horrible new theme
Tags:
- Tom's Hardware
Last response: in Forum Feedback
this is the theme i am talking about...
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for starters it doesnt even look like a forum layout. the typical forum layout like what existed up until a few hours ago was perfect as it was easy to view, navigate and descriptive.
i help out on this forum quite a bit, perhaps spending more time on here than i should and this really puts me off. at least give us an option to swap back to the old layout easily and make this new screen a link or just an option.
also the old theme had descriptions of the subforums to tell new users where to post (which they often dont follow) but this new layout does not. one more reason to revert to the old.
we dont need trendy... we need something practical which the old theme was.
some other issues i've noticed lately....
we need to do away with all this trendy junk like that VERY annoying "maximize your chances of getting answered" box that appears in the middle of this text as i type it. this stuff is useless and does more to push people away than bring them in.
the tags system is also broken and is 90% not helpful at all in most cases.
i already listed in another post in the past about the broken dropdown bar for forum section switching going 404.
it needs to be more clear when creating a post to have an answer thread not discussion. the checkbox is missing from the quick-post area. also users may not realize the reason why such a feature exists so perhaps add text stating that answer type threads may result in more direct specific answers.
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i know that i am ranting badly and for that i am sorry jpishgar...
but i just came back on the forum to check some threads and was greeted by that screen which resulted in many explectives coming to mind.
some of us die hard forum browsers expect things to look a certain way you know? all of this trendy stuff is detrimental to the experience.

for starters it doesnt even look like a forum layout. the typical forum layout like what existed up until a few hours ago was perfect as it was easy to view, navigate and descriptive.
i help out on this forum quite a bit, perhaps spending more time on here than i should and this really puts me off. at least give us an option to swap back to the old layout easily and make this new screen a link or just an option.
also the old theme had descriptions of the subforums to tell new users where to post (which they often dont follow) but this new layout does not. one more reason to revert to the old.
we dont need trendy... we need something practical which the old theme was.
some other issues i've noticed lately....
we need to do away with all this trendy junk like that VERY annoying "maximize your chances of getting answered" box that appears in the middle of this text as i type it. this stuff is useless and does more to push people away than bring them in.
the tags system is also broken and is 90% not helpful at all in most cases.
i already listed in another post in the past about the broken dropdown bar for forum section switching going 404.
it needs to be more clear when creating a post to have an answer thread not discussion. the checkbox is missing from the quick-post area. also users may not realize the reason why such a feature exists so perhaps add text stating that answer type threads may result in more direct specific answers.
----------------------------------------------------------
i know that i am ranting badly and for that i am sorry jpishgar...
but i just came back on the forum to check some threads and was greeted by that screen which resulted in many explectives coming to mind.
some of us die hard forum browsers expect things to look a certain way you know? all of this trendy stuff is detrimental to the experience.
More about : horrible theme
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jpishgar said:
Hrm. All the feedback we've had on this has been positive. It was shown to the mods some time ago and the input was resoundingly positive - which surprised me. Usually we get some detractors.Is the primary complaint you have that the subcategories are no longer visible?
It was? Did I see it?
i dont have a copy of the original TH layout to show you but this is from koiphen which uses a similar layout to the old one. edit: by old one i mean the original theme we had before a few hours ago
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why is it better?
-clearly defined areas of the forum with the main subsections listed underneath. this makes it very easy to get to exactly where you want to be. the new list sort of follows this but it shrinks everything down too small. having the text all along the left like a normal forum is better for scanning quickly.
-the old style included descriptive text which let users know what they could discuss in the section. for example quite a few people post pc builds in opinions and experiences but its not the correct subsection. its supposed to be in systems. getting rid of this text description will result in many many more posts being all over the place.
-the old style had the different subsection subsections (say that 3 times fast) listed. for instance under systems it had: prebuilt, new build, etc. this is handy for those users who want to view a certain area.
in general the old style (classic forum layout) is easier to browse. just because something is trendy and looks pretty doesnt make it good.
my primary complaint is the layout yes. i'm perfectly fine if you keep it however do give us a way to change it back to the old style. you know for those of use who dont like all these trendy changes

why is it better?
-clearly defined areas of the forum with the main subsections listed underneath. this makes it very easy to get to exactly where you want to be. the new list sort of follows this but it shrinks everything down too small. having the text all along the left like a normal forum is better for scanning quickly.
-the old style included descriptive text which let users know what they could discuss in the section. for example quite a few people post pc builds in opinions and experiences but its not the correct subsection. its supposed to be in systems. getting rid of this text description will result in many many more posts being all over the place.
-the old style had the different subsection subsections (say that 3 times fast) listed. for instance under systems it had: prebuilt, new build, etc. this is handy for those users who want to view a certain area.
in general the old style (classic forum layout) is easier to browse. just because something is trendy and looks pretty doesnt make it good.
my primary complaint is the layout yes. i'm perfectly fine if you keep it however do give us a way to change it back to the old style. you know for those of use who dont like all these trendy changes
The reason for the super-customizable members specific forum homepage is to eliminate the extraneous areas of the forum that our veteran users don't use, and don't want to see. We've gotten a lot of recommendations from users, old time members tired of trudging through categories about cars, obscure operating systems and other stuff they would complain about, and ask for options to collapse these and that the system remember their preferences. This is perhaps the strongest option we can give users.
I'd recommend first trying it out, customize it to your liking and give it a shot. We aren't changing for the sake of changing (we aren't those types of people), but hoping to make things better for our longtime users. Give it a whirl, and if you still don't like it after a few days, we can talk about some options.
I'd recommend first trying it out, customize it to your liking and give it a shot. We aren't changing for the sake of changing (we aren't those types of people), but hoping to make things better for our longtime users. Give it a whirl, and if you still don't like it after a few days, we can talk about some options.
i believe the old forum system had a [-] and [+] tab to minimize or maximize whole forum sections which fit that bill and wasnt intrusive like the new system. edit:i've used that feature in the past for hiding sections and it worked GREAT but typically i dont mind scrolling to my hotspots. the old 'new response' area on the right in the old forum also worked better than this new one seems to (which actually it doesnt seem to work at all in the new homepage but does on the subsections using the old code
i do typically only post in certain subsections of the forum but i want to still see all of the categories in case i felt otherwise. customizing that page would be limiting me.
since i dont want to take anything away (i want to view ALL subsections) i dont think its gonna really help me. i do hear what you are saying about trying it out but really i dont like it and can tell you that already.
lol... i dont like the ugly look of win8 or office 2010 either and no amount of staring at them is going to make them prettier or actually work like they should
i do typically only post in certain subsections of the forum but i want to still see all of the categories in case i felt otherwise. customizing that page would be limiting me.
since i dont want to take anything away (i want to view ALL subsections) i dont think its gonna really help me. i do hear what you are saying about trying it out but really i dont like it and can tell you that already.
lol... i dont like the ugly look of win8 or office 2010 either and no amount of staring at them is going to make them prettier or actually work like they should
mactronix
June 10, 2013 9:38:05 AM
I must admit that I also thought It was a forum loading error. Having just this minute logged on I have taken a couple of moments to stop and look.
Basically this is a pushing of the tagging/timeline features.
It looks perfectly serviceable to me but I do agree that the sub categories should be there.
Mac
Basically this is a pushing of the tagging/timeline features.
It looks perfectly serviceable to me but I do agree that the sub categories should be there.
Mac
mactronix
June 10, 2013 10:18:39 AM
ssddx said:
edit: not to mention that little flag to the left that shows new responses are available in the subsection. for some reason i also like seeing how many threads there are and how many people viewing too.. i guess i'm oldschool and so used to typical forum structure.Once you click on a main section you get the sub categories and all the threads/flags as before.
Mactronix
Mac
rolli59
June 10, 2013 11:25:24 AM
mactronix said:
ssddx said:
edit: not to mention that little flag to the left that shows new responses are available in the subsection. for some reason i also like seeing how many threads there are and how many people viewing too.. i guess i'm oldschool and so used to typical forum structure.Once you click on a main section you get the sub categories and all the threads/flags as before.
Mactronix
Mac
Since I turned into a lurker, there are some things one just has to post on.
Really it is not sub sections you are looking at rather tags in sections. For example if you hit motherboards under the CPU section you get all threads in the CPU section with motherboard tag!
As far as I see it subsections have been replaced by TAGS.
mactronix
June 10, 2013 1:00:45 PM
rolli59 said:
mactronix said:
ssddx said:
edit: not to mention that little flag to the left that shows new responses are available in the subsection. for some reason i also like seeing how many threads there are and how many people viewing too.. i guess i'm oldschool and so used to typical forum structure.Once you click on a main section you get the sub categories and all the threads/flags as before.
Mactronix
Mac
Since I turned into a lurker, there are some things one just has to post on.
Really it is not sub sections you are looking at rather tags in sections. For example if you hit motherboards under the CPU section you get all threads in the CPU section with motherboard tag!
As far as I see it subsections have been replaced by TAGS.
True that. As I said earlier just a push on the new features really.
Mac
Tags are a little bit easier to deal with. There was always some concern when dealing with brands like Samsung and others what product was being talked about, where it fit in, why it wasn't or was in a given subcategory. The overwhelming number of people never clicked on the subcategories themselves, but rather the general category to view all under a certain topic. Searching is easier, badging is easier, navigation is easier.
If you haven't, add a couple to your faves and set up your timeline. I'm finding its faster already than opening a half dozen tabs for the categories I monitor constantly.
If you haven't, add a couple to your faves and set up your timeline. I'm finding its faster already than opening a half dozen tabs for the categories I monitor constantly.
update:
it does look like the new post notifications show up on the "new" homescreen. perhaps i just wasnt seeing them since i had another tab open at the same time answering threads.
to be completely honest... i never clicked on the subcategories very much either. normally i only did it when i wanted to focus on just one topic. honestly i did like having the feature there in case i needed it but its not really all that critical.
i did do as you said and add some items to the timeline. i can see how some people would find this faster but i'm a fan of the "opening multiple tabs" way. i'm sure that maybe i would use this feature sometimes however the drop down list is a clunky way to navigate past the few top threads. i would rather just open them in tabs and i really still can do that.
the issue is more aesthetics/cosmetic than anything.
---------------
after a little bit of looking at it... its not completely terrible and the new layout does have some merit. however, i'm still a fan of the old school layout even if the new one does seem to work.
is there any way to use this old layout?
ie instead of http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/
perhaps manually typing in http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/old/
where the original code is stored
or putting a link for "forum home" and "customized forum home" so that we can pick whichever we want?
that would give us a "choice" whether we want to use the new system or not.
i was definitely overreacting earlier however i still feel that all of the points i made were completely valid. so sorry for the trouble jpishgar but i still would like a way to get the old interface back.
it does look like the new post notifications show up on the "new" homescreen. perhaps i just wasnt seeing them since i had another tab open at the same time answering threads.
to be completely honest... i never clicked on the subcategories very much either. normally i only did it when i wanted to focus on just one topic. honestly i did like having the feature there in case i needed it but its not really all that critical.
i did do as you said and add some items to the timeline. i can see how some people would find this faster but i'm a fan of the "opening multiple tabs" way. i'm sure that maybe i would use this feature sometimes however the drop down list is a clunky way to navigate past the few top threads. i would rather just open them in tabs and i really still can do that.
the issue is more aesthetics/cosmetic than anything.
---------------
after a little bit of looking at it... its not completely terrible and the new layout does have some merit. however, i'm still a fan of the old school layout even if the new one does seem to work.
is there any way to use this old layout?
ie instead of http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/
perhaps manually typing in http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/old/
where the original code is stored
or putting a link for "forum home" and "customized forum home" so that we can pick whichever we want?
that would give us a "choice" whether we want to use the new system or not.
i was definitely overreacting earlier however i still feel that all of the points i made were completely valid. so sorry for the trouble jpishgar but i still would like a way to get the old interface back.
rolli59
June 10, 2013 4:11:17 PM
It is actually the first time I see the Tags as being useful, it is usable but changes will always have people against them while others will like them.
I still have an issue though with the tags and how they come about, for example why is there a motherboard TAG here? http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1698840/8350-477...
There is a question about CPU's (tag and could be both AMD and Intel as well) and PSU (no tag)
I still have an issue though with the tags and how they come about, for example why is there a motherboard TAG here? http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1698840/8350-477...
There is a question about CPU's (tag and could be both AMD and Intel as well) and PSU (no tag)
Probably because a motherboard was tagged, or another user tagged the thread incorrectly. We're hoping to get more and more people using tags as time goes on, and that users will start tagging and correcting tags as a matter of habit. It helps quite a bit, and... it's a great way to grab a badge, too.
rolli59
June 10, 2013 8:30:58 PM
jpishgar said:
Probably because a motherboard was tagged, or another user tagged the thread incorrectly. We're hoping to get more and more people using tags as time goes on, and that users will start tagging and correcting tags as a matter of habit. It helps quite a bit, and... it's a great way to grab a badge, too.
That is the scary bit, everybody and their brother are assigning tags to gain batches so within their first month on the forum they classify as VETERAN users and can select best answers.
mactronix
June 10, 2013 11:50:00 PM
rolli59 said:
jpishgar said:
Probably because a motherboard was tagged, or another user tagged the thread incorrectly. We're hoping to get more and more people using tags as time goes on, and that users will start tagging and correcting tags as a matter of habit. It helps quite a bit, and... it's a great way to grab a badge, too.
That is the scary bit, everybody and their brother are assigning tags to gain batches so within their first month on the forum they classify as VETERAN users and can select best answers.
From what I have been told they think that by having everyone selecting best answers the forum will look better to newcomers.
The fact that people could well end up damaging machines by following "Best" advice selected for credit with very little technical knowledge seem's not to be a concern.
@Joe and Toms team in general.
People like rolli59 and myself are not just being stick in the mud progress haters,we actually do care (well I do guess I cant really speak for rolli)which is why we hold issue with the changes.
We have gone from a solid user base/community of core members who have a good depth of knowledge which came through in the posts and discussions. People who (I keep saying on numerous posts yet have had no direct feed back on the subject) Have spent years and a lot of time building up a reputation which as rolli said.
Quote:
everybody and their brother are assigning tags to gain batches so within their first month on the forum they classify as VETERAN users and can select best answers.In one fell swoop Toms has totally shafted and devalued their veteran user base.
Saga lout suggested that the increase in best answers would promote Toms in web searches, if you think about it a bit that's like saying people will buy a sealed box based on the contents. Web search engines look for key words and such, the content past main titles and listing matter little if at all.
All of the above is why I have asked for toms veterans to get some sort of special recognition from toms that shows up by default on our profiles. It certainly wont do anything to change how I feel about the new changes and their impact on the forum.
It will show that you do value the veterans and that you are listening. And yes it will for those who care lend a little extra weight to their standing in the community
I guess I shouldn't be surprised really.I got shafted with the last upgrade and lost a lot of Years/best answers and posts. I actually joined in 2001 yet there is no record of me before 2006. By any chance was 2006 the last Forum upgrade ?
Mactronix
Be sure you note precisely what kind of recognition you'd like to see for veteran users here, in the thread where we are asking for and soliciting community feedback on the reputation system.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1694694/reputation...
We do want your ideas and input, but this is definitely a separate matter from the latest forum homepage update for members.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1694694/reputation...
We do want your ideas and input, but this is definitely a separate matter from the latest forum homepage update for members.
mactronix
June 11, 2013 6:40:48 AM
jpishgar said:
Be sure you note precisely what kind of recognition you'd like to see for veteran users here, in the thread where we are asking for and soliciting community feedback on the reputation system.http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1694694/reputation...
We do want your ideas and input, but this is definitely a separate matter from the latest forum homepage update for members.
I already did
Mac
rolli59
June 12, 2013 7:29:08 PM
I just logged on on a different computer! I viewed the forum as a guest and it is the old layout with all the old subcategories still available to be read.
Since both layouts exist it should be simple to let the user select what view he wants to use.
I personally see nothing wrong with the new layout, if anything you see much more of the main categories when you open up the forum. That actually might help users that did not scroll down (to see all categories) on the old layout to place their threads in the right category.
Since both layouts exist it should be simple to let the user select what view he wants to use.
I personally see nothing wrong with the new layout, if anything you see much more of the main categories when you open up the forum. That actually might help users that did not scroll down (to see all categories) on the old layout to place their threads in the right category.
I find the new page somewhat jarring at the moment, given that I'm so used to conventional forum layouts. However, since I only have time to visit a handful of sections regularly, most of which were near or at the bottom of the page, not having to make 15 revolutions of my mouse wheel is nice. I have these categories pinned at the top, but I tend to ignore the giant images anyway and go straight to the text links for each category.
I do think it would be nice if the Tracked Threads section was longer, as it only displays around 3 threads before you need to scroll it. There's a bit of space between the Forum Help link and the bottom of the categories list, so there's room to extend it a little with the added bonus of the sidebar content finishing in line with the bottom of the categories list.
I do think it would be nice if the Tracked Threads section was longer, as it only displays around 3 threads before you need to scroll it. There's a bit of space between the Forum Help link and the bottom of the categories list, so there's room to extend it a little with the added bonus of the sidebar content finishing in line with the bottom of the categories list.
mactronix
June 15, 2013 3:57:03 AM
Saga Lout said:
I also find the red bar at the top of the page handy. An OnMouseHover over Forum shows every sub-Forum and from there on, it's all down to Firefox's smart right-click Back button. That feature has been there for a while now.
Funny the usability you can find when something makes you stray from your comfort zoned way of doing things.
I know I have discovered a thing or two that's for sure.
Mac
Have forwarded along your requests to be able to switch between the two presentations, member and non-member. We may also look into a way to fit the subcategories back into the customized, dynamic listing for members.
Glad you guys are discovering some of the extended functionality of the new website.
It can make things faster, I'm not pulling your leg on that!
Glad you guys are discovering some of the extended functionality of the new website.
It can make things faster, I'm not pulling your leg on that!
to be honest its all because it affects the GUI.
hardware changes dont affect the GUI so are generally not noticed.
pretty much i already know where everything is in the GUI and dont like things shifted around too much which is why i wanted an option to revert.
---
have you used the new office with the ribbon bars? i absolutely hate it. i was ms certification level in 2003 office however in the new version i dont even know where half the functions are which really aggrivates me because i KNOW they are in there somewhere. any time you affect the GUI you affect productivity.
about the graphic cards.... i've had some people think they can get 5 years of maximum settings out of them
but i suppose thats a whole 'nother breed.
hardware changes dont affect the GUI so are generally not noticed.
pretty much i already know where everything is in the GUI and dont like things shifted around too much which is why i wanted an option to revert.
---
have you used the new office with the ribbon bars? i absolutely hate it. i was ms certification level in 2003 office however in the new version i dont even know where half the functions are which really aggrivates me because i KNOW they are in there somewhere. any time you affect the GUI you affect productivity.
about the graphic cards.... i've had some people think they can get 5 years of maximum settings out of them
but i suppose thats a whole 'nother breed.
just a little update...
i've been using the new GUI for awhile and besides some bugs its not terrible. at least now that i've learned where someone put my cup.
i actually do use the dropdowns on the forum main page to check for new threads however i noticed something today.
it could just be me here but are there more unanswered questions now than there ever was with the old layout? i know for a fact that since the new layout and using the dropdowns i havent clicked on the actual subsections very much to check for content and it looks like many posts are being overlooked.
has anyone else noticed this or are we just have a slow time on the forum for answering questions?
i've been using the new GUI for awhile and besides some bugs its not terrible. at least now that i've learned where someone put my cup.
i actually do use the dropdowns on the forum main page to check for new threads however i noticed something today.
it could just be me here but are there more unanswered questions now than there ever was with the old layout? i know for a fact that since the new layout and using the dropdowns i havent clicked on the actual subsections very much to check for content and it looks like many posts are being overlooked.
has anyone else noticed this or are we just have a slow time on the forum for answering questions?
Great to hear that you are getting acclimated.
We're seeing an increased usage for the new homepage for sure. We're also seeing a greater increase in proportion to Best Answers assigned as well, and this is a great thing. Users are finally getting credit for a lot of their helpful responses, and earning points towards badges. Definitely a good thing.
Going to lock this thread due to age and having run it's course.
We're seeing an increased usage for the new homepage for sure. We're also seeing a greater increase in proportion to Best Answers assigned as well, and this is a great thing. Users are finally getting credit for a lot of their helpful responses, and earning points towards badges. Definitely a good thing.Going to lock this thread due to age and having run it's course.
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