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MNHQ

A few notes on the new look and functions

99 replies

YetMoreTech · 30/01/2009 09:25

There are still a few problems with using the various "Mumsnet Classic" options. However, for a lot of people matters are significantly improved if they press Refresh in their browse. If you're using Firefox, try pressing Shift+Refresh. At about 4:30am this morning after many hours of work, that made the classic option work well. Only a couple of minor layout issues remained.

Text is not meant to be squished, you're not supposed to have to scroll down through acres of whitespace. We'll definitely fix these issues.

I've no idea why people are finding text too tiny; the font size hasn't changed intentionally, so if it is tiny for you it's either a need to press refresh (to reload the style sheet, in tech speak) or a problem that will be fixed.

Threads I'm On and Threads I'm Watching should behave in the way they always did - they do for me. Let us know the specifics of problems you have with them and we'll address them.

We know about the problem of seeing "hide hide hide" across the top of the page. If you go in to customise (which my huge ENGLISH dictionary lists as being able to be spelled either customise OR customize) you can turn off showing of the Hide option which is a workaround for this problem. We'll fix it properly soon.

The ads have neither changed size nor increased in number.

Remember: Press REFRESH (and try SHIFT+REFRESH) a couple of times. It might help a lot.

For those having problems we do apologise and will sort it all as soon as we can. For those that hate it, perhaps you'll get used to it after a while and we'll improve the classic options (though I am using them now and they're working fine).

Oh and for the 2 of you that said thanks for all the hard work: thanks! It has taken over a dozen people a lot of hard work. We had to release it in a hurry and it's not perfect, but we'll get there.

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MNHQ

JustineApologiesMumsnet · 30/01/2009 17:09

Re Mumsnet Classic issues. If you are having problems saving MN Classic from MN New, please can you try saving MN saving MN sober colour scheme first, then clicking MN Classic button.

This works for me. If you still can't get it to work can you please email [email protected] and they can sort you out manually.

(Obviously we will eventually sort it so we don't need the middle man).

Thanks (apologies).

MNHQ

JustineApologiesMumsnet · 30/01/2009 17:10

PinkTulips - agreed about thread titles in threads I'm on - we're going to darken (as we have the whole site)

MNHQ

JustineApologiesMumsnet · 30/01/2009 17:43

Oops

List of things we're currently looking at:

Threads I'm watching disappearing

Classic and customise options

Active conversations - titles of threads truncated (this will be a couple of days)

SN in AC

Threads I'm on - last post showing as me
CustomiSe

MyMumsnet - busted

Search button at top of pages

Dodgy dates/times in Threads I'm On/ Unanswered messages etc

Classic - restoring actual Classic look

For
Time and date on Local and Forsale topics - think the best way to do this is to add it to threads i'm watching (assuming that is working)

MNHQ

JustineApologiesMumsnet · 30/01/2009 17:44

Ok so purple threads is working for most - what browser are you using folks for whom purple threads isn't working?

MNHQ

BigTech · 31/01/2009 10:20

Good Morning All,

Thank you pavlov for the understanding that nothing can be perfect the first time and we are working hard to fix all problems, even on a Saturday, to make your Mumsnet a more comfortable place to be.

Thank you all for your patience and suggestions.

Have a lovely weekend.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 12:48

Morning all. For those who are pressed for time here's a summary of the problems that we know about and are still working on:

Threads I'm watching disappearing

Classic options in customise - making them stick

Active conversations - titles of threads truncated (this will be a couple of days)

Change CustomiZe to CustomiSe

Search button at top of pages not right

Search button required in advanced search

Classic - restoring actual Classic look (it's not quite right at the moment - active conversations text is too small, reads the wrong way etc)

SOME KEY THINGS TO MAKE IT MORE LIKELY TO WORK FOR YOU:

Remember to refresh your page a couple of times.

If you are setting to Classic options try setting colour option to MN sober first, and press save a couple of times

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 12:49

tootiredtothink I'm not sure what you mean - can you explain a bit more - sorry for being slow?

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 13:39

Ok so updated list (nb most of this will not be addressed until after the weekend but we will get to it, promise)

Scrolling issue when browser size small

Classic options in customise - making them stick

Active conversations - titles of threads truncated (this will be a couple of days)

Change CustomiZe to CustomiSe

Search button at top of pages not right

Search button required in advanced search

Classic - restoring actual Classic look (it's not quite right at the moment - active conversations text is too small, reads the wrong way, purple clicked on links etc)

Threads I'm on summary list restore (Thanks Rustybear)

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 14:53

Have changed "Customize" to "Customise", despite the latest edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary listing it as "Customize" with "Customise" as the secondary option, not the other way around.

We also know about the multiple "hide" links. And "Threads I'm Watching" being empty. And the dates on some pages being screwy.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 14:57

As an experiment I have changed the main layout so that it is aligned to the left of the browser of window. Any feedback on that change?

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 20:06

ChasingSquirrels, I've just logged in using your username and when I click Active Conversations it shows 50. Could you check again please?

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 20:25

So, anyone who cares to read this thread will see what we're up against here! Some people love having the contents of the page aligned to the left side of the screen and some people hate it. What to do?

Not sure I follow the comments about the BBC site. Isn't it centred?

Again, as an experiment I have put a really really pale blue "wash" over the page background, to try to cut down on the glare that some people find offensive. You must press refresh in your browser (if using IE or Safari) or Shift + Refresh (if using Firefox).

The real solution if you have acres of white space on the right side of the page is to reduce the width of your browser window.

The design is fixed with, as are most sites these days. All the research shows that fixed width pages are easier to read (think of a newspaper - you don't have text running all the way across a wide page, because it's so hard to get your eye to follow the long line right across).

The width we chose wasn't random. It's designed to allow over 99.5% of users to be able to read it without scrolling left and right. If you have to scroll, try maximizing your browser window (if you don't know how to do that, try clicking the Window menu). As has been mentioned on this thread, if we designed the site to be narrow enough for that 0.5% then we'd be disappointed the 95%+ who have screen resolutions that are twice as high. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to please everyone, even though we work hard to try!

Keep the comments coming and we'll get it as good as we can.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 20:28

Saggarmakersbottomknocker, I just logged in as you and can see 50 threads when I click Active. Could you try it again please?

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 31/01/2009 20:33

Right, no votes for the blue and a few against. I've removed it. Refresh again people!

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 22:59

Ok so updated list (nb most of this will not be addressed until after the weekend but we will get to it, promise)

Scrolling issue when browser size small

Classic options in customise - making them stick

Active conversations - titles of threads truncated (this will be a couple of days)

Search button at top of pages not right

Search button required in advanced search

Classic - restoring actual Classic look (it's not quite right at the moment - active conversations text is too small, reads the wrong way, purple clicked on links etc)

Threads I'm on summary list restore (Thanks Rustybear)

minimum font size in firefox and text wrapping (see if we can solve)

media requests/ for sale first post not showing in some set ups

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 23:01

Oops Forgot threads I'm watching - restore

Scrolling issue when browser size small

Classic options in customise - making them stick

Active conversations - titles of threads truncated (this will be a couple of days)

Search button at top of pages not right

Search button required in advanced search

Classic - restoring actual Classic look (it's not quite right at the moment - active conversations text is too small, reads the wrong way, purple clicked on links etc)

Threads I'm on summary list restore (Thanks Rustybear)

minimum font size in firefox and text wrapping (see if we can solve)

media requests/ for sale first post not showing in some set ups

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 31/01/2009 23:13

Re Poster profile name is only supposed to show as a link if person has a profile - so that's another thing to add to the list.

Re margins - they are here to stay (unless we can add it as an customise option - i don't know the answer to that really but we will discuss the fixed width/scrolling thing and come back)

Anyway please bear with us - we'll get there.
(signing off to squeeze in an episode of the wire before bed, now)

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 01/02/2009 09:12

You're doing better than me, Apostrophe, Threads I'm watching just comes up blank for me at the moment. Don't worry - it's on the list. We'll fix soonest.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 12:53

Could anyone who has a problem with viewing the full width of a post please send us a screen shot?

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 13:35

Thanks PirateCat. Screen shots are an enormous help.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 13:56

PirateCat,

The problem on your screen is that you've got a "Favourites" window open on the left side of your screen and that's taking up some space. It's not taking up much, because you've made it as small as it can be (so small in fact presumably you can't use it) but it's enough to make our new design not quite fit on the screen. Close that, by clicking the X at the top of it and I think your problem will be solved.

Try it and let me know.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 13:57

KnickKnack,

We have tested the new site in a variety of browsers (mainly Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Firefox 2 and 3, Safari, iPhone) so we know what it looks like in general - as such we don't need screenshots if all is well. However, what are really really useful are screenshots of problems - if you're having a problem by all means send a screenshot. And thanks for linking to the instructions on how to create them

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 14:07

Still working on it

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 16:12

OhYouBadBadKitten,

Thanks for the screen shot. I assume you set the minimum font size to 20 for reasons related to your vision, rather than just aesthetics?

It's really difficult to design things so that they work well when the settings we've chosen are overridden locally, as is this the case of your setting a minimum font size. For example, certain titles are chosen because they fit in a space without wrapping around on to a second line - when these are shown in a size significantly bigger than we envisaged it causes lots of problems.

The issue with the screenshot you sent is that the contents of the pale blue header bar can't fit in the available space when the font size is increased, so they get pushed down until they can "get" the full of width of the page to display themselves. I'm not sure how we're going to solve that to be honest. I can see it's not ideal for you but are you able to live with it? If you simple hit the space bar you'll be taken down a screenfull's worth of content, so you can start reading the thread proper very quickly and easily.

I'm sorry it's not better news. If you're still having problems once we've ironed out some other things then we can have another look at it.

MNHQ

YetMoreTech · 01/02/2009 16:18

typogrelf, thanks for your screen shots.

I do understand what you mean. The problem we have is that a lot of people like an uninterrupted "right across the page" look. The BBC example you've sent uses a narrower than full page centre column. One line of their text is:

"The Tories said they did not back the strikes either but said My Brown's 2007"

whereas a full line of our text would be something like this:

"There are still a few problems with using the various "Mumsnet Classic" options. However, for a lot of people matters are significantly improved"

If we only displayed as much text as the BBC site does then of course we could allow for more zooming before scrolling. But a lot of people would complain about that.

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