Is this really the way WSO is going to look from now on?
The new theme looks like an crappy, 3rd rate blog hawking penny stocks that only exists to serve ads. Font is too small in the recent and popular content boxes. Why not use the whole width of the browser? Font sizes across the site are irregular. User names should come before post content, not after. It's near impossible to tell which user icon and name go with what post, and where one post stops and the next begins. Don't show user icons for people unless they've uploaded a custom one - I don't need 50 blue monkeys on my screen. Small caps in the top right header and right sidebars are inconsistent with the rest of the site, and hard to read. Content area is too skinny, especially as you scroll down posts - not enough horizontal space, and too much vertical space wasted with the huge icons makes for a ton of scrolling.
Need I go on?
Sorry Patrick, normally I'm a huge fan of your work on this site, and I really do appreciate its existence, but this new design is a serious step backward.
I understand you're trying to make it look more professional, but it just looks like you've taken a generic template and slapped the WSO logo (and a fuckload of ads) on it.
OK one positive comment - the site does load faster.
That said, I've notice more annoying stuff. You need a divider of some kind between posts on the homepage. Poll is screwed up, you can vote for more than one option. Have I mentioned there are about 3 times the ads there used to be? And they're annoying, flashing, animated ads. Poor form. The use of small caps in various other places across the site is obnoxious as well, its not only in the sidebars. The '1 new' link on the profile track page doesn't stand out - you can't tell it's a link.
Again, sorry to be so harsh, it's just the web developer in me (a past life) coupled with the terrible obsession for nits and formatting this damn job has instilled in me.
I can try to be constructive in offering some suggestions to clean it up a bit if you think it would help/wouldn't fall on deaf ears...
Love the new theme but I agree with everything you said in the post below.
Also, does everyone now w/ no set avatar have that stupid monkey avatar? Please turn it off its almost as confusing as the lack of post dividers
So what do you do? -I work for an investment banking firm. Oh okay; you are like my brother, he works for Edward Jones. -No, a college degree is required in my profession
I actually like it. But you do make a good point with the ads.
Holy shit it never ends - one of your ads just hijacked my speakers and told me I'd won a new iPod.
This is seriously low class Patrick.
In the past, you've done a fairly good job screening the ads to be relevant, but now...there is an ad for robotic prostate surgery across the top, a 'free' iPhone on the right, as well as a virtual world with little animated Sims.
If you change nothing else, PLEASE scale back the ads. It makes me not want to come back.
JEEZ! relax dude. I've had that problem before. It is UNINTENTIONAL...I am e-mailing valueclick right now about it. Obviously I dont want audio ads. apologies. and dont call me low class dude - I've busted my ass...it JUST launched. there will be problems! lots of them! we will make it better.
Also i may be crazy but the extreme right heavy content on the page disturbs me. I like symmetry and the content should be in the middle rather than left-aligned- I think
So what do you do? -I work for an investment banking firm. Oh okay; you are like my brother, he works for Edward Jones. -No, a college degree is required in my profession
Captk,
Really, please don't hold back on how you really feel. :) Especially since we've only spent 2+ months and a crapload of $s and time to make it better for you (free)...this is not a template - it was developed from scratch.
I agree the font in the upper right is too small - we can and will increase that.
Fuckload of ads? Are you serious? I think this version has less ads then the last one. Plus, you do realize that I need to bring in ad revenue so that I can keep making the site better? I will work on getting some of the more annoying / flashy ads banned until we get into a vertical ad network.
A lot of what you complained about can and will be changed. Please just have some patience. The site has been up for ~5 minutes.
I've had very extreme reactions to the positive until I read this one so I'm not sure how to take it...you say it looks like a 3rd rate blog. Personally I think the layout is much cleaner and it should also load MUCH faster which is what a lot of people had complained about.
I'm trying my best and I will take everyone's feedback into consideration. Not everyone will be happy but constructive feedback is appreciated.
Thanks, Patrick
This site looks great! Huge improvement and it makes it very easy to find where I need to go. It must have taken you and your web developer a long time to create. Thank you for being so attentive to everyone's comments a few months ago...it is clear you've incorporated everyone's feedback. Even though there are unsatisfied comments now, I think it's only because people are resistant to change. I am also confident that you are doing what is best for the welfare of your OVERALL user base. So while a few people may be upset, overall I am sure your user base is incredibly impressed with the new layout. The ones who are disgruntled do understand how hard you and your team are working. So thanks again. Keep up the great innovative and creative ideas! Awesome work!
Keep up the good work.
Patrick, sorry if I came off as overly harsh. I realize that any new design is going to be an iterative process.
Also, I apologize if it sounded as though I was attacking you personally. 'Low class' was meant to refer to the audio ads, which I know you have been above in the past. My comment about it looking like a 3rd rate blog is heavily influenced by the style and content of the ads - improve those, and I think the 'feel' of the site will improve dramatically.
I also would suggest widening the margins a little bit, and increasing the whitespace between the columns, things feel a bit cramped. I also think you could take the site to two columns, both right columns are almost always shorter than the content in the main column. This allow for horizontal space for the main content as well as some more breathing room/whitespace.
If you insist on staying with 3 columns, things may feel a bit more balanced if you put the content column in the middle, navigation related links on the left, and 'value add' links (like the popular content) on the right. I know this is how it was with the old site, and that's not why I'm saying it - I really feel that's something you had right last time - the site felt more balanced visually.
The names/icons below the posts really are confusing though, most people are used to scanning a website and seeing the name, icon, user info, then the post. Look at nearly every other forum on the internet. The area below the post is what the signature box is for.
Again, the low class comment was not intended personally at you at all, I know you bust your ass for this site, and you do a great service to countless members and prospective members of the finance community.
Sorry for my diatribe earlier, had a rough day at work and just kind of let it rip. Trying to be more constructive...
And what ads?
Unrelated, I bought a Mitsubishi and designed a 1800 tequila bottle in the past hour.
fixed some caching issues - should be loading slightly faster now.
we will keep digging to improve speed.
some of the changes you have all suggested will be implemented in the next 2 weeks.
Thanks, Patrick
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