DG Has a New Look (con't)

I am using Windows XP and Firefox. I seem to recall that many years ago DG recommended we use Firefox for the best viewing experience. Seems to still be holding true for me. I really haven't noticed any gross changes to the site, seems to be all working the same for me since I cleared my cache. Only change I have noticed is the new Banner and I like it fine. Not so much how the site looks as it is the content, which from my experience on the web just can't be beat. DG has the most concise, comprehensive content of any gardening site and the best folks anywhere to back it up and keep it interesting!
Candee

Mac 10.4 Firefox 2.0.0.20 dialup

Terry at the beginning of this thread you listed the items/issues you and the tech team are addressing/fixing. Could you please do a short summary of what you and the tech team are still working on so we can know whether our prob is considered 1) fixed, 2) on the current list, or 3) new.

Thanks a bunch!

It appears that is what she is doing in that first post. Some look fixed some still have work!

I agree Seedfork. Just thinking there may be additions to 'completed' and being worked on lists since Terry's July 4th summary that shows no 'edits' since first posted.

I just want to 'wait it out' with the most complete, accurate, and up to date info available. If there is no 'summary' other than the July 4th lead in to this thread I will go with that.

Anyhow, it is in Terry's more than capable hands!

At this time, I don't have a status update beyond what I posted then. The techs have been working in a "staging" environment to minimize disruptions to the site while they test various fixes. As soon as they are ready to deploy/upload any changes to the site, I will start a new thread.

Terry,

Thanks for your updates. I'd like to mention something and I don't really know whether it is related to the changes, but I'll still mention it as something for a future modification perhaps. I don't think anyone else has mentioned it.

It seems that of late, there is NO inside margin at the left of the message box and the text is virtually touching the left side. If the tekkies are making modifications, is it possible in future to make a small margin there? It would make the messages easier to read.

Thanks for considering this request.

Ann

I see you have adding search boxes across DG as completed, however we used to have a search box on the right hand corner all the time when viewing our own journals that said search my journal. Now you have made it so you have to click a bar that says search my journal to get to the search bar. I liked it much better when I was able to access it without the extra step. I use my journal all the time and it is the thing that keeps me a paying member at DG. I'm sure that is the same for many other people pointing out problems with our journals. Also the picture column missing is very disappointing but I see you have it on the list of to-do's.

AHa,
Meredith has said EXACTLY what I wanted to say in Point 2 of my post above, but she has phrased it MUCH better! PLEASE fix this!

Thanks, KK.

I am still not used to getting to my journal and blog. I find it odd that it isn't on the home page but under communities. I'm not sure if I will ever get used to the way it is now. If I wanted to learn a new way to navigate a website I would have left DG and gone to one of the many other Garden websites that are out there. I know a lot of the older members think it is because they are old but I have been on DG since in my 20's and I consider myself young still and I don't like it either. We were all here because we liked it the way it was. They haven't added anything exciting because of these updates. I actually thought the site was prettier before the updates. It's like they just changed it, to change it. That is a good way to make longtime loyal users upset. I'm sure they are sick of hearing complaints but I think they are deserved.

We were all here because we liked it the way it was.

That's absolute nonsense. Please do not feel that you speak for some hulking silent majority. I am a "longtime loyal user" who is here DESPITE how this site has looked & worked. There are otherz. We just are not the ones on this thread complaining because we don't understand our browsers, mice (yes, I use two) and operating systemz. We also are not the ones trying to throw our weight around with our, what is it, buck-seventy-five-a-month subscription fee.

Meredith, surely you will get used to finding your journal under "communities" if that's the way the site will work from now on. In fact, once you start typing "Davesgarden.com" into your browser window, one of the URLs that pops up below should contain the word "journal" and be exactly the link you need. Your search history is a navigation tool these dayz. Way quicker than going to the home page & THEN clicking on whatever thing took you to your journal. Of course, you can go to your homepage just as easily. I have never used the journal so don't care one way or the other. The memberz come to this site for all sorts of purposes, none of which may be a priority for you; try to keep that in mind.

summerkid, your comments are offensive.

Sigh. This barrel is SO full of fish.

Wow summerkid I am not even going to dignify your comment. You are way to high on your horse for me.

summerkid, I have a couple of questions to ask you:

1) Why do you find it necessary to end every plural word with a Z?

2) You have a lot of opinions, but it appears you don't like DG enough to pay for a subscription, even after 7 years. Why is that?

Just curious.

Whoa....let's all take a breath. It's Saturday, and it's a great day to get out and garden, instead of grumbling and fussing at each other.

Quickly, to try to address these points:

ViolaAnn, what you're referring to is "padding" around text. and we are working on it - we know it's too tight and looks/feels squished.

Meredith, I mentioned here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fr.php?pid=9595236 that we are still working on journal issues, including the search. However, I would point out that journals were actually harder to find prior to these changes; you had to go to "My Tools" to work on your journal, and "Communities" to see others' journals. We had to do a lot of coaching and explaining when we split them out that way, too..way back in the day. The majority of the searching tools across the site have been resolved, and - while it's not perfected - at least there is a search tool for your journals, and additional improvements are coming.

Accepting change may not come easily to some of us, but in every aspect of our lives, it occurs daily, whether we like it or not. Here at DG, we have attempted to keep things the same as long as we could, but some changes are necessary and inevitable. Please know that we don't make changes on a whim, and our aim is to improve the site's usability for everyone, whether they are a brand-new member or a longtime member.

And here's where I'm going to lock the thread. No more new replies. I'm sorry this one is ending on a somewhat sour note, but I'm insisting that we stop the conversation until there's something new to talk about.

If you are skimming and scrolling to this last post and have a question, please read through this thread; most likely it has been addressed already. If not, hold it until we are ready to discuss it further.