New website layout...

[afox]

Just logged in here for the first time in a while. I think the new website layout blows. Its cluttered, confusing to navigate around, and not very user friendly. This site should be easy to use if we want kayakers who dont sit around on a computer in their spare time to use it. Its full of advanced features that are un-necessary. There is no reason to have 15 different forums, the site does'nt have that much traffic to begin with, just makes it harder to find stuff. Please dumb it down a little make it simple to navigate and use. A good example of a successful forum is Telemarktips.com--The Telemark and Backcountry Skiing Online Magazine This site probably gets 100 times the traffic that mountainbuzz does and only has 10 seperate forums.

[rockinRio]

for the record, I like it. There is usually a learning curve with a new layout. I took a look at your example, and sense I haven't ever visited that site, I could say the same thing about it. It was hard for me to find things, and understand what was going on.

People fear change

[gh]

afox, thanks for you thoughts. a hundred more times traffic than us at a telemark site? are they clothed in the pictures?

[bkp77]

Yeah, it's fine by and large and I also realize that it's a work in progress too.

The main thing I'd like to see improved is that the content of each post is all off center to the right hand side. It's kind of odd reading that way. The user name info sits in the center of the page and takes up way too much key page real estate with big fonts and lots of dead blank space on longer posts. the quick links on the right are nice in a way but seems like a drop box up above would work just as well and not have me reading everything on the right hand side.

There are issues with the colors being too close to the background color,as well. Dark blue on slightly darker blue or links showing up as white on a off white screen (in the response page) at least on puters I'm using.

With that said...cheers to you guys for the great site. I realize these things are a ton of work. I get allot out of it. Thanks again.

[rwhyman]

afox, while I respect your opinion, I have to totally disagree after looking at the Telemark site. At the time I looked, there were nearly 4 times as many people on Mountainbuzz as the Tele site, plus MB covers a much larger array of sports and subjects, so more forums are necessary. If your just interested in boating, just go to 1 forum. Seems pretty simple to me.
The new format took a little of a break in period to get use too, but I like it better.
While the Tele site seemed to be fine, I didn't find it far superior or easier to navigate. I thought it looked rather "busy"

Give it a chance!

[Peev]

What I want to know is what happenend to the attitude of the old Buzz? While I certainly agree there have been some great topics and posts since the new software, it seems the Buzz has mellowed? What up with that? Is it just me?

[holley]

I think it amounts to:

More sun + more water + longer days = less shit-talking on the web and more playing outside. Happens every year...