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Feedback on new style
- Thread starter flynnibus
- Start date
Likes were active before - based on the reputation system that was in effect for about 5 months during that time.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Ahh yes...I forgot about that.
spaceghost
Well-Known Member
FWIW, I am really digging the new layout. Haters gonna hate. 
Great to hear!FWIW, I am really digging the new layout. Haters gonna hate.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
So far the new format is infuriating. Other than things I'll never use like Facebook connectivity I fail to see what the advantage is.
I may get used to it in time, but what really bugs me is that this format seems to lock you into having to see 10 posts per page, which slows down reading of a thread to an intolerable degreee.
I may get used to it in time, but what really bugs me is that this format seems to lock you into having to see 10 posts per page, which slows down reading of a thread to an intolerable degreee.
nepalostparks
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure about mobile, but on the regular site, each page contains 20 posts, not 10.
The old version of the forums was running on outdated software, so an upgrade was necessary. Once you get adapted to the new version, you'll likely find it's format is actually much more user friendly. Hopefully, you'll settle in with the new format, and continue enjoying the free service that @wdwmagic provides for you
Laura
22
The advantage is that is actually runs. The other forum had so many glitches. It sometimes took me 5 minutes to load a single page. I don't mind being restricted to a few posts per page because each one of them loads so quickly.
There's also an advantage to having less posts per page in picture-heavy threads when you're using 3G.
nepalostparks
Well-Known Member
Well the old format was around for quite awhile, so there wasn't much change in the last several years.
I'm not sure if primarily, but it is designed to be very user friendly across a variety of devices, including cell phones, tablets, computers, etc.
The old forum for the last 6 months has been running extremely slow at times. Periods of 7 - 9 minutes of complete downtime were common.
The new forum combines new software and new hardware to provide a platform that can handle the amount of traffic that the board receives.
The forum has a dedicated mobile version for cell phones, and a desktop version for PCs.
The 20 posts per page limit is for two reasons. First it allows people to link to specific pages, and guarantee that the page will have the same content. Eg. I can link http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/how-to-choose-your-viewing-style.838972/page-4 and you will see page 4, and everyone will see the same content. If you have variable posts per page this will not be the case.
Second, the reduced number of posts per page makes the page quicker to load, and reduces the load on the server. Which makes the forum faster for everyone.
The next page button is very easy and quick to find, and the next page loads almost instantly.
I will look into this, but I know we are very tight for space.
Laura
22
The problems were probably more noticeable for people who are obsessive about reading it all the time. You may have just been lucky and missed all of the times it loaded slow or went down all together. The last 2 weeks it was REALLY bad, IMO.
mickeysshoes
Well-Known Member
First time on since the new layout and I was floored and could not find my way around at first. Not on much any more beacuse of a new job so I will have to spend time to play around to see what all the new offers. In the long term I am sure I will like it. Change is always hard. Thanks for all your hard work with this.
Sweet Melissa
Well-Known Member
I came back from vacation and thought I had somehow been redirected to another website. I'll get used to it. I think I was shocked at first because it was a very drastic change all at once. Tweaking the color settings and changing to an unfixed width helped a lot, though. The white was too much for me. The functionality seems to be good so far. I wish there was a little more definition between posts, but I'll get used to that too.
Tom
Beta Return
If you continue to use the site on a routine basis, you'll gradually see the advantages. Besides, as has been said many times, the change was required and inevitable.
I presume you've never setup an internet discussion forum. I've assisted and/or completely setup three for various people. The bid daddy of them all is vBulletin, which is what Magic used to be on. It's dying, and the old version (3.x) will lose support soon. Steve could have switched to vB 4 and maintained an almost identical appearance, but vBulletin (as a brand) has significantly fallen behind the curve when it comes to proper web development, efficient coding, and integration with social media. The database that runs this board is FAR more compact that the one that runs vB, which is what allows it to load so much faster.
There are free (open source) forums like phpBB, but they're not capable of handling forums of this size.
Beyond there, there's this software that Steve selected, and a couple of other powerhouses that would have also fit the bill. Pricing is similar, and features are similar. It all comes down to the beta testing and how it fits the webmaster's specific needs.
The path and choice Steve made was in the best interest of the WDWmagic community as a whole. It was an extremely tough decision (I know this, because I know what softwares were being entertained) - and I truly believe the best decision was made.
Over time, there are thousands of us helping Magic through this "soft opening" and we'll continue to find bugs and provide suggestions to make it better and/or more like the old forum - while at the same time revealing the powerful features that it has lurking behind every corner.
Give it time, and please (to everyone), stop offering non-constructive criticism. If there's something you don't care for, offer up what you WOULD like (assuming it's possible)....and it can't be "bring the old forum back" because that's not an option. Period. It's time move on. This is NextGen WDWmagic and it's already a far greater success than anything NextGen Disney has produced lately....and they spent a billion dollars.
Yes, for those of us who subscribe/watch threads and are constantly refreshing or viewing pages, the last several months have gotten exponentially worse with regard to page load time.
Perhaps you already use a slow internet connection, or you simply log on when the server load isn't at it's peak.
And no, this forum was specifically designed to accommodate PCs and most mobile devices equally, which is a new thing for forum software, honestly.
scpergj
Well-Known Member
I had noticed some of that myself - to the point where I was occasionally logging on to my router to make sure I didn't have any issues with my systems.
I don't have anything more useful to add to the discussion...except to say that I like the new layout. Good job!
I was having a terrible time moderating recently - some days it would take me 10 minutes to delete one spam post/poster!
rsoxguy
Well-Known Member
Steve,
I'm a little late to the game, but I wanted to tell you that the new format is nice. I truly appreciate the time, effort, and expense. I personally have trouble adjusting to the thought of a new pair of shoes, so it will take me a while to deal with all of the "new" here, but I think that the format is nice and the speed is a great perk. I know that there have been some naysayers, but remember that one of the signs of good mental health is the ability to adjust to change.
Thanks for all that you do to keep Disney fans informed, and Disney fanatics talking.
I'm a little late to the game, but I wanted to tell you that the new format is nice. I truly appreciate the time, effort, and expense. I personally have trouble adjusting to the thought of a new pair of shoes, so it will take me a while to deal with all of the "new" here, but I think that the format is nice and the speed is a great perk. I know that there have been some naysayers, but remember that one of the signs of good mental health is the ability to adjust to change.
Thanks for all that you do to keep Disney fans informed, and Disney fanatics talking.