POLL: Who likes the new forum look?

John Allison · Post by **John Allison** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 12:48 pm

This interface looks too much MicroSloth XPish (ooooooo...that gives me the willies just typing it!!)

Rich, can you go to phpBB and download some more templates/styles? That way people can choose their own interface...oh oh...a template-of-the-month contest. Boy, that's sure to eat up hard disk space.
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Cees · Post by **Cees** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 12:49 pm

This will take some getting used to, for me! But I suppose it will be better in the long run. I'm a person who usually hates change and it takes me a long time to get used to it...

One thing I did really like about the old one was the alternating white/blue of the posts...it made it really easy to see the different posts and stuff.

Thanks for all your hard work, Rich!

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 12:50 pm

hmm, there is alternating white and blue for this board too. it's just not as dark a blue as the other one. i'm sure they could change it to a more contrasting color if need be

Sunnywindo · Post by **Sunnywindo** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 1:14 pm

I rather like the new change... but it was surprising to see the Chiff Board pull up like this instead of the old version. I had forgotten it was being upgraded.

For a moment I thought I had the wrong website.... Well, it was the middle of the night at the time.

I will agree that the colors are rather drab, but then I've always been one for bright colors. Thanks Rich for all the hard work getting the upgrade done, it seems to be working great!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:20 pm

How much I like the look really, really varies with which browser I'm using. When I logged on last night, after the upgrade had been completed, my first thought was complete and utter horror. The forum was VERY difficult to read (all the post headings were in this lavender type...dark lavendar for unread posts and slightly less dark lavender for read posts). There was none of the color shading to separate one post from another, and the header information (such as who had posted the last reply), was kind of jumbled up, so it was hard to line it up with the post it was supposed to go with.

I was running a really old Netscape (4.79) with Javascript turned off (I always disable Javascript when I surf unless it's absolutely necessary), so I tried turning Javascript on. Wow! That made the forum look terrific! Neat, crisp and professional, and everything worked, even though I had an older rev of the browser.

For grins and chuckles today, I loaded Netscape 7 (which we have because my daughter prefers it) and yikes! Now it doesn't look so great anymore. That weird lavender type is back (the shading is still there though) and none of my "read" message show up as "read." I'm going to fiddle a bit with the preferences on this newer browser (which I hate, by the way...it's much less user friendly than the older Netscapes) and see if I can get things to look as nice as they did with the Javascript enabled 4.79, but it really is amazing just how big a difference both your browser and your preferences can make.

Redwolf

McHaffie · Post by **McHaffie** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:31 pm

I thinks it's great, although I do miss the flaming folders (have I said that already?

) and I wish that a few of the smileys had stayed... the laughing smiley now looks a bit like someone with an upper lip disorder! lol

Take care all

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:43 pm

-This Mac user likes it, but I always understood an avatar
to be someone with great historical and religious significance, the herald or bringer of a new age. Imagine my joy to discover one of my own choice could be designated. Who's to say a stick
figure with beer can't be an avatar?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:57 pm

Post by **rich** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:00 pm

Redwolf wrote:I was running a really old Netscape (4.79) with Javascript turned off (I always disable Javascript when I surf unless it's absolutely necessary), so I tried turning Javascript on. Wow! That made the forum look terrific! Neat, crisp and professional, and everything worked, even though I had an older rev of the browser.

OH! I know why that is.

In Netscape 4.x on some platforms, cascading style sheets are implemented in the Javascript engine -- even if you leave "CSS" checked on, shutting off javascript means shutting off CSS. The new layout does require CSS to look normal, so that's why you saw what you did.

--Rich

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:16 pm

rich wrote:
Redwolf wrote:I was running a really old Netscape (4.79) with Javascript turned off (I always disable Javascript when I surf unless it's absolutely necessary), so I tried turning Javascript on. Wow! That made the forum look terrific! Neat, crisp and professional, and everything worked, even though I had an older rev of the browser.
OH! I know why that is.

In Netscape 4.x on some platforms, cascading style sheets are implemented in the Javascript engine -- even if you leave "CSS" checked on, shutting off javascript means shutting off CSS. The new layout does require CSS to look normal, so that's why you saw what you did.

--Rich

Thanks Rich. It's been driving me crazy...I just couldn't figure out why Javascript would make such a difference with the way everything LOOKED. Functionality I could understand, but appearance??? That explains it.

I am going to have to start using Netscape 7 soon, however, as I'm encountering more and more sites that just plain don't work with the older revs...ugh! It's a real turkey.

Redwolf

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:35 pm

seems pretty slow, but maybe that's just my lousy 56k connection

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:49 pm

I am as recalcitrant as they come, but DUMP NETSCRAPE! The tech support at my former job, whose s/o works for Apple and is a real Mac feller, convinced me (after months, that is) that Netscape's day had passed. Everytime other Weekender tries to order a service, like a hotel room or Amusement Park tickets, she gets deep into the order process and it all just turns to @#$%. Our last vacation was a near-disaster because even though she gave out VISA numbers and details, the order for our Boardwalk passes was never received and one hotel never got our order either. I'd hear her cussing and I would come in and say, just use Explorer, puhleeze. But, Noooooo!

Yes, Explorer occasionally has the "spin of death." But with Netscape, frozen screens are a "feature" and yes, I did allot more memory etc etc.

I am very un-fond of Bill but most pages are set up to function with Explorer. Do I hate it? Yes. Do I hate not having the email feature? Yes. Do I hate OUtlook? YESEYEYESYESYEYES!

Remember that old saw about the definition of insane being trying the same thing over and over again despite no success? That's the other Weekender trying to order stuff on the Net with Netscape.

I still use an aged Netscape for emails but Explorer for webbrowsing.

I just hate to see you struggle so, friends.

Bagfed · Post by **Bagfed** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 5:35 pm

It's like someone re decorated my house while I was gone to look like Gaelic Crossings'

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 6:59 pm

Busy, yes. And I don't like most of the smileys, esp. this one

and these

And I could do without avatars.

But all the other upgrades are great.

MandoPaul · Post by **MandoPaul** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 7:13 pm

While I'm not fond of the look and feel, there have been scads of security bugs with PHP in the last several months and PHPBB 1.x has been a popular target. I'd rather have a board that Rich can keep clean and running, even if it isn't my favorite visually (small fonts!).

Chiff and Fipple Forums

POLL: Who likes the new forum look?

How do you like the new features?

Smileys and folders..

DUMP NETSCRAPE!

progress, mostly