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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

It's ok - change is good!

229 replies

JustineMumsnet · 14/12/2006 22:00

Hello all,
A little bit of advance notice that we are planning to roll out our new look (as per the current home page) to the talk pages tomorrow morning (tech willing). It's mostly cosmetic stuff plus a few very slight modifications to improve functionality - a nip here, a change of hue there. Anyway we hope you like it and do, of course, let us know if there's anything you object to.
Best,
Mumsnet Towers

OP posts:
GlennCloseAsCruellaDeVille · 15/12/2006 10:38

I endorse custardo's comment wholeheartedly

JustUsTwoTurtleDoves · 15/12/2006 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CouldEquallyHaveBeenAnAardvark · 15/12/2006 10:41

Did you do any testing on MNers before rolling this out?

Only...if you did, I'd like them to know that I think they're shite too

Earlybird · 15/12/2006 10:41

Change can be good if it's an improvement. Not sure this is. Initial reaction is that I miss the simplicity and clean-ness of the old layout. This seems too cramped and busy.

Mumsnet is where I come to relax/chat/think out loud. I don't want to be bombarded with an excess of nonessential information - I get enough of that in real life!

MN Towers have previously been quite considerate at communicating/consulting about change, and have made us feel a part of decisions concerning the site. Think everyone is up in arms because this new look simply appeared without warning or explanation.

CouldEquallyHaveBeenAnAardvark · 15/12/2006 10:43

Agree Earlybird.

I've just had a look at one of the numerous now-deleted contentious threads I have saved on my hard drive (sad fuck that I am) and I MUCH prefer the old layout.

I normally support MN Towers, but I am most disgruntled by today's changes and the way they have been effected.

uwila · 15/12/2006 10:46

This is bad for my career...

I do like somethings, but new layout is too clorful. For example, I like the the link to add a new thread now says "add" rther than "here".

I don't like all the submenus that exist under talk. Much more clicking and faffing around now.

There's more, but I risk getting fired if I type here much longer...

WigWamBam · 15/12/2006 10:48

I've only been here ten minutes and I already have a headache from this.

Justine, I think you may just have found the cure for my MN addiction.

MrsJohnCuSackFullOfPresents · 15/12/2006 10:51

oh god if the beige oblong is for adverts I despair. you can't have an advert there AND on the right - it is terrible design and too messy

I will take all my comments back about how it only needs a bit of tweaking

Because the advert is only at the top - the rest of the beige oblong is the worst waste of space ever and looks mad as you scroll down the page

I still maintain that it hasn't changed as much as people think, but the left hand side Has To Change

LieselVonGiftwrapp · 15/12/2006 10:51

I dont like this

FiveGoldenFIMBOIDs · 15/12/2006 10:59

Me, no like this >

BrummieMomInMerthyr · 15/12/2006 11:01

couldn't get festive smiley to work, don't like it at the mo, have to think about what i'm doing now!

Kittypickle · 15/12/2006 11:03

I have to scroll across at the bottom of a thread then scroll back again to try to get back to active conversations, which makes it hard work to read anything.

Kittypickle · 15/12/2006 11:05

Oh, just found the bar at the top so can get back to active conversations there. Still finding though it is not very easy on the eye.

FioFio · 15/12/2006 11:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

plumflumppudding · 15/12/2006 11:10

I don't think it's too bad tho the colours are a bit insipid (sp).

scuttles off to explore a bit more......

YuletidePaps · 15/12/2006 11:18

the big taupe band on the right takes up space and makes it all look uneven.

blue colour abit light.

scroll across problem

The links at the top were more user friendly, even if the blue is nice

Just needs some more tweeking

YuletidePaps · 15/12/2006 11:19

taupe band is on left - I am obviously ever so slightly crossed eyed!

ClementClarkeMoore · 15/12/2006 11:21

I have found if I use my scroll bar at the bottom I can get the whole thread to fill the page which looks much more like the old mn and there is a link at the top to get to 'without buying/selling' so far, so good - BUT click on that link and you're back to square one having to scroll the page NOT GOOD!

Bink · 15/12/2006 11:26

I'm a "NO" as well - the thing that was good (and that MN has/had over ALL other websites of this kind) was the lovely simple stripped-bare approach.

Surely the having to scroll over to the right to read is just an error - it can't be intended? It makes what is otherwise just a eyestrain-unfriendly change (which is bad enough) into something that is probably terminal.

Sorry.

ClementClarkeMoore · 15/12/2006 11:26

Or if you refresh. Oh my head hurts.

Nearly every single thread title is wrapped, its ugly

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 15/12/2006 11:38
MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 15/12/2006 11:43

Copied from other thread "Alright so change is not for everyone, we'll concede that!":
Ok here's the plan.
Now you mention it, we think you've all got a point about the wasted space on the left hand side of the screen (the beige bar)
so we will go back to our lovely designer (plse God she's not been reading this morning) and ask her to have ago at moving that navigation across the top of the page, so it's more like things were before and so there's more width for talk.

We will also continue to play with fonts, colours, spacing and hues until we silence (or at the very least quieten) the hue and cry...

Many thanks, as ever, for your input.
MN Towers

OP posts:
roisin · 15/12/2006 12:06

I still like it.

The active convos page will take a while to get used to, but I think the design with a thread open is beautiful.

but it sound like I'm on my own

uwila · 15/12/2006 12:17

Justine, can we lose the bullet points on the conversations. They don't appear when I am in one single thread. But, if say I hit "last hour" then there are bullets all the way down the pay. It wastes space.

Agree that the scroll bar is bad. And so is the beige/taupe/grey bar down the left.

Width of text should fit my screen rather than being a fixed width (which I presume is why we have to scroll)

And a new idea that I've always wanted to see, but would of course depend on your development budget: It would be really cool if we could click on a posters name and it would lead to their profile. Then we'd obviously have to have a profile section where people could fill in things like, where they live, where they are from, what they do for a living, hobbies, etc. This would be a great networking tool. And it would of course be user driven and totally optional. I.e. no one has to fill out a profile. What do you think?

WhyDooLittleStarsShine · 15/12/2006 12:23

That's what I suggested Uwila. Tech said they are looking at it in the new year.