Your thoughts on the new design...

[rolandogomez]

It's been posted a hundred times, search is coming and more...thanks, rg sends!

[Shadow]

This board is so cluttered from the front page and throughout. Its almost impossible to find your way around. As a lifetime member maybe I expected too much, but the change here lack all intuitive selections. Obviously this board software was written by programmers for programmers, with little consideration for those of use that don't live here. Sorry to be so negative, but I don't see any basic improvement over the previous edition. I must not be alone, because I have noticed the total posts going down.

[rolandogomez]

Things are improving as we go, give it a try, this forum software is used by over 4,000 sites, including photo sites. Things will improve, I can guarantee you, there is less clutter. Use the links, they do work, and for the record, traffic has increased, in fact, you can check the Alexa ratings, even more important, under the key word phrase, glamour photography, we are on the first page of results, in two weeks, GG took years to achieve that. We are also under many other key words and phrases at spectular speed. Thanks, rg sends!

[CobraChris]

IMHO it will end up being better, but there will be some growing pains.
I, like many on here, just have not had the time to fish through everything.

[rolandogomez]

Thanks, but as we move forward proactively, it will become easier with much to offer the user--now back to the Chicago workshop (grin), thanks, rg sends!

[gregkdavis]

Originally Posted by Carpe Imago

I fear change...

Then you will die a frightened man. (LOL!)

[cclesue]

I’ve thought long and hard on this. It’s easy to criticize but I feel there should be some positive input as well. Unfortunately I haven’t the expertise to really add to the mix. But I'll try. I keep thinking of the KISS principal but obviously stupid is the wrong word. There is a great bit of talent here. You have a marvelous and fully implemented set of interface tools built into this site. Unfortunately it looks like Tammy Fay Bakers face. She had lots of help putting on her make-up but no one ever told her how to take it off. It’s just too busy and there are many things that really have little function except to show that it can be done.
It’s just too busy!
An Example: I’m using a 19’LCD monitor set so that I have about 11” of usable vertical space. In the forums page the header uses fully half of it. Removing about half of the white space could reduce most of the stuff in the header. Don’t get me wrong White space is great when it doesn’t interfere with the purpose of the page. As an example I include a reconstruction of your “forums/showthread” page.
http://www.glamour1.com/photopost/sh...0/ppuser/35436
For some reason I can't seem to insert the image here. perhaps it's too big.
In it I have left ALL of the stuff you have on it but eliminated fully 4” from the header(s)’ further I have replaced several headings and icons that relate to the thread into the thread box. Four inches, I might add that I don’t have to scroll down before I get to the good stuff. Note: this relates to the linear mode, hybrid and threaded modes are even more cluttered, requiring even more scrolling.
Ninety per cent of the users of this site are just here to look at the “purty pitchers”. Nine percent are here to participate, and the remaining 1% might care and have the expertise to use the power built into your system.
Example: It took me until today and reading somebody else’s post to figure out how to post an image. (Even then I can't seem to import something from myG1 Portfolio) While it’s nice to have the power to turn such a feature on and off a better question would be why? Wouldn’t a simple, always there, “post image” have been simpler and if the user didn’t want to post ignored and if he did there wouldn’t have been a need to dig down three stories just to turn on the ability.
I could go on and on ad nauseum but I think the best way would be for your people to rethink your demographic. It’s kind of like the young backwoods preacher that gets up to give his first sermon only to see three people in the congregation. Disheartened but determined he carries on. Three hours later he is bidding his parishioners farewell when the old farmer comes to him shakes his hand and sez: “Ya know Padre, when I take a load of hay out to feed the critters and only 3 show up I don’t dump tha whole load.” Obviously there are far more than a few critters here but most want just the apples and absolutely will NOT munch the hay.
To quote RonC: THE ONE THING I REALLY MISS, is the 24 and 48 hours feature in threaded mode on the old site. Amen brother.
To quote j4m3z: They struggled with this for about a year until an outside consultant gave them the phone theory. "Phones today do alot, store contacts, take pictures, play music, browse the web, send/recieve email and text messages, etc. Yet 95% of the time 95% of the people pick up the phone they use it to call someone." Simply you can offer lots of stuff but the things most people do most of the time should be the easiest to access.
An addendum: somebody said that this new site was here to attract more models. Women in general are not the most computer savvy people and I'd think that all of this will not help.

[rolandogomez]

Women in general are not the most computer savvy people and I'd think that all of this will not help.

You're kidding right? I'll let the ladies ask you about that one, cuz I know some real, real intelligent ladies that not only know how to program on computers, but use their cell phones for text messaging and more.

Now, I like your analagies and we encourage feedback, but let's be sensible, we're not the phone company, nor are we a church, nor are we a farm, we are an Internet community and family, and we provide the basics, such as loading portfolios and having a place to interact. We also provide more--use what you want, don't use what you don't want--no one is force feeding anyone anything. While there is a whole field of grass offered to the cows along with a salt block and a trough full of water, cows only eat till they get full and drink what they need, then they regurgitate their food to make it last--that came from a Texas rancher.

As we asked everyone, patience will bring ease of use. Too many people have asked, "How do I login" and fail to even bother to look for a link--the links are there. As far as your white space, everyone's monitor is different, not everyone wants to work in your 11-inch vertical space, nor do they run the same resolution. I've seen forums, many bigger and more successful, with more white-space than a studio. Our set-up is what we feel works best and we're constantly updating and changing. For the record, on my monitor, I only show a 1-inch space--this will vary with resolution settings.

A lot of the things you bring up have been answered in many posts on this site, some on the sticky posts, the more you read the posts, the more you'll gather this site is for the people here and we're doing everything to make it a great place.

Again, we appreciate your feedback. No matter how we change it, fix it, tweak it, not everyone will be satisfied, but we'll try our best to please the most--that's community and family. Thanks, rg sends!

[silver tip images]

I have been out almost everynight reading and trying different things. I like what I have seen so far. Its clean and looks professional and has a lot of information for anyone to absorb...I think its great...The only problem I have had is when I look at someones images and I pull one up then I can't get back to the site easy., but I am getting better.

[Kennyb]

I won't say too much, because it's already been said. It will take a little while to get used too, but I'm sure once your more up to date on fixes and I've spent more time with it, it will be even better. I do like a lot of the new features that your adding! Good job!
Ken