Feedback Can We Get The Old Site Back?

[artiemom]

I am using my Wi-Fi for data when I am in the house. That way my data usage is within limits.

I do find the font on here is easier to read..

Remember, this is new. Very new.. like a newborn. We have to find all the glitches, in order to fix them.. one step at a time..

 

[artiemom]

Well for me it's using more data you probably have unlimited data or something so maybe it doesn't apply to you.

All phones have different sized screens and for me one post takes up the entire screen so I have to scroll scroll scroll just to get to the last unread post.

I'm not sure if some of you know but I've been working for TCS for the better part of 5 years now. I've always been behind the scenes. It's not easy to always feel like the work one does every day for years makes an impact. Up until recently, I've been hidden help.

Anne and her staff have been amazing at what they do. Our focus has been to save all the content and this special home for all the faithful TCS users. While I know it's not perfect, we absolutely could not be more proud to provide a beautiful forum for the most lovely group of users around.

This is possibly the nicest comment I've ever gotten in the 5 years since joining TCS. Thank you, @abyeb! You made my day, year and better half of a decade!

I want to thank you for all the work you have done in order to ensure a safe, fast passage to the new system. I am not really into computers, but I do know it has to be an enormous undertaking...

and Anne thank you for a fairly seamless transition and keeping the quality and quantity of all our threads. This is amazing...

 

[Anne]

Thank you!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I don't like it either, but I'll try to get used to it.
The warmer color of the previous site was very inviting, this cold white background is putting me off, kind of scares me. It's hard to tell where a single post begins and the other ends. I was happier with the previous site where all posts had a frame around it. And the colors were better!
Can we change at least the colors?

I hear you about it being hard to pick out a single post from the next! Also, I find it hard to pick out when a member's comment ends for a post and their "Signature" begins. A stark white background IS hard for some people to deal with. People here represent a variety of ages, and can have a variety of issues with their eyesight or even just with reading their screens, whether a phone or a desktop.

Feedback to mods: Sometimes it helps if each message or post would have slight changes in the background color, so that a person can tell one post from the next post. For example, message #1 can have a white or slight off-white background... message #2 can have a faint gray background (or another faint color)... message #3 can go back to a white background, and so on. Or you can just put a small border around post #1, alternate and have no border around post #2, go back to a border for post #3, so that the visitor's eye can distinguish the format of the page without feeling lost, with no anchor. The eye is drawn to the most colorful things on the page, which are people's images and signatures, and the navigation buttons... but I think also a bit of a darker framework or something around each separate comment could help a lot with the readability for people.

 

[Anne]

One main consideration here is that more than half of our traffic is viewing the site on mobile devices. On a small phone screen additional frames and boxes aren't very good for user experience.

That said, thank you for the feedback! Alternating post background is certainly something I will be looking into. Probably not until after this weekend but as soon as possible, I'll discuss this with our designer.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

One main consideration here is that more than half of our traffic is viewing the site on mobile devices. On a small phone screen additional frames and boxes aren't very good for user experience.

...

Good point!

 

[maddies momma]

I also don't like the white background. I have multiple eye conditions that make it hard to stare at a bright screen. That why I used to like this site so much because if it's dark warm colours. I also preferred when each post had a box or frame. I use a phone and that was never a problem.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

The bad:

I loved the look of the old site; the new site is "streamlined" for those who view it on their telephones, and on a 55 inch monitor, it appears very unfriendly.

Posts are numbered, but unlike the old site, there's no post total. This post, for example, will probably be post 27 of 27, but without knowing the number of posts in a thread, it's easy to learn too late that you're replying to an "older" post. This will plague the games thread especially, since most are multiple pages, and without keeping a very close eye on the page number, the total posts in the thread lacking makes it more difficult.

The good:

Finally, someone decided to set the primary style sheet's Viewport to default at "initial=1" resulting in no horizontal scrollbars, and no images "stretching" individual pages, meaning no more ctl-0 to zoom out or back. It also makes browsing the site using voice command much, much easier. To the code team: please tell every amateur web developer how simple this single command makes viewing websites. They won't listen to you, but tell them anyway.

 

[maddies momma]

I also don't like how we have lost our statuses such as kitten and adult cat. Now it just says well know member. It's not comforting and cat like as it was before. Now it seems cold and official.

 

[foxxycat]

I too prefer the old tan background. Hard on the eyes. I am going to mess with my settings and see if I can't change it myself on my end. I don't like that I can't read my purraise or even know who gave it.

The messages are a good idea. Just miss the old style with new posts at the very bottom of the page so I could go down there and see what's new..the different color boxes makes it easier to read FWIW.

Thank you for taking the time to hear us. Good job!

 

[2Cats4everLoved]

foxxycat

There is a Thread started for all Purraise questions.

You can see who gave you the Purraise just under the Flag.

If you're on a PC and figure out how to change the background color, please let me know. The white is hard on mine 'ol eyes too.

 

[ginny]

I noticed that my "conversations" which I've already read, are listed as not having been read. I've now got 163 to read! Is that something else that'll be smoothed out?

 

[foxxycat]

2Cats4everLoved thank you. I will check this out tomorrow. I didn't get a chance to mess around with colors on my monitor. Hopefully tomorrow I have time to....

 

[Columbine]

I noticed that my "conversations" which I've already read, are listed as not having been read. I've now got 163 to read! Is that something else that'll be smoothed out?

That happened to me too. It's easy enough to fix - check the box by any message and a dialogue box will come up

Check 'select all'. Go through each page of conversations and do the same. Then click on 'other action'. Select 'mark as read' and click 'go'. That should solve the problem, and only genuinely new conversations will come up as unread. Hope that makes sense

 

[Columbine]

Another vote here for a softer background colour too! This white really is hard on my eyes

 

[Draco]

Like cats, we have a hard time adjusting to change. I am used to this platform because it's the same as another forum I am on.. and I actually like it better than the old TCS looks (Sorry Anne, this is an improvement, at least for me!)

Give it time! And do continue to voice your opinions and suggestions and the team will take it into consideration!

 

[ginny]

That happened to me too. It's easy enough to fix - check the box by any message and a dialogue box will come up
View attachment 176138
Check 'select all'. Go through each page of conversations and do the same. Then click on 'other action'. Select 'mark as read' and click 'go'. That should solve the problem, and only genuinely new conversations will come up as unread. Hope that makes sense

Thanks yes that made sense! Problem fixed now.

 

[maddies momma]

I too miss having the option to see new posts at the bottom of the page. You just scrolled down clicked forums or a category or new posts and they were right there. You didn't have to go searching for thing. I'm also no longer receiving email notifications for post updates.

 

[maddies momma]

And I'm not seeing categories of different forums.

 

[Columbine]

The full forums drop down menu doesn't seen to be here yet, but if you click on Forums you should get the full list. For subcategories, hover the cursor over the ^ symbol

For email notifications, go to your profile, click on 'Alert Preferences' and check you have email notifications turned on. I think a few things have got a little messed up in the transfer, but the glitches are getting ironed out. Be patient, and keep asking questions! We're all learning as we go here