State of Useability of fibsboard.com

[inim]

Hi,

since the webrunner/stog handover to my deep regret the perceived useability of has decreased in my eyes. I hesitated a bit to open this issue, but I feel it is constructive. So here is a list of changes which I dislike:

Random images on the front page

A random image completely unrelated to fibs squats my screen as a first impression of "fibsboard.com". Whatever i need to do here, i need to scroll down to get to actual content. Please save me that mouse action.

Small Ads section

This is not a ads section but sort of an unmaintained private blog. Please remove, especially the big photo.

Recent Topics section

The recent topics is made unreadable by "Game 2, move 6: roadkillb..." type match messages. While I think the match is fine, i do not think this is a posting that should make the main page's "recent" list. Again I want to be informed with one view, currently following non-match only fibsboard.com feels like having been hit by a russian spammer. And why exactly the headings are truncated to 28 chars when there is plenty of space?

Inscrutable

I simply fail to understand the relevance, content or relation to fibs for a number of new fixed articles on the front page:

• Web Radio
• Welcome to Fibsboard! (the random image part of it)
• Advice column (gives an internal server error?!)
• Reader's wives (no idea what this is)

[stog]

"Fibsboard is your unofficial Forum for all fings FIBS."


fibs is not just about backgammon, it is also about the folks who play and chat; their grumps and dreams, their political and non politic views, their interests and ideas; their thinking, their laughter and tears,....... the random image tries to reflect this miraculous mosaic; it often displays an image from a fibsboarder's country or town. or may attempt to show an element of their culture or character, art, nature or science. I even included some feet for Mookie.

the random image (from Art Adorns our Prison Walls), is also central to a possible navigational focal point ; click it to go  directly to the forum board index where you can see the different boards and their most recent post, or why not try the "recent posts" link directly below it, to see full sequential recent posts. (as opposed to the truncated "most recent" top right.)

many of the non-bg blocks (fixed articles) you mention as being non interesting to you, - can be collapsed, and will stay that way , allowing you to customize your view of fibsboard, even when you log out/in.

the truncated "recent topics" below the pic, has been annoying me for some time, and i finally found where to edit the appropriate ssi code this evening. character max is now 50+

to provide a "recent topics" that doesn't include the fibsboard forum matches board, may well be a possibility at a future date, in a new version of fibsboard...in the meantime, their posts now stand out better as they are longer. you may as i have mentioned above, also try the "recent posts" link directly below the random image - which gives you all recent posts in full, and sequentially, in a full page.

i have attached a few screenshots to further this text below.

i am loathe to over-change the board at present, as we are testing and preparing for a complete new forum (possibly ad-free for VIP Donnors), for when the forum software fully upgrades to its new version 2.

in the meantime, we continue maintaining and upgrading this supported version 1 - which has been upgraded 3x so far this year already. (the latest being 1.1.10 just last night)

we remain committed to providing an unofficial, varied & funky, fun-packed free forum that adequately provides and reflects, all things fibs, for your delight and edification  


If you appreciate Fibsboard and would like to contribute to its ongoing running costs, please click here

[stog]

ok, done some cleaning up to the board...(and done some work on the search including settings changes and re-indexing)

i have removed the non-google ad campaign, the gammonvillage feed and best of all the chat box - which we all know was superfluous! and it often slowed front page loading, as did the gammonvilage feeds.

my non-google ad campaign however was fairly fast loading i trust - someone did notice the balloon!
did you also catch the name of the 'product' ?

If you wish to launch or re -awaken a good or service, or wish to publicize an event, please do consider Fibsboard, which for a modest donation can help with promotion. more here

I want to keep the board ad-light, but have had also to make it 'work'. we have had kind donations from many, but will need more, if we want the board to have few or no ads. It would i think be nice, to have some fibsboarder ads, instead of the google ads, from time to time, and also to be able to switch the google ads off completely, which i hope to do when the design of the new Fibsboard is finalised....more to come

suffice to say -- most folks want a lean zen-like front page with easy access to the forums, which i am in agreement with. however there are also articles, the shout box, News, links and announcement areas to be included,(birthdays,stats,admin etc) but for me, the most important thing, is to safeguard the existing library of posts, articles, photograhs and pics that we have all contributed, when we migrate the database.

The new version of the forum software is a very different model (now RC2  i think), and has been over 2 years in development and testing, but it would mean that the block architecture you have been used to with Fibsboard, would probably not co-exist with the new version exactly as it appears in this board version - although the developers of the block architecture used here, are also working on a compatible version.

basically it is a lengthy procedure to try and reproduce what we have here at present, and it is i think easier, to 'go with the theme they release', or a near compatible one, and ensure that all posts and photos migrate ok first

this will mean that Fibsboard may look  quite different, and though i may have had some complaints as to the look of this board - it is what we have all been used to -- and i can only imagine the 'noise' when we have to get used to another! setting aside ideas of design and taste.

i think though that the new ways of browsing - more smaller laptops and phones - has to be considered - and allows us to to have a simpler interface, although i have accessed the board through an iphone, and it worked quite well, helped by the 'pinch zoom and finger scrolling.

i hope you will bear with me as i test/design and gradually introduce the new look boards

with thx for your patience and continued support  


If you appreciate Fibsboard and would like to make a small contribution towards its ongoing running costs, please click here


first reactions appreciate the cleaner look, and confirm faster page loading and brisker posting/editing.
(i hope you see that we had to get fibsboarders involved in its continued support as we here, are on a limited budget, and will not be able to continue the time and expense beyond 2 years without the board being in the black. thx again)

now i must see some outside, as most of this weekend has been taken up with this board......: thx for everyone's feedback and trust the changes  meet with your approval

[stog]

Welcome to an ad free summer holiday on Fibsboard! Bye bye  GoogleAds...

[diane]

Welcome to an ad free summer holiday on Fibsboard! Bye bye  GoogleAds...

[stog]

ok glad you like it diane

i've also removed small ads from central front page bottom (still accessible from top left Menu block)
so i think inim i have tried to address/fix where possible, all your comments and, if you simply click the random photo (in essence a big button) - you will go direct to the board of your choice.

also added new board for registered members this evening, for experiences of, and advice for Live Tournaments.
click the random image on the front page and look in the Backgammon category.

thx again for everyone's input.

(it's taken 6 months to evolve, but i too, am much happier about the look and feel of the Front page and the board in general now)

[mrs.stog]

hi herewith
some snapshots of the new forum smf software currently being developed
below yer man's gragh are some screen snaps of their new development theme, which i thought would look rather nice in a restrained olive green
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=321718.0

also on their forum - which is running the latest release of the software, you can see the interesting design for the board index (what we see when we click the random photo), where each category, has a a recent posts button on the right, which expands the recent posts for that category. It could suit this forum well and gives yet another way of finding recent posts if you don't visit often.

[inim]

it's taken 6 months to evolve, but i too, am much happier about the look and feel of the Front page and the board in general now

Looks much better now, thx a lot for your work!