Post questions or comments about the design changes in this thread.

[Skinner]

As promised here and here, we have made a few changes to the website. The names of many of the forums have changed, and we have redesigned the Lobby, Latest, and Greatest pages. We apologize for any short-term confusion these changes may cause.

If you have any questions or comments about these changes, please post them in this thread.

Skinner, EarlG, Elad
DU Administrators

[merwin]

I like the changes. A lot to get used to, but

very very nice looking.

[SteppingRazor]

1. Hmmm... Intriguing.

My jury's still out until I get used to it. But it looks pretty good so far! :)

[proud patriot]

2. I like the forums links at the top

:-)

[Cha]

127. Me too!

I'm already use to the changes and they seem to make everything more organized..thanks Skinner, Elad, and Earl!

:patriot: :toast:

[Lisa0825]

3. are topics from the state forums no longer on the Latest list? nt

[ewagner]

4. Love it!

A lot cleaner look

great organization

Thank you! :hi:

[IADEMO2004]

5. What change?

[wtbymark]

6. I like the "my forums" at the top

much easier to find

I like the layout better all ready - I think.

[ms liberty]

7. This is cool...

I read a thread, went back to Latest page......and it had changed!

BTW...you guys are the greatest

[mike_c]

great new look....

Very nice!

[napi21]

8. I like the chg to the Latest page. It just took a minute to get used to

it. I say thanks to all who made a good change!

[Bluzmann57]

9. For what it's worth

I like it. It's easier for us dumb asses to navigate. And it looks nice as well. Thanks.

[murielm99]

10. It took me by surprise. But it looks very nice.

It does not look hard to navigate, and that is the main thing for me.

[Taxloss]

11. It's great, a good deal easier to use.

Not that the old format was difficult to use, this is just better.

Nice work chaps.

[Angry Girl]

12. Wow! That was trippy! I refreshed and BLAM! What a change!

It's very, very nice! Very well laid out. I'm impressed!

As usual, hats off to you guys! And thank you!

[kick-ass-bob]

13. I like it.

I can find my forums more easily.

:thumbsup:

On edit - how many stars does "greatest" go up to and what are their cutoffs? (I can see 1-3's)

[UrbScotty]

14. It might take time for me to get used to it, but that's okay.

;-)

[Old and In the Way]

15. I like it.....

One thing I just noticed...I like to minimize the window and reload to see the LBN headlines...if you switched sides with most recent posts, that would allow the smallest footprint for LBN.

My .25 RMB

[SoFlaJet]

16. where's

the radio links?

[Skinner]

18. They're going to be on the right side of the Latest Page.

Look for the words "Listen Live"

Hopefully we can get them back asap.

[readmylips]

17. Info to the left of my screen hurst my neck.....

I'd like it if centered to the screen. I like all the new info, it's clearer and crispier, except I can't stand that photo from Ricky S.

[katmondoo]

19. I would reverse the page. It would be easier to read if the forum

were on the right and the lastest breaking on the left. Why I do not know but I seem to want to read from the right.

[Debau2005]

20. I like the My forums at the top,

although I don't care for the ad banner between the posted threads frame and the Latest Breaking News frame. It would be easier to read if the ad banner was to the far right.

[eleny]

21. Looks like the ads have a more prominent place

Overall, the Latest page looks cleaner - more open. I like that. So long as the advertising doesn't blink, I really like the new look. The page seems more spacious. :thumbsup:

[Skinner]

26. Yes, the ads have a more prominent place.

Our monthly server costs are about to double (!), and we are hoping to cover the additional cost with the ads, rather than begging all of you for more money. So we felt it was important to give them a more prominent place.

[eleny]

32. I edited my original note before posting...

Originally, I asked if you could get more for the ads that were prominent like this. I'm not wild about them being pretty much in the middle of the page like that. However, if it brings in revenue, I get the point. If we have to look at pictures like Santorum or like that one of W and Condie - I'd rather send in some contributions. Oh dear - there's always a pill in the bunch, huh?!

The ads are my only negative 2¢. Overall, the Latest page is very easy on the eyes. I like the new roominess.

About the radio links area. Did your moving it mean you have more space for links? I've discovered a few new programs that are great but I hesitate to email about them since space was always an issue.

[Skinner]

41. We should probably have more space, yes.

After we get that section working again, you are welcome to send us some more links.

[liberaltrucker]

105. It ain't beggin' if we're willin'

Keep those fund drives going :toast:

[Hawkeye-X]

22. I like it, but only one complaint..

My only complaint is this:

Please get rid of the ads in the middle of the page. It's unsightly.

Or at least give the paying members the option to turn the ads off from view. Or at least choose a page where the ads can be placed (I'd prefer it on the bottom or on the side)

[eleny]

35. I like your suggestion about paying members having an option

Wish I thought of that! I only grinched.

[primavera]

56. Another vote in favor

I understand needing the generate revenue, but a great many of us are willing to support DU financially and wouldn't mind chipping in a bit more if necessary, but having to wade through ads for a service you're already paying for? Sorry, I know money's tight, but it still rankles a bit.

Perhaps we should call ourselves a community-based organization and apply for funding under the shrub's faith and community based initiative. He's given out billions and we could claim to be providing an invaluable community service: saving people from voting Republican!

[Why Syzygy]

67. I think the design is a bit off.

Graphics design. Check into it. (Sorry don't mean to be rude, but design is an art. GOOD design gives the eyes a natural movement and flow. Bad design is a pain.) The more I look at this the less I like it. Thanks for trying though.

[benburch]

23. Do we get more "My Forums" now? nt

[asthmaticeog]

24. I very much like the forum listings at the top. However...

could the list of latest threads be in the center? It looks graphically awkward to me as it is. How about announcements/listen live/LBN threads on the right, ads on the left, then latest threads more prominently in the middle?



Also, It wouldn't hurt to have a DU logo somewhere nice and visible. ;)

[IndyOp]

84. I like the graphic layout -

People usually read from left to right and the ads in the left column draw attention - as they should.

The center column is largest and will also attract attention for that reason - as they should. The ads around here aren't frivolous, they are for good causes. I learn a lot by clicking on them and reading -- even if I don't donate or buy.

The latest breaking news is the least important information on the page - IMHO - and I am used to it being in the far right column.

It takes time to adjust to any layout.

I like your idea of having the DU logo somewhere nice and visible!

[swag]

147. Great suggestion.

I'm glad it was implemented, albeit sans merci.

[Fenris]

153. Indeed.

A bit rude, no?

[Skinner]

156. We appreciate the input from everyone.

And in particular, we appreciate the comments from all the people, including asthmaticeog, who suggested moving the advertisements to the left side. Last night when we implemented the change, we did express our appreciation to everyone who helped out. I apologize that I did not take the time to express my thanks to each of them individually, because this is a good change. :thumbsup:

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

25. one minor suggestion: could "The DU Lounge" be "THE DU LOUNGE!"

[Skinner]

28. LOL

I'll see what I can do. :D

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

36. sweet.

[ms liberty]

27. Had to come back and add...

I LOVE the Greatest Page!

[Skinner]

29. I'm glad you like it.

I kinda like the new layout myself.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=greatest_threads

[sniffa]

30. OMG!!!

the 'Latest' page has changed.

i hate change. i fear change.

oh god heLp us aLL. :cry:

[Gregorian]

31. First comment after 1 minute. I will never scroll down to see the 1 star.

This is just a first thought after peeking at the Greatest page. (And I am sure you guys put a TON of thought into this redesign).
Why would I care about the one star threads?

It seems that one half of a third of that entire page is devoted to something that might be better used.

But who am I to say? After all I've only had one cup of espresso this morning, and I'm pretty much a Zomby.


edit- OK, maybe I jumped the gun. I see the left side of the page is Greatest wrt time. So actually, nothing's changed.

PS- I looooove the links to personalized forums.

[eShirl]

33. well, since you asked :-) here's how I would prefer it:

switch places for "Latest" and "Latest Breaking News"

i.e. the "Latest" column on the right and the "Latest Breaking News" column on the left

no reason but my own subjective taste/preference

[arwalden]

34. Does DU Get $$ Per Ad Impression Or Per Ad Click-Through?

Or both? How much is each one worth?

[Skinner]

37. The cost of the ads is loosely based on impressions.

It's not a strict per impression rate. We set the rate we feel is appropriate, based on the number of pageviews we usually get. Our premium ad is $1000 per week. Our standard ad is $600 per week.

[mopinko]

86. didn't they start out cheaper?

by the time i got around to being serious about doing it, it was a lot more. or have i been smokin too much?

[Skinner]

110. You are correct.

They did start out cheaper.

[mopinko]

117. damn

a day late and a dollar short, again.

[Midlodemocrat]

38. I like the changes a lot.

:thumbsup:

[kick-ass-bob]

39. How many stars can a thread get?

and what are the cutoffs?

[Skinner]

40. The maximum is five stars.

We may change the cut-offs if we think they need to be adjusted. But at the moment, here's what they are:

80+ -------> 5 stars
40 - 79 ---> 4 stars
20 - 39 ---> 3 stars
10 - 19 ---> 2 stars
05 - 09 ---> 1 star

[LunaSea]

42. Ads running down the middle is irritating

I'm sure the advertisers love it.

[tishaLA]

43. Looks great!

Congrats on a wonderful job...and I like the way the ads work now, too. Much better integration into the site's design.

[gademocrat7]

44. New and improved

I like it. Thanks!!

[LynneSin]

45. Since the increase in posting volume in the Delaware Forum....

can we move this forum's location to just above the DU Lounge?

[midnight armadillo]

46. I use w3m. This sucks.

Under the w3m text browser the old layout had all of the forums down the left column, with latest & greatest topics in the middle. It was easy to navigate.

The new layout is much harder to browse and takes longer to get from forum to forum. From a text point of view, it's a major downgrade in appearance. I haven't seen it from Firefox yet.

[benburch]

48. Looks fine in Firefox and Safari.

Under lynx I get the listing of forum names at the top, and then the latest entries underneath.

I find that quite usable. Maybe you ought to try lynx?

Or is this what you are describing with w3m?

[benburch]

49. Here is a lynx screen....

Democratic Underground - Latest Threads (p1 of 10)

Home | Discussion Forums | Articles | Demopedia (BETA) | Campaigns | Links | Store | Donate


Lobby
Greatest
My Posts
Search
Options
Login



78,523 user registrations and 18,660,316 posts since January 2001
Tue Oct 11th 2005, 02:30 PM (ET) | First time visitor? Please register

Lobby / Latest / Greatest Rules / FAQ

My Forums

Latest Breaking News Big Forums (5)
Latest Breaking News Topic Forums (34)
Latest Breaking News State & Country Forums (55)
Latest Breaking News DU Groups (104)
Latest Breaking News Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion General Discussion
General Discussion: Politics General Discussion: Politics
The DU Lounge The DU Lounge

Right Now on the DU Discussion Forums


Latest Discussion Threads - Page 1

General Discussion: Politics
-- press space for next page --
Arrow keys: Up and Down to move. Right to follow a link; Left to go back.
H)elp O)ptions P)rint G)o M)ain screen Q)uit /=search =history list

[benburch]

50. Skinner...

I have almost every browser in the world here... Are there any you would like me to test with?

[Skinner]

52. Sure.

If you want, you can check it out on all of 'em. Thanks.

[benburch]

53. OK!

I'll let you know if I find any real clinkers.

[benburch]

54. Skinner - Netscape 4.77 Mac is a mess.

The ads fall out of the center column and fill the right column, and the content that was in the right column is lost.

About 1% of users still use a Netscape 4 era browser.

[dweller]

73. yeah, i'm one of the older browser users

the ads completely f*'d up the page.

but, a thread in the Science forum showed how to block the ads. It's great (now that i've tweaked it, had a 'little' problem initially).

check it out: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x12228

dp

[benburch]

91. The 4.x browsers did not implement some things right.

Mostly because they came out before the standard was decided upon, I think.

[benburch]

58. Works fine in most!

ie since V6
Netscape/Firefox/Mozilla since 7
iCab
Opera
Safari

In dillo the ads in the center column do not appear, but this is a minor browser. Content is still usable.

[Skinner]

60. Thanks.

:thumbsup:

[benburch]

47. When the radio links resume could we add some shows, please?

Lizz Brown does a great show, and deserves to be listed.

Also Jay Marvin, and, beginning in a week from next Monday, Bob Kincaid.

I can provide you with the details if you have any trouble finding them.

Thanks!

-Ben Burch

[SharonRB]

78. Could we add Nancy Skinner

www.1310wdtw.com -- she's on from 6 - 9 am ET.

Thanks!

[sinkingfeeling]

51. I would like it better if the left & right sides were reversed. Move 'ads'

and Latest Breaking News to the left and Discussions to the right. That is all.

[Nostradammit]

55. My star has expired, but I'm sending more $$$ today

so I can rightfully beg you to return the latest column to the center of the screen. I've been trying to get used to it but I can't.

It's given me gas, I'm so upset.

:crazy:

Edit to add: DU is still the ass-kickingest forum on the planet. Thanks for all your work!

[CBHagman]

57. Very frustrating upon first encountering it.

N/T

[parasim]

59. Absolutely love it.

It'll take a bit to get used to, but worth it. Good job!

[cal04]

61. Thank you Skinner. I like it.

Everything new takes time to get used to. I think it looks great

[graywarrior]

62. Wow. Forum Fung Shui!

I dig it!!!

[teach1st]

63. Overall, much better!

However, the ads in the middle column of the Latest page...not better.

[Why Syzygy]

64. Sorry. Rain on the parade ahead.

I liked the old layout just fine. Will get used to it, I'm sure. Thanks for the effort. Hope it does make ya'lls jobs easier. You do so much.

[arwalden]

65. Did You Consult A Feng Shui Expert Before The Redesigning And Rearranging?

I'm picking up some negative energy retention... and the good energy seems to be blocked.

[EFerrari]

66. I love it. The design is clean and sharp and visually

easy on the eyes of the hyper light sensitive.

Thank you guys.

b.

[Weembo]

68. Love the change

More linear -- like I think

[SpiralHawk]

69. Giga Dittoes on the Kudos

Nice job.

Top Notch.

Take a bow...

[garthranzz]

70. I like them! Good job!

[aquart]

71. Hate the change.

I hate change.

Salon is different. DU is different. The world is shifting beneath my feet AND I DON'T LIKE IT.

Don't like the ad in the middle column, especially. If you get one that moves or vibrates, I won't be able to read a thing.

Wasn't broke. You went and fixed it anyway. Unnecessary.

[hermetic]

72. Just signed on and first saw this

I like it. So far, works for me. Good job!

[patricia92243]

74. I used to be able to default to the Latest Page. Now it is the "Greatest"

I don't like that, but the rest of it looks great.

[Skinner]

111. What do you mean?

The Latest Pages should still be the default. When are you seeing the Greatest Page?

[patricia92243]

131. When I first come on-line I am directly on the Greatest Page. I think hit

the icon for the Latest page and it takes me there. The text is all on the left side of the page - which makes it hard to read - and I use the Latest page ALL the time.

Look great except for not coming to Latest page by default.

[Elad]

132. There were no changes made to what you default to

In fact, the software has no built-in mechanism to default to the Greatest Page, so I'm not sure what you mean.

Can you email or PM me with more details? Please be very specific, walk me through exactly what you do from opening your browser and exactly what links/icons you click on.

Thanks.

[Skinner]

133. I don't understand why this would be happening.

Help me try to figure it out.

What is the URL of the page when you first arrive and see the Greatest Page. Where do you come from?

Do you come to DU through a bookmark? If so, what is the URL of your bookmark?

[patricia92243]

135. Does this help?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=greatest_threads

Is this what you mean by a URL?

Since I posted, I cleaned out my cookies and completely start over - sign-in, etc. Went straight to Greatest page.

I have an icon on my desktop that I use to come directly to DU. It is the same icon that I have always had.

[patricia92243]

137. Went to latest page, put newicon ondesktop - bingo -that took care of it!

Also there's a new icon image for DU since I placed mine there a couple of years ago - very nice.

[0007]

75. My only complaint for the moment is that I can't find AAR

.....of course it is there, somewhere!

I do like the change and the good job everyone is doing at DU. Kudos!!

[Catfight]

76. I'm digging the changes. nt

[tk2kewl]

77. Is the "Latest Polls" page gone for good?

:shrug:

[Skinner]

112. Maybe not.

We wanted to see if anyone even noticed it was gone.

[tk2kewl]

120. a couple of others noticed too

i posted the question in GD earlier yesterday. IMO not a terrible loss as far as important content goes, just a loss of some good fun.

[El Supremo]

140. Please bring it back. Maybe as a forum. n/t

I like it.

[Stinky The Clown]

79. Skinner ..... two words:

Great job! :thumbsup:

[KerryOn]

80. I'm totally lost...

I hate change, but I'm sure I will get use to it in time, but right now I can't figure out where my old hang outs were.

Can't deal with it now. Maybe tomorrow.

[newportdadde]

81. If not logged in, Big Forums links you to the State and County Forums

fyi.

[Elad]

95. Thanks, that's fixed... n/t

[dalloway]

82. I like the design of the Greatest and Latest a lot.

Nice and clean. Easier on the eyes. Easier to distinguish.

[MADem]

83. I am a little slow on the uptake, to be honest

And still stumbling about a bit. But ya know what? I will get used to it. If it makes your lives easier, I am all for it!

[bozo299]

85. new format

don't like it

[liberal43110]

87. The Religion/Theology and Philosophy Foums aren't under Topics Forums

When I click on Topics Forums, these 2 aren't listed. I have recent posts in My Posts from these 2 forums. If I click on my posts, the "file path" lists Topics Forums - Religion/Theology or Topics Forums - Philosophy...but when I go to Topics Forums, they aren't listed.....???????

[Skinner]

113. Religion & Theology is there.

Scroll down to the bottom section, where it says "Culture Forums".

Philosopy is listed under "DU Groups: Personal Interests," here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=351

[applegrove]

88. Gorgeous!

[Triana]

89. I like 'em!

Thanks guys! This site is awesome and it just gets better - thanks so much for all your hard work!

:patriot:
:applause:
:toast:

[On Par]

90. It's Like Going From A City Phone Book To A County Phone Book!

While with the city phone book you had 20 people named Bob Jones, you now have 200 folks named Bob Jones to look through for the correct street address.

While one can get used to the search proposition, it's all too time consuming.

[Spiffarino]

92. It looks a lot better

It also seems easier to navigate. I haven't taken a long tour but so far I like it a lot better than before.

Must have been a pain in the arse. Thanks for doing it.

[madeline_con]

93. I guess we'll have to get used to it...

sigh....

[Skip Intro]

94. Puts the ads front and center. Gotta be honest - I don't like it.

Looks way more commercial. Diminishes, or overshadows an important element of the site somehow - tho I can't seem to describe that element at the moment.

I understand the ads and I'd run ads too were it up to me, but not down the middle of the page.

I love DU and I've been here thru almost four years and two user-names, and I won't be leaving, but I gotta call it like I see it, and I don't like this change.

slightly edited for clarity

[Nothing Without Hope]

96. First, THANKS! Then: a question, some comments, and some suggestions:

Question: Will the most highly rated threads stay on the page longer than 24 hours? I think they should.

Comment: I still believe that the single biggest flaw in the design is the way that things disappear after 24 hours and are so hard to find thereafter. This has all sorts of negative effects:

• People who cannot spend a significant block of time EVERY DAY at DU lose track and may well miss important developments. We need a way that the most important, popular threads can be BROWSED over AT LEAST a week, even if it is only a cache copy of the Greatest Page that's saved once or twice a day and can be accessed by date.
  
• Because threads disappear, taking with them all their information and discussion, we have many, many re-invented wheels and much fragmentation as the same topics are hashed out all over again. It would be so much better for everyone if the discussion could BUILD instead of having to be restarted over and over.

Suggestions:

• We need a way to BROWSE and also to SEARCH the greatest, most popular threads. (See what I wrote in "comments." I feel that the lack of long-term browsing ability is a major flaw.
  
• Important, popular threads need to stay longer and/or be more easily accessible. As it is, there is much fragmentation and all too often the SAME TOPIC and even the SAME ARTICLE is posted on over and over and all the painstaking work on building information and discussion is lost and has to be started over again. This is such a huge waste and lost opportunity to make the threads true resources. I also think that the highest-vote threads should stay on the Greatest page for more than 24 hours.
  
• Threads need to KEEP THEIR VOTE NUMBERS when they are archived. As it is, these numbers are stripped away and so there is often no indication that readers thought a thread was important and valuable. When looking at old threads, the vote number is useful information and it should be kept.
  
• Another possibility: Initiate a "Greatest Threads of the Week" feature - this would collect top threads from the DU Home page and Greatest Page together. It would be great if this page were searchable - especially if it could be done using topic and/or keyword as well as thread author and such.

Overall, I applaud the new changes and really appreciate the work they represent. However, I feel that the lack of a way to browse the most popular, important threads over at least a week is a major flaw. It's one aspect of what I see as the greatest weakness of what is otherwise a terrific format: if a thread is older than a day (or a bit more if it makes it to the Home or Greatest pages), it's HISTORY - effectively GONE, even if it's still highly topical and at the peak of its usefulness in posted information and discussion. Strategies need to be found to combat this problem. Having the best threads stay longer and having a convenient "browse" feature to scan the Greatest Page over at least a week would help. So would having a "Greatest Threads of the Week" feature.

[Skinner]

114. We intend to implement many of these ideas.

We have considered many of these ideas, and we hope to do them because we think people would like them and use them. But to be honest, I am highly doubtful that doing so would make any difference with regard to the same article being posted over and over. An article can be at the top of the Greatest Page and the DU Homepage, and still someone will show up and post "OMG! DID ANYONE READ THIS????"

[Nothing Without Hope]

130. LOL - so true! But all I ask is that the people who DO look before posting

be able to find the existing mature thread on the topic and that people be able browse over at least a week of the important posts.

Looking forward to further upgrades. And thanks for replying to my post. :hi:

[IN-dem]

97. Love the new setup. nt

[AirmensMom]

98. Very nice.

I just have to get used to it. :hi:

[progressoid]

99. I think we need a special "ping" smiley

I KEED, I KEED.

Actually, I think one of the reasons we have such high usage is because it is quite easy to navigate here.

Love the Forums listed on top - excellent.

I like the layout of the Latest page better than the Greatest page; Seems to flow better. But ultimately, I think I'll get used to it in a short time. :thumbsup:

[roguevalley]

100. I love it. Very easy to navigate and to use. Kudoes to the admins.

[gardenista]

101. Did you just change the location of Latest Threads? That's better.

I could get used to it this way. I didn't like it with the ads on the left. Thanks for tinkering with it, guys, it's coming along!

[gardenista]

102. Nevermind, I get it now. Ads on the left for "Greatest", in the center

for "Latest". I like in the center better.

[Skinner]

115. I get the sense that you are in the minority.

The placement of the ads seems to be the biggest complaint.

[xultar]

103. So, where's the ATA forum?

[benburch]

104. That's been gone for MONTHS. nt

[xultar]

121. I know. I was hoping they'd bring it back with the 'new' changes

[Skinner]

122. Not a chance.

Getting rid of the Ask the Admins forum -----> Best decision we ever made.

[xultar]

126. Man...that was harsh...

:hurts:

:rofl:

[Tigress DEM]

106. Nice look. Thanks guys!

[wiley]

107. Love it so far. Like the ads too.

[Neoma]

108. Nice.

I think it's getting me addicted to this website again.

[newyawker99]

109. Good job!

:thumbsup:

[Citizen Jane]

116. Forums at top great, but...

I tend to agree with post #24 about ads on the left rather than in the center. I've resized the page to various sizes (have a 17" laptop) with no ameliorating effect.

Because humans tend to read left to right, if the ad bar is large enough (i.e. a little wider than at other sites, perhaps) and the text backgrounds are different colors (gray and white or something else) you'll get the same effect of demarcation and focus on the ads in a much more visually appealing presentation. Moving ads to the left will probably retain as much focus on them as in the center and will allow the eye to move across the page rather than having to stop and then search across the text bar for the LBN.

As I said in my subject line, however, I think the forums at the top are great. They will take some getting used to for me, but a good improvement. It is just the L-R scanning that I am not getting used to for, I think, the reasons above.

Thanks for spending so much time improving the site AND even allowing us to comment on the changes!


Clarification--humans tend to read one direction, that is, R-L OR L-R or Up-Down. Some languages, of course, can be read either direction. Then, of course, you get into the boustrophedon form of back and forth writing in ancient Greek inscriptions. In general, however, most people on this site read L-R.

[kid a]

174. I would like to see the "My Forums" in bold, like Latest Discussion

Thnaks

[WinkyDink]

118. What is the difference

between allowable/recommended topics for "GD: Politics" and simply "GD"?
I currently discern none, and so wonder if there is a need to clarify the distinction.

[terrya]

119. We really don't have much say in the matter, do we?

It's your website, after all.

[Skinner]

123. I disagree.

It is my website, and ultimately we decide what to do with it. But we do care what people think. And if people thought these changes sucked, we'd be unlikely to stick with them.

[lateo]

142. Maybe you can have an alternate index.html?

Call it Index2.html and use the old web design on it?

This one just bothers the hell out of me.

[Why Syzygy]

143. Much better tonight!

Thanks for taking comments into consideration.
I'm very visual, a designer in fact, and that other layout was driving me batty. A long walk off a short pier, granted.
But. So much better. Thank you.

edit: I promise to support the advertisers when I can. I appreciate their prescence actually. How else can we find liberal efforts? DU is a great breeding ground for that. But we are primarily here for "discussion". Glad to see that column back as the main focus.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

124. Easy to navigate, but I miss the articles and EarlG's graphics being

front and center...it just had more of an "E"zine feel the other way, rather than a blog.

All in all, no complaints, though

[Beam Me Up]

125. I like it.

:thumbsup:

[Zenlitened]

128. Can't fathom why Church-State Separation was neutered to "Civil Liberties"

Was the idea that religion ought to be kept out of government too inflammatory for some around here?

[Skinner]

134. We consolidated two forums.

For an explanation, see here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4990400&mesg_id=4990400

and here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4990400&mesg_id=5023799

[Zenlitened]

163. Looks like the Separation forum paid a price for the weakness...

... of other areas. Too bad. It will be interesting to see what sort of personality the new forum will develop. Runs the risk of losing any semblance of focus, IMO.

[arwalden]

164. It Would Appear That "Catch-All" Forums Definitely Lose Focus...

... or become focused on something else entirely different than its original intent. Take the "Meeting Room" for example.

[lateo]

129. These changes are awful.

Ads in the middle of the page?

[saracat]

136. Don't know yet. I am not really comfortable with the ad placement!

[DemExpat]

138. It gives DU a different feel.....not sure what it is, though,

can't put my finger on it and I am not sure I think it is all positive.

Probably something like what NSMA said above- more like a blog and less an open news page like an "E" zine....which I miss.

Yesterday I didn't like it at all, today it's looking better. :-)

The way the ads change from left to center to right on the Lobby/Latest/Greatest pages is smart IMO - if ads are in one position on all pages they would tend to get overlooked much more easily. :evilgrin:

Thanks for all your efforts!

:kick:

DemEx

[intheflow]

139. Kick

:kick:

[bearfan454]

141. I like it nt

[pinto]

144. I really like the "My Forums" banner link across the top.

:thumbsup:

[pinto]

145. and, I like this version of the Latest Page. (Wed, 7 PT)

[eleny]

146. Me too!!!

Oh, I really like the ads on the left side of the page. This morning, they were fighting with my eyes. Now, I see them but they don't make war with me. Thanks to the admins for this tweak. It feels so right!

[LeahD]

148. Yes, if we have to have the ads,

they're much better on the left. They're not nearly as distracting.

Overall...familiarity is oh so comfortable, and change is aggravating. I'll probably be aggravated for a couple days,
and then I'll get over it. I do like the forums at the top!

[eleny]

159. Me too on dealing wiht these changes

But the admins listened and I think it turned out very well.

Funny thing - I got a few more cabinets in my kitchen and so have moved stuff around. I keep opening the wrong drawer to get utensils. Too many changes in one week. Eeek! :D

[Nostradammit]

149. The ads are back on the left!!!

Thank you so much, you people!

DU has a special place in history, it will be remembered as a key element in the saving of democracy. I firmly believe that.

[jimshoes]

150. Thanks for moving

the adverts back to the left of the page. Much easier on my old eyes for some reason. Thanks.

[Montauk6]

151. Here's a question on an old thing that I may have missed in the FAQ.

What does "kick" mean? I never quite understood this.

[Why Syzygy]

152. Kick

is when you bump the thread up to the top of the list in any given forum. The newest threads with posts appear at the top.

Any post will "kick it up". Some just don't have anything to add to the subject, so they say "kick". After awhile threads rotate off the front page of the forum lists and get archived (no more posts allowed). I think it's 20 pages at DU.

People like to kick for visibilty and to keep the thread alive.

:D

[Montauk6]

154. I realize it may be a tad gauche but...

are you allowed to kick a thread you started yourself?

[CottonBear]

155. You can if you'd like. n/t

[Why Syzygy]

158. Sure. Happens all the time.

:D

Don't know if you noticed this, but this thread happens to be pinned to the top of the forum. Admins do that sometimes. It doesn't really need to be kicked. It stays at the top until they release it. Isn't this fun?

[Patsy Stone]

157. The site looks great and flows better

Thanks, Skinner, et. al.

My only request would be a more subtle "New Mail" notification. Perhaps just an envelope icon in place of that flashing red "NEW MAIL!!!" thing?

:thumbsup:

[bettyellen]

160. i myself would like more pix of Earl G

oh shit, did i say that out loud?

[Citizen Jane]

161. Thanks for moving the ads to the left

Personally, I find then less annoying on the left OR on the right than in the center and consequently tend to look at them and click on them more!

I think, in addition to my logical reasons for moving them as stated above, I was deliberately not clicking on them because their placement annoyed me.

:blush:

[otohara]

162. I Miss The Radio Links

any chance they will return?

[Skinner]

166. Yes, they are returning shortly.

We already have a spot for them on the left side of the Latest page. Look for the words "Listen Live."

[question everything]

165. Oh, I get it. No more DU Lounge on the latest page

makes sense. I have nothing against DU Lounge, go there on occasions, but often, especially late at night, when I would start with the "latest" most would be from the Lounge.

For a while I would start with the latest, but realized that it was cluttered with the lounge and would just go to GD or Politics, obviously missing on many good stories.

So this is one change that I welcome.

Also nice to have a mini change where the ads were moved to the left and the stories to the center.

[troubleinwinter]

167. ??? "Levels"?

It appears that we are on Level 2 or somthing today.... signatures are gone.

I thought mine was messed up and wasted a whole bunch of time trying to deal with it. Then I noticed there are no sigs at all!

I cannot find where the usual "Level" alert is now located.

?????

EDIT!!!! Hmmm.... sigs are back now! But still.... I could not find the pinned alert while they were inactive.

[Why Syzygy]

169. I think they

go under "Announcements" in the far right column. Pretty sure that's where I saw it. It was a yellow background with red print (if I remember correctly) and is now grey with black print.

[Jamastiene]

168. I am having a hard time getting to the list of polls.

It has been a while since I went to that page, but once there was a page that listed the polls.

[MH1]

171. Can't find "Latest polls" either. Help? n/t

[Skinner]

172. At the moment, we have no link to the Latest Polls page.

We were kinda waiting to see if anyone missed it.

[Jamastiene]

173. Well, wait no longer. Here I am to miss it for ya.

I do like to vote in the polls. Every now and again, I'll make an evening of it and just catch up on the polls for fun.

[Why Syzygy]

170. I like the way the forums

now have a selection to either "Remove" or "Add to my Forums".
Nice touch.

[MazeRat7]

175. Q: Use of "Topic Forums"

With the recent addition of "Topic Forums" are we going to see an effort to steer post on those topics away from the larger discussion forums toward the topic specific forums ?

As an example, should all post about Bush & Funny Freeper Tales be posted in the Bush / Conservatives forum ? All post about the Economy in the Economy Forum, etc. ?

To not do so would seem to make them redundant and ultimately unnecessary.

BTW, my vote is to keep the topic specific forums and urge everyone to post according. I like the idea of one place to find all post on a specific topic with the GD's being left as a catch-all.

Thanks,

MZr7

[T Roosevelt]

176. So what happened to the Lounge on the Latest page?

I know there's the option to not show it, but mine's set so that I will see Lounge threads.

[npincus]

177. like it a lot... have one comment

it's actually related to an existing (not new) graphic, but since I have th chance to give input...

I have always thought that the graphic link you have for the "Greatest" page (the three thunbs-up hands), looks like (3) piles of dog turds! Sorry! It's true! I am viewing on a large LCD screen at a high resolution, so am getting all the detail... but the 3 hands are very small and (really) look like piles of crap! Sorry! If you want to bother to change it, I think one big thumbs-up hand instead of three would read much better, especially for those viewing at a high resolution which makes things appear smaller.

Please don't be offended... I love DU and spend hours here. The navigation and layout is excellent. I have no other criticsim to offer- except for the 3 steaming-piles-of-turds graphic.

(I wouldn't raise the resolution because I like it as is and the LCD monitor does not display as well at a lower resolution)

Cheers! And a big thank you!

[Skinner]

178. You aren't the first person to have that impression.

To be honest, I kinda think it's time for us to change all of our icons to something that looks a little more pro. I think we may do that by the end of the year.

[npincus]

179. I like your icons- except the one mentioned and (while I'm at it)...

the one for "Rules"... a similar problem to the other: the three heads are very small, and doesn't necessarily communicate the subject.

Idea for new "Rules" icon: how about a Ten Commandments tablet for an icon... that would be funny.



I really don't think your icons look unprofessional- I think communicating the topic is most the important thing and they do that well.

[whatever4]

180. Oh good oh good, I was just thinking I wanted to ask something

Thank you for asking :)

One thing I've found that bothers me is that we can only look at our past posts of the last 48 hours. It barely covers a weekend, doesn't cover a 3 day weekend, and it's really not enough. imho. I'm used to other boards that will keep a list of all the posts, which I understand could become quite a large log, but, is there anything you can do about extending past 48 hours? I'd really appreciate it. I think a couple of weeks would be better, or even a months worth. But two days, it messes me up, it really does, I lose threads, I forget where I was, and I'm a bit scattered anyway. Could you help me out?

Also, I saw today that I was unable to recommend a thread for greatest, because it said the thread was over 24 hours old. But, it wasn't over 24 hours old. The thread was posted after I left for the day yesterday (like it's my job or something ha), and today when I saw it, I couldn't nominate it. I really wanted to nominate it too, I don't want to sound as if I'm complaining needlessly.

Lastly, is there any way, something I missed, that we can look at all the posts of a particular poster? There are some great writing minds on here, and frequently I'd like to be able to read them, find their particular posts, but I don't know how to do that. Please forgive if it's in the FAQ and I missed it.

Thank you, for everything :)

[Why Syzygy]

198. You can use the search feature

to find posts by "author".

Of course you won't see this post because it has been more than 48 hours. Try "bookmark".

[xultar]

181. Ads on the right please? Why when I access with my phone

the ads take up way too much time. IF you put them on the right they can download last which helps with accessing on the go.

[XemaSab]

182. I think it's wierd

that the format for the lobby is different on the first visit than on subsequent visits from the forums.

[Skinner]

185. I don't understand this comment.

The lobby doesn't change. What are you seeing?

[XemaSab]

187. When you first navigate to the site

"discuss" goes to the Latest page, not the Lobby.

Is that a feature?

[Elad]

188. Your preferences determine which you see

You have it set to show the Lobby. The default if you're not logged in is to show the Latest page. So when you first come to DU, if you're not logged in, you'll see the Latest page.

[XemaSab]

189. I see....

:hi: elad!

[tyedyeto]

183. What has been happening to the Lounge posts?

According to the Big Forums, the Lounge exceeded 4 million posts last Thursday, but today it still shows the Lounge as having less than 4 mil posts. Are the numbers dropping off when posts go to the archives? I doubt that the number of deleted threads are in excess of the number posted. Am I right in assuming that deleted posts within threads are still counted since they have a number attached to them? I can't believe that almost a week later, the number of Lounge posts is less.

Thanks

[tyedyeto]

184. This seems to be happening to the GD numbers also n/t

[Skinner]

186. Hmmm. That's strange.

I will ask Elad to look into this.

[tyedyeto]

190. Thanks Elad!

Seems to be working now.

:thumbsup:

[Stinky The Clown]

191. Where will the Defcon 2 and Defcon 3 notices be posted?

I started a thread about this elsewhere.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5112708

How do we know when we're on Defcon 2 or Defcon 3? Will the notices appear where they always did? Will something be pinned to the greatest and latest pages?

Just askin' .... not complainin'.

[Skinner]

192. They will be posted under "Announcements"

And the background of that section will turn yellow.

[redacted]

193. Can we change 'Latest Breaking News' to 'Late Breaking News', reason . . .

do the the "Latest" links and buttons go to the 'Latest Breaking News' or the 'Latest Discussion Forums' -- it is confusing.

Thanks.

[Armstead]

194. Is it possible to increase the Links in the Top Navigation Bar?

The line of page links that has:

Lobby/Latest/Greatest> (Name of the Page You Are ON)

Is it possible to expand the numbr of links on that to include other Main Sections? Like this:

Lobby/Latest/Greatest/General Discussion/LBN/General Politics/Lounge>

That could make it easier to navigate among the most frequently used pages.

Plus it could ease the load on DU servers by reducing the number of clicks involved in going fronm one section to another.

[Gregorian]

195. I never look at the one star and two star, on the Greatest page.

They might as well not be there.

[I Have A Dream]

196. Some people have asked that the DU logo be more apparent on...

some of the pages. I disagree. I don't want it to show except on the first page. If I'm reading it at work (not interfering with my work, but just occasionally checking in), I don't want it to be really apparent that I'm looking at a political site. I've often been thankful that the logo wasn't on all of the pages.

[bridgit]

197. change is good, easy on the eye & easy to navigate...

:thumbsup: :hi: :kick: