• Please note that signatures and avatars on iLounge are only available after reaching certain membership thresholds.

    Signatures

    In order to be able to have a signature, users must have been a member for 7 days and have accumulated 10 posts.


    Avatars

    Avatars are reserved for only the most senior of iLounge forum members. Users will not be able to use an avatar until they have been a member for a minimum of one year, and accumulated 1,500 posts. This is considered the Veteran Lounger level of membership.


    A note on post whoring...

    We welcome and encourage our members to make valuable and useful contributions to the iLounge forums, and to have fun, socialize, and actively participate in discussions on the forums. However, as per the Forum Policy, we will not tolerate excessive and unnecessary posting. Posting inane and pointless messages solely to increase one's post count in the hopes of reaching a higher membership level will be dealt with by the forum staff. Unnecessary posts may be subject to removal, and persisting in this behaviour will result in post counts being reduced and any further action being taken as deemed necessary.


  • With the number of recent threads from brand new users that we have observed in our Classifieds forum selling goods under questionable circumstances, we have instituted a new policy restricting new members of iLounge from posting new threads in the Classifieds forum until they have reached "Regular Member" status.

    New users become Regular Members once they have made 10 posts and been a member of the iLounge Forums for at least 7 days. Prior to this time, members may still read the Classifieds forum, and even respond to existing threads for items being sold by other members, but they may not create new threads advertising their own items for sale.

    This will hopefully help to protect our user community by discouraging fraudulent users from signing up and posting classified ads without having at least a very basic level of established membership in our forums.

    Obviously all users should still exercise due diligence when making use of our classifieds forums, but we hope that this restriction will help to decrease the number of blatantly fraudulent ads that we have been seeing in recent weeks.

    Please be sure to review our Classified Forum Policy for more information.

These forums are too hard to read

GO TO ADMIN PANEL > ADD-ONS AND INSTALL VERTIFORO SIDEBAR TO SEE FORUMS AND SIDEBAR

gquiring

New member
Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
38
Points
0
Location
NJ
I have so many problems when I visit this site because of the font size and color. I have a 19" LCD panel and between the orange color and small font this site is too distracting to read the content.
 

gquiring

New member
Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
38
Points
0
Location
NJ
It's only this site. I don't want larger fonts for all of the other sites. I saw another thread after I posted this one (with a poll) that the fonts are too small.

The orange color is also an odd choice, it just does not read well.
 

OldSkool

New member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
255
Points
0
Age
53
Location
San Diego
I have seen and posted in a few threads regarding the new forum being difficult to read and navigate. I don't recall any response from an admin, and no changes to the site so that is that I guess. Oh well, all we can do is keep posting about it. My biggest complaint is the orange buttons in the posts, they are in the wrong spot and too hard to tell which post they go with. The font and colors also make it hard to read everything easily. Someone else just posted about there being too many forums and I would agree with that also. I read/post way less now because of these problems. I mostly just check the front page for news and if nothing new or interesting then I don't participate anymore because it just isn't enjoyable with the layout.

In case an Admin wants specifics about the orange buttons the problem for starters is that they are at the bottom of a post, which in almost all other forums on the net they are above the post and secondly they are seperated at the bottom by a white line which makes it seem as though they are for another post below. And finally there are six orange buttons!! How bout make just the Quote button orange and make the other stuff a text link or something to like that or at the very least change the other button colors. Also should have a regular Reply button available in each post instead of needing to scroll to top or bottom for Reply button.
 
Last edited:

eustacescrubb

New member
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
2,284
Points
0
Age
49
Website
www.johnpauldavis.org
From what I understand, the folks who want various layout/design changes don't outnumber the folks who like things the way they are.

That said, I believe Dennis is working on a different design. I might be wrong about that, but that was the impression I've gotten from him.
 

Bob

Retired
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
Messages
10,233
Points
38
Age
67
Location
"Silicon Fen", UK
Website
forums.ilounge.com
OldSkool said:
<snip>

In case an Admin wants specifics about the orange buttons the problem for starters is that they are at the bottom of a post, which in almost all other forums on the net they are above the post and secondly they are seperated at the bottom by a white line which makes it seem as though they are for another post below. And finally there are six orange buttons!! How bout make just the Quote button orange and make the other stuff a text link or something to like that or at the very least change the other button colors. Also should have a regular Reply button available in each post instead of needing to scroll to top or bottom for Reply button.
"which in almost all other forums on the net they are above the post"
Not on any of the vBB/pHp bulletin boards I frequent - some have the "Edit" and "Quote" buttons above the post but thats about all.

"Also should have a regular Reply button available in each post instead of needing to scroll to top or bottom for Reply button"
A quick reply box was added to the bottom of the page following the suggestion by a member. We try to take suggestions onboard, but the few who dislike the colour/layout are far outweighed by those who do.

Some quick figures for you -

3 members complained about the font size.
5 members complained about the orange colour.
3 complained the forums were hard to read.
2 complained that there were too many forums.

A poll was set about the font size -
Too small; make it bigger by default - 14 votes (41.18%)
Too small, but I don't mind resizing it - 3 votes (8.82%)
Just right, but you can make it bigger if you need to - 10 votes (29.41%)
Just right, and please don't make it bigger - 7 votes (20.59%)
34 votes were cast - 17 unhappy, 17 happy.

Number of members currently - 2,850

Overall I think these speak for themselves, but your points have been noted. :)
 

OldSkool

New member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
255
Points
0
Age
53
Location
San Diego
MadPict said:
"which in almost all other forums on the net they are above the post"
Not on any of the vBB/pHp bulletin boards I frequent - some have the "Edit" and "Quote" buttons above the post but thats about all.

"Also should have a regular Reply button available in each post instead of needing to scroll to top or bottom for Reply button"
A quick reply box was added to the bottom of the page following the suggestion by a member. We try to take suggestions onboard, but the few who dislike the colour/layout are far outweighed by those who do.

Some quick figures for you -

3 members complained about the font size.
5 members complained about the orange colour.
3 complained the forums were hard to read.
2 complained that there were too many forums.

A poll was set about the font size -
Too small; make it bigger by default - 14 votes (41.18%)
Too small, but I don't mind resizing it - 3 votes (8.82%)
Just right, but you can make it bigger if you need to - 10 votes (29.41%)
Just right, and please don't make it bigger - 7 votes (20.59%)
34 votes were cast - 17 unhappy, 17 happy.

Number of members currently - 2,850

Overall I think these speak for themselves, but your points have been noted. :)
I am sure we both can give examples to support our preferences and as you pointed out some that you visit have the Quote button on the top of the message, which in my opinion is the most important button to have there. In two very popular Mac forums (MacWorld and MacAddict) at the very least the Quote button is in the top of the post as well as the date and time and the lines are easy to tell which post and info go together. Here at the lounge, the lines and/or color do not differentiate enough and added with the button location and the date and time location it makes it tough. I have stated this before but when you look at a lounge post the Time and Date and the Orange buttons are closer to the name of the post below it making it seem as if it is with that user instead of the user above. To me some of these things aren't even a preference issue but simply fact. The date,time and reply buttons should obviously go with a certain username/post. As far as your figures or polls, maybe people didn't know which of the 28 Forums (& more Sub-Forums) to go to or they don't see stuff like that because they don't frequent the proper forum ;) . If you want a more accurate count or poll set one up that makes you vote before continuing in any forum or maybe put it on the front page with all the news and stuff. I understand your 17 happy and 17 unhappy but that wasn't the question or the available answers...the big thing there was that 41% wanted the font bigger by default, as you said, the numbers speak for themselves. But regardless the poll participantes were a very small number of members anyway. I understand I don't own the forum but this is the feedback and suggestions topic so there you have it, thats my feedback and suggestions.
 

Bob

Retired
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
Messages
10,233
Points
38
Age
67
Location
"Silicon Fen", UK
Website
forums.ilounge.com
OldSkool said:
I have seen and posted in a few threads regarding the new forum being difficult to read and navigate. I don't recall any response from an admin, and no changes to the site so that is that I guess.
OldSkool,
You're on a roll now then, aren't you? ;)

You've made 4 posts about the colour scheme/layout and 1 about too many forums. OK, you don't like the colour scheme and you find the layout confusing, but you have managed to navigate the confusion to post 23 times (nowhere near your 203 posts from the old forum admittedly). :D

You don't like the scheme - fair enough, but we aren't ignoring you as you seem to think.

Dennis put a lot of work into the new forum while still maintaining the old one, and there maybe tweaks still to be done here.
Only he can decide that. It is after all his site, and he may be reading your complaints right now.

But to keep on about it maybe counterproductive in my opinion. But as you say, you are using the Feedback & Suggestions for just that.
We'll carry on reading it and cogitating over it. :)
 

OldSkool

New member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
255
Points
0
Age
53
Location
San Diego
MadPict said:

But to keep on about it maybe counterproductive in my opinion.
I didn't realize I was "keeping on about it". I was responding to threads that I didn't start. And in fact I have never started a thread about the forum layout/design etc. as far as I can remember. Then I responded to your reply...isn't this what happens in most threads? Having a dialogue going about this was actually productive I thought. The more dialogue the more issues that come to light. If I was the owner of this site I would listen and take seriously the design and layout of the site as it pertains to the functionality of it. There is no need for anyone to be offended. I am a moderator of another forum on the net and understand the issues at hand.
 

Bob

Retired
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
Messages
10,233
Points
38
Age
67
Location
"Silicon Fen", UK
Website
forums.ilounge.com
"I am a moderator of another forum on the net and understand the issues at hand."

Then you'll understand how hard it is to please everyone;)
Sorry if my phrase was misread.
 

AMG

Banned
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
175
Points
0
MadPict said:
OldSkool,
Dennis put a lot of work into the new forum while still maintaining the old one, and there maybe tweaks still to be done here.
Only he can decide that. It is after all his site, and he may be reading your complaints right now.
I don't see a single point that anyone in this thread (or any of the others) has made that isn't a valid, appropriate, and well-versed piece of constructive critcism. Why does everyone always get attacked for giving their opinion on ways they think things can be improved

A nickel's worth of advice for free to ya'll running this place...

IMHO, you won't have much of a site if you end up alienating your users. People aren't giving critiques to be jerks, they like this place and want it to be better. You should feel fortunate that people are taking their time to offer such feedback.

p.s. statistical correction: 17 unhappy, 10 could care less, 7 happy
p.p.s. don't go attacking me either for giving my feedback! :) while text may read harsh, it's not meant to hurt your feelings but to make you think.
 

Bob

Retired
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
Messages
10,233
Points
38
Age
67
Location
"Silicon Fen", UK
Website
forums.ilounge.com
AMG
Who's attacking who?
You quoted me trying to explain to Oldskool that as it is Dennis' site he is the only one who really knows what happens next.

I apologised to OldSkool if my remark was misread. Have I at anytime told him to butt out or stop whinging?

No.

Because I too believe in constructive criticism - Dennis asks us for our views on the site and we express them and he acts on them or not.

Your interpretation of the poll results is just that - your interpretation! ;)

I have tried to address OldSkools point - " I don't recall any response from an admin, and no changes to the site so that is that I guess." - by actually engaging in a discussion about his feedback.

I'll just stop and go to the pub maybe............at least the barmaid has a smile for me :)
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 3, 2003
Messages
1,316
Points
36
Age
56
Location
Eagle, Idaho
Website
www.iLounge.com
OK...

I have read the suggestions and am considering such changes to font size, color and placement of buttons. But there are no gaurantees that any of the suggestions mentioned above will happen. If I were to change the button colors and location I may get another group of members suggesting a different location and so on and so forth... sometimes we have to live with what we get and get use to it. iPodlounge can't please all the people all the time.
 

~tl

New member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
3,037
Points
0
Location
Geneva, Switzerland
does vB support multiple templates, then you could have this template as default, and a more subdued one with bigger fonts etc ... heck make a couple of different size/color combinations and everyone will be happy ...

and to be fair i have been confused by the placement of the edit/quote buttons a few times

TOM
 

KeaneE04

New member
Joined
Jun 1, 2003
Messages
145
Points
0
Age
38
Location
NW NJ
I agree, it is difficult to tell which buttons go with which post, but the orange and white/grey go perfectly with the ipod design. The only suggesstion i could make would be to remove the boarder between the buttons/post, and perhaps make the grey a little bit of a shade darker, as it is almost impossible to tell it apart from the background with my brightness down, but on the grey, i degress (or regress, or congress, or progress, or whatever gress i mean).

other than that, the forums are a very nice sleak looking set of forums, although i know it does support multiple templates (ive seen a few boards that let it work like that using the same system), which may not be a bad idea to increase readability. Other than that the design is amazingly nice, and seems to work very well with the ipod design.

Also, i run a 15" notebook in 1280xwhatever resolution and have no problems reading the words... maybe you are all blinded by the backlights on your iPod? :D (btw, anyone else notice how amazingly bright the backlight is! it lites up my entire room!)

ps, dont mean to lurk, just found this thread in a link from another.
 

KeaneE04

New member
Joined
Jun 1, 2003
Messages
145
Points
0
Age
38
Location
NW NJ
OOH... all you fancy shmancy english people, think you know how to spell the words? Keep your lifts and other weirdly pronounced stuff to yourself. ;)

BTW madpict, that WAS the word i was looking for, thank you.
 
Top