Forum menu
[b]Cougar[/b] wrote:
The old version of the forum had links to STW features in the sidebar
I wonder idly, if the sidebar had links to featured STW content elsewhere on the site rather than featured STW content on Facebook, would there be the same level of malcontent?
That's kind of the whole point. I appreciate plenty of people follow STW on FB, but I'm sure I'm far from alone in not liking STW on FB (I don't tend to throw around likes) and only ever seeing STW FB content when there's a link to something particular from the forums. STW is a site with content rather than a FB thing for me and I don't see what the advantage of going to FB to see stuff is. Not for me that is - I fully appreciate the drivers behind everything happening here and why STW are interested in FB clicks...
No significant benefit? Hovering over the buttons gives me previews & access to all sorts of useful content.
Sorry, I meant that hiding the bar has no significant benefit. The top-level navigation is always a very high value part of the page.
You'd normally only hide the bar if it consumed a large chunk of vertical space, and even then I'd nearly always prefer to shrink it unobtrusively to retain the essentials (which happens here as well if you're logged in) rather than to hide it completely. Removal is only warranted in extreme cases like a phone in landscape format.
[b]g5604[/b] wrote:
while some comments are valid – a lot of what is going on here is some people just can’t handle change on any kind.
I suspect that's the attitude those leading these changes have, but see comments from those who know what they're talking about:
[b]alexxx[/b] wrote:
Yes seriously… if you know anything about UX then you know not to break strong user habits that have been long established.
Look I’m not being a jobsworth… but this is my job and this update has been handled terribly.
Have you not been paying attention - apparently it had to be done this way, they know exactly what they're doing and it's all going as expected. Oh and if you disagree it's just because you hate Mark.
It's a thumbs up from me - the whole site looks fresher. I'm sure the techy niggles will be worked through over the coming weeks.
A couple of observations:-
• The leading of the forum type could do with increasing slightly. Just seems a little squashed.
• Finding your Forum Activity is harder than ever now and involves 3 clicks.
I think I'm slowly starting to see the point of all this. In the past the forum felt like a lot of user generated content that had very little link to the magazine itself. You could get to articles on the main site or the facebook page, but it wasn't obvious and I rarely did. Of course some people liked that and it gave them a sense if it being "their forum". Now the user generated content sits alongside the Singletrack content in a much more integrated way. It's different and I dare say some folk won't like it but I can see some advantages. It definitely feels as though the forum is a part of the Singletrack ecosystem now.
I wonder idly, if the sidebar had links to featured STW content elsewhere on the site rather than featured STW content on Facebook, would there be the same level of malcontent
My worry is that many of the Facebook posts are just links to forum posts which could trap the unwary into a nightmarish endless loop which could make you question the very nature of causality
Forum post leads to facebook link which leads to a different forum post which contains a facebook link to itself which you could click through for eternity without actually going anywhere in an eternal feedback loop.
It's the stuff of nightmares. 😉
I've been quiet on this so far as I see it is in development and not too fussed about niggles.
I like the new font, layout etc.
That Follow Us column on the right hand side is a show stopper for me though as I can't have this open at work. For me the point of having a premier subscription is to have a clean screen. If I can't lose that column I will stop browsing during the day and probably end my subscription.
hiding the bar has no significant benefit.
Unless you're browsing the forum in a busy communal office where you don't want to have the name of the site displayed for all to see in huge bold letters.
It's a stealth browsing feature and an improvement. Well done on that one STW.
I suspect that great deal of the forums daytime traffic consists of office based stealth browsers.
Re: navigating, I have a little translucent widget thingy in the bottom right that takes me back to the top of the screen on iOS. Seems to work well.
That Facebook add on the right hand side is a show stopper for me though as I can’t have this open at work. If I can’t lose that column I will stop browsing during the day and probably end my subscription.
A certain plug-in removes that, and if you are a subscriber then I don't see a problem using it.
It’s a stealth browsing feature and an improvement
Completely nullified by having a Facefark feed on the page and the THREAD TITLES MASSIVE!
[b][size=25]Forum Update[/size][/b]
Yes , lose the crap at the bottom of the page, if only for us subscribers.
The quotes are too dim.
“Unless you’re browsing the forum in a busy communal office where you don’t want to have the name of the site displayed for all to see in huge bold letters.“
If that’s the aim then they’re failing miserably. Cricket Australia’s page has a stealth option for the live scores that makes it look just like a google sheets page 😁
Completely nullified by having a Facefark feed on the page and the THREAD TITLES MASSIVE!
Yeah, but you can resize the window to cut off the Faecesbook bit and quickly scroll past the thread titles.
We should really have a Stealth button which makes the forum look like an Excel spreadsheet.
Don't see the point in the hiding of the header at desktop resolutions. However on mobile devices its good, as is the reappearance as soon as you scroll up, much quicker than having to go to the top. What I don't like is the account bar only appearing at right the top, will get used to that though.
If I can’t lose that column I will stop browsing during the day
As a workaround, if you resize the browser window to make it narrower, beyond a certain size (I think it's 1000px) it'll force the mobile site and the column will disappear.
Ooh, the poll is back!
Dunno if this has been mentioned but I can't find a way to search the classifieds through the forum. Both the search function and the forum section within a profile only show posts for the main Bike / chat forums. Bit frustrating to try and find an Ad I have posted, or ads by other users.
Ooh, the poll is back!
Can it be put back on the front page though please! Along with the Watch Us video and Facebook gubbins. Ta!
Ooh, the poll is back!
"What do you think of the new forum...."
a. It's awesome. I love facebook.
b. Well done STW, Totally bossin' it!
c. Marvellous. I do not fear change in any way.
d. A++++++. Would browse again.
e. Dissention will not be tolerated. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
Yeah, but you can resize the window to cut off the Faecesbook bit and quickly scroll past the thread titles.
This works, thanks
Dunno if this has been mentioned but I can’t find a way to search the classifieds through the forum.
Search has been problematic. It'll be back.
Sorry, I meant that hiding the bar has no significant benefit.
Ah, gotcha.
Re: navigating, I have a little translucent widget thingy in the bottom right that takes me back to the top of the screen on iOS. Seems to work well.
It's there on my laptop with Chrome / Linux and my phone with Chrome / Android too.
Scared of change?
Don't be so patronising.
The changes so far amount to more advertising for subscribers, text that's harder to read and a much, much less user friendly experience.
I've been positive about the changes so far and appreciate the hard work put in by the team and the mods. I'm not moaning for the sake of it, I'd just like the forum to be as popular and pleasant to use as it was a year ago.
I think 'malcontents' is a bit strong, btw Cougar, but I appreciate your frustration at the negative feedback.
I'll give it another month, then have a good think about my subscription once it's become clear how much advertising is being forced on those who've paid to get rid of it.
Scared of change?
Don’t be so patronising.
It's not even worth commenting on such dickish statements.
It’s not even worth commenting on such dickish statements.
...he commented, somewhat ironically. 😉
the text needs to be darker it's really tiring on the eyes at the moment.
Sorry this hasn't got much testing, but it all seems to work and I'm aware that the last release doesn't work at all due to the change to https - STW Chrome extension updated to work with https and functionality added to remove sidebar. Also since the last release I've tidied things up given changes in the forum and improved the quoting (the extension quote link now correctly works with nested quotes and some other formatting). I'll probably update to make the text darker, and have also just found the sidebar re-appearing when editing so I'll fix that...
Download link as before:
Sorry, it only works on desktop.
Just in case the STW devs are interested, I've not removed the sidebar on the index page - I don't mind it there, and a useful compromise might be for you to keep it there and remove it from the topic pages as I have.
Menu links at top of page (Which only work in landscape on an Android tablet, obviously. I mean, why would they work in portrait? That's just silly ) obscure the text of the most recent post when you go straight to it.
Just got a "Too many redirects" message as well.
Still...
Yep (in the standard view) the text contrast goes between OK and PITA especially on mobile on a lower brightness setting. the combination of light text colour/font with the BOLD SHOUTY RIGHT HAND SIDE just makes the effect more pronounced.
Also the feint back to top arrow starts to overlap the watch up vid, as I'm at work I don't want to click anywhere near that in case it launches a nice loud video in the office.
<p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p>
LoLz - followed the suggestion of msr. perchypanther, and put STW in a new window, squashed to hide the sidebar. So what happens then is all the gubbins appears [i]below[/i] the forum list.
Including this special treat! The WATCH US video plonked INSIDE the Reply-to box. ****ing brilliant.
yep, whole forum threw a Benny for a few minutes!Just got a “Too many redirects” message as well.
Eh! Lads..
Whats with the “safari won’t open the page because too many redirects have been detected”
Naughty bouys.... 😤🔥
the whole site is slower than a slow day in a Vegan Only cafe in the Scottish Highlands
Well I found it funny…
Thanks, mate - at least someone appreciated it!
I only just realised the watermarked background was there - looks like someone's prodded the monitor with dirty fingers. Or that dread you used to get as a kid in the days of proper newsprint when you accidentally put 'printy' fingers on a white tablecloth or suchlike. Good nostalgia.
That post ^^^^^^ didn't preview like that(!)
Erm...
Wots Gwen Non ?
”safari won’t open the page because too many redirects detected”
&
Booted out trying to post a comment, not logged out just booted out of the text box..
Dont like the redirects issue lads.
When I refresh the Chat Forum page The address bar read 'GoFar Enterprises Ltd', rather than Singletrack.com.
Just thought I'd mention it.
Edit: Also, for what it's worth, the stuff on the side of the page is fine on the main magazine page, but too much visual clutter on the forum pages. Keep it clean.
Is there any way of turning off the follow/poll/watch crap at the RH side of the page? Really not nice to have there.
What is the point of the "P" only to be spammed by STW anyway?
Also the ST wall paper is really distracting for me. Just plain white or grey would be nice! Keep it clean and simple.
I might of missed this but one of you can fill me in, is the search function gone forever or is it on the list to add?
Using Google ok but clunky.
Search has been problematic. It’ll be back.
Great Cheers
I might of missed this but one of you can fill me in, is the search function gone forever or is it on the list to add?
The new search function has been temporarily removed as there were issues with it.
Is there any way of turning off the follow/poll/watch crap at the RH side of the page? Really not nice to have there.
This... The whole point in having the P was so as not to have the crap on the side of the screen. It drops to the bottom if i shrink the browser window but that then means all my other tabs are affected.
It drops to the bottom if i shrink the browser window but that then means all my other tabs are affected.
The alternative out-of-the-box workaround for desktop browsers (which is basically the same thing under the hood) is to zoom in using Cmd/Ctrl-+ or Cmd/Ctrl-mousewheel. It keeps your other tabs intact, but it does mean that you'll end up with big text.