Why the forum is so quiet

[d000hg]

They could squeeze the space taken up by things at the top, but it just looks like a forum to me, no glaring differences to the other ones I visit.
And I've only got about 900px height on this laptop screen too.

[original PM]

I think the biggest issue is the punting of CUK services at the top (eg company formation, insurance etc)

I appreciate that CUK needs to sell some of these items as it is a business but you almost cannot get to the rest of the forum because of them.

smilies are fixed (e.g. do not appear as 1 big looooong list)

[Sysman]

<mode type="serious">

I am not the bloke to do web design, but I would start by remembering the thing about reading from the top left and all that. At the moment, content starts half way down the page, get it as close to the top as it can be managed.

</mode>

On my laptop, when I go to General I now see only the sticky and then 2 thread titles. On another vBulletin-based forum I use, I see 6 threads when entering a forum section.

My typical usage of this forum is to dip in every now an again, and if I don't see anything of immediate interest I'll move on. If I see only a couple of titles that don't interest me, I am less likely to scroll down for the rest.

Just scrolling up and down General - yuk, the icons on the left are way too distracting to read the titles without effort

[AtW]

smilies are fixed (e.g. do not appear as 1 big looooong list)

Oh yes they are still in the list!

[suityou01]

The new layout is more "heavy" to take in, but I assume I will become more accustomed in time.
The forum is so quiet as I am not posting as much quality content as usual.

Work has quietened down a bit now so I can put more effort in on here. Business as usual in a bit

[Gonzo]

The new layout is more "heavy" to take in, but I assume I will become more accustomed in time.

I am now completely used to the new layout.

A comparison with the old version cached by Google does show that the complaints about the thread content being pushed down the page are fair but that the ClearSky adverts were the same on the old site so why are people (including myself) complaining about them now?

Is it just because we recognise that there is an opportunity to complain which we didn't have before?

[TimberWolf]

I am now completely used to the new layout.

WHS

Is it just because we recognise that there is an opportunity to complain which we didn't have before?

I think so. Some prolific posters were posting less frequently before the forum was upgraded.

[milanbenes]

I am now completely used to the new layout.

A comparison with the old version cached by Google does show that the complaints about the thread content being pushed down the page are fair but that the ClearSky adverts were the same on the old site so why are people (including myself) complaining about them now?

Is it just because we recognise that there is an opportunity to complain which we didn't have before?

how to say it,


the new forum is a total turn off

I accept you might want to make it high contrast for people wit sight difficulties, but can't you have two different masks for the website, one for high contrast and one for lower contrast ?

those of us using client's pc's/laptops are forced to use IE6

the look and feel is really really bad


it is painful to read threads

what's the point to contribute


unless of course, that was the whole goal - clean up CUK ?

these high contrast colours do not work with posting from an office work place environment


Milan.

[d000hg]

Maybe if your client wouldn't be happy knowing you are posting on CUK, you shouldn't be posting on CUK, rather than complaining the new style makes it harder to get away with. I doubt helping you to sneakily access the site when you shouldn't be is a high priority.

[d000hg]

On my laptop, when I go to General I now see only the sticky and then 2 thread titles. On another vBulletin-based forum I use, I see 6 threads when entering a forum section.

My typical usage of this forum is to dip in every now an again, and if I don't see anything of immediate interest I'll move on. If I see only a couple of titles that don't interest me, I am less likely to scroll down for the rest.

Just scrolling up and down General - yuk, the icons on the left are way too distracting to read the titles without effort

These are valid points, but a lot of that space can be reduced with slight tweaks rather than ditching the whole new forum.