top of the page which used to auto scroll to the top of that page. Then I'd tap the forum e.g. GT4, and it would take me back to that forum and unbold the thread I just read, so I'd know what I had read or not read.
Now I tap the top and it scrolls, and scrolls, and scrolls. I can't tap the forum to get back to the forum page.
When in a thread on my iPad I tap the top of the page which used to auto scroll to the top of that page. Then I'd tap the forum e.g. GT4, and it would take me back to that forum and unbold the thread I just read, so I'd know what I had read or not read.
Now I tap the top and it scrolls, and scrolls, and scrolls. I can't tap the forum to get back to the forum page.
08-02-2017, 03:41 PM
#53
Rennlist Member
I tried it for a day and switched back. I avoided this site on my phone & tablet because of the infinite scroll and that is the feature which really made me dislike the new desktop version - styling issues aside.
I think a "seamless" rather than "infinite" scroll is useful for very long threads, so you aren't constantly clicking next page. But the way the infinite scroll takes you to a "relevant" thread instead of the next active thread can be irritating.
One thing that I DID like about the new interface is it was easier to draw a line with my eye from thread title to last poster in the discussion list view. That alone isn't worth keeping the new style, to me.
Thanks for trying to improve the site, for what it's worth. I know it's hard to read a lot of negative feedback when you try something new. Knowing that people care about the community is important to me as a member. You guys will nail it soon.
I think a "seamless" rather than "infinite" scroll is useful for very long threads, so you aren't constantly clicking next page. But the way the infinite scroll takes you to a "relevant" thread instead of the next active thread can be irritating.
One thing that I DID like about the new interface is it was easier to draw a line with my eye from thread title to last poster in the discussion list view. That alone isn't worth keeping the new style, to me.
Thanks for trying to improve the site, for what it's worth. I know it's hard to read a lot of negative feedback when you try something new. Knowing that people care about the community is important to me as a member. You guys will nail it soon.
08-02-2017, 05:04 PM
#54
Rennlist Member
In general, headers and footers floating in and out is extremely distracting when you are reading. I often go in both directions... I'll see a comment, then scroll back up to see more about what was being commented on. Having headers that take up an enormous amount of real estate fly in just makes me nuts.
Also, typically set a larger-than-standard number of posts per page... Takes a tiny bit longer to load, but you need to load less often. Get to a end of a page, load the next, and you can read for a while without interruption. And the READER controls when the interruption occurs...
With infinite scroll, you end up randomly waiting for more content to load, again interrupting your reading.
For me, the key is 1) more real content between system driven or user driven page loads, 2) less random crap flying in and out distracting you from the actual thread content, 3) less sidebar noise, less header noise, less footer noise. Ultimately the value of the forum are the words and pictures in a particular thread, everything else is a distraction.
08-02-2017, 05:35 PM
#55
Rennlist Member
"Ultimately the value of the forum are the words and pictures in a particular thread, everything else is a distraction."
What he said.
It's pretty important to remember that, while we enjoy personal interaction, it isn't the purpose of this portal. The purpose is for us to exchange technical information, and then maybe joke around a bit.
This isn't primarily a social network. It's not Facebook.
Retards,
What he said.
It's pretty important to remember that, while we enjoy personal interaction, it isn't the purpose of this portal. The purpose is for us to exchange technical information, and then maybe joke around a bit.
This isn't primarily a social network. It's not Facebook.
Retards,
08-02-2017, 06:53 PM
#56
Rennlist Member
Well... I finally figured out how to post.... Yea. Hate it so far. Might take some getting used to. What are the benefits? Better mobil maybe? I haven't tried from my phone... but their must be some value add to this that we aren't seeing...
08-02-2017, 09:21 PM
#60
And part of may be the way it was introduced on those websites. One I know of is still messed up and wasn't given the forum name selection under style like it is here. In general the roll out there is mostly negative as well.