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ANN 5.0 Beta


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Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10419
Location: Do not message me for support.
PostPosted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 1:19 pm Reply with quote
Alot of people don't like the side-bar in the forum.

Rest assured, there will be an option to turn off the sidebar, not just in the forum, but run of site.

The major remaining changes are largely side-bar related. We're going to exit "beta" with this sidebar (but you'll be able to close it), but 5.1 will feature a big sidebar change.

-t
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sakurablossom143



Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 201
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:01 am Reply with quote
Ummm... no sorry, I do not like this version. Keep it like how it is now. This is too...i don't like it at all...
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:05 am Reply with quote
^
Well they are going to change to the new version, even if you don't want them to.

Simply telling them "I don't like it" doesn't help them. You'd be better off telling them what precisely you don't like about the new version so they can possibly fix it.
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sakurablossom143



Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 201
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:18 am Reply with quote
sakurablossom143 wrote:
Ummm... no sorry, I do not like this version. Keep it like how it is now. This is too...i don't like it at all...


The Beta. What I don't like is the big pictures and words on the front page. I kind of like how you just see the text and can just click on it if you want to read it. The drop down menu is horrendous, sorry to say. The current layout is very tidy and very neat. The beta's layout feels so scattered and makes me not want to even look at the front page at all.

I know recently a lot of my favorite news places that I go to are starting to look like that, and I stopped visiting them because of those changes. I don't want to stop visiting ANN just because of the big pictures on the front page, etc... To me, they are an eyesore.
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Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10419
Location: Do not message me for support.
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:12 pm Reply with quote
sakurablossom143 wrote:
What I don't like is the big pictures and words on the front page. I kind of like how you just see the text and can just click on it if you want to read it. The drop down menu is horrendous, sorry to say. The current layout is very tidy and very neat. The beta's layout feels so scattered and makes me not want to even look at the front page at all.


Unfortunately you are stuck with the new menu, there are no options in regards to the menu.

However, if you do not like the thumbnails, please try the other two layout options. You can find them to the top right of the news:
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Keleja



Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:00 pm Reply with quote
Tempest wrote:
sakurablossom143 wrote:
What I don't like is the big pictures and words on the front page. I kind of like how you just see the text and can just click on it if you want to read it. The drop down menu is horrendous, sorry to say. The current layout is very tidy and very neat. The beta's layout feels so scattered and makes me not want to even look at the front page at all.


Unfortunately you are stuck with the new menu, there are no options in regards to the menu.

However, if you do not like the thumbnails, please try the other two layout options. You can find them to the top right of the news:


Ever think of implementing another view option like what feedly uses? They have an option for pictures that are floated to the left of the article headlines. It would look like your normal lined text list view, but with a thumbnail down the side. I think this would be a viable option to have for those who like the images, but do not like the grid layout as much.

Example below:

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sunflower01



Joined: 21 May 2012
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 6:45 am Reply with quote
Overall, I'd say it's an improvement - still a weird one since I'm not used to it, but one I think I'll generally come to like.

Best innovation I found so far are the top bars. The option to filter the news section's awesome, and the bar above the marquee's a definite improvement as well, with its direct links to the forums and all that. I found it a bit sad that the direct links to archives like The Stream, Anime News Nina, etc. seem to be gone, but I found those archives after a bit of searching, so there goes that.

I like the new 'block' look of the news section, and the overall bigger fonts. The front page's overall quite eye-catching; only problem I have is that it feels a little overloaded to me. There's either no pictures at all except the marquee, or the pictures as is, and they look quite large on a laptop. I appreciate a couple pictures as adding to the looks and interesting-ness of a site, but I find it hard to stay on top of things as is. If there was an option to scale them down, or perhaps keep them in the side bar only (similar to the way it was before), I'd be happier. Smile

That's a small thing, however. The overall design's definitely modern, and I found it quite easy to get into, so the change looks worthwhile to me. Features, columns, reviews, news etc. in general are all easier to spot, and though the side bar at first glance is a bit more chaotic than before, it's nice to see things listed by date. So, no huge complaints there.

But... here comes the but... the My Anime 2 list. Right now, I can't seem to make head nor tails of it. I appreciate the new design, and that I'm able to look at both my manga and anime lists without having to look for the link to the respective other all over. It's also nice to be able to rate and comment stuff with one click. However, I seem to be missing a couple features I loved in the original My Anime list; mainly, the option to move/remove titles by hand or rather mouse, as well as the linking of the anime/manga titles to their respective encyclopedia sites. I'd be glad if these features were still available one way or another. If they are right now, I apologise, but in that case I'll need a hint since they've hidden themselves well. Wink

Thanks.
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jsc315



Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:55 am Reply with quote
Whenever I visit the forums in the beta none the threads show that they have no new posts at all. Usually the new posts on the side are orange and I now dont get that anymore.
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:23 pm Reply with quote
jsc315 wrote:
Whenever I visit the forums in the beta none the threads show that they have no new posts at all. Usually the new posts on the side are orange and I now don't get that anymore.


It looks to me like all posts are marked as read when I switch from the regular site to the beta, but posts that are made after I switch do show as new.

I am guessing that to the forum software I am leaving the site when I switch, which causes all messages to be marked read.
That is something that I never did like about the forums, and I hope that it can be changed when the forums are upgraded.
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Rhyono



Joined: 03 Dec 2011
Posts: 1039
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 3:20 am Reply with quote
@Touma I think it was fixed, because it didn't happen to me this time.
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:11 am Reply with quote
Rhyono wrote:
@Touma I think it was fixed, because it didn't happen to me this time.

What was fixed?
When I switched from the regular site to the beta, just now, all of the posts in the forums were marked as having been read.

EDIT: It looks like posts are no longer being marked read when I leave the site. So if that is what you are talking about then it has been fixed. It might have been fixed a while ago and I never noticed because I usually do read or mark read all of the posts before I leave the site.
It is just when I switch to the beta site that the posts are marked read.

Posts that I did read on the beta site are still new when I switch back to the regular site.
But, anything that happens when switching between the regular and beta sites will not be an issue when the beta becomes the regular site. So this is not something to worry about.
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Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10419
Location: Do not message me for support.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:05 pm Reply with quote
Keleja wrote:
Ever think of implementing another view option like what feedly uses? They have an option for pictures that are floated to the left of the article headlines. It would look like your normal lined text list view, but with a thumbnail down the side. I think this would be a viable option to have for those who like the images, but do not like the grid layout as much.


Wouldn't be hard... We'll definitely consider it.
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7578
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:01 pm Reply with quote
Touma wrote:
When I switched from the regular site to the beta, just now, all of the posts in the forums were marked as having been read.

EDIT: It looks like posts are no longer being marked read when I leave the site. So if that is what you are talking about then it has been fixed. It might have been fixed a while ago and I never noticed because I usually do read or mark read all of the posts before I leave the site.
It is just when I switch to the beta site that the posts are marked read.

The site has always done that when changing domains unfortunately - if you log into the UK site and then the US site, the forums will all be marked as read.
Same if you log into to different computers, close the browser or just don't click on anything on the site for a while (go away and do something else, come back and everything is marked read).
It seems to work out what you have and haven't read based on the time between your current and last session (marking threads as read individually only within your current session as you open them). If you log back in due to your session expiring or changing domain then the counter is reset.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:09 pm Reply with quote
This will get some getting use to, but I see you have 3 ways to format the site.

Blood- wrote:
I would love to have the option of getting rid of the sidebar. I'm clinging to the old design as long as I can simply because of it.
Yeah I'm not too keen on the right side with all the overly large thumbnails either. They need to be reduced to half their size, or allow them to be closed up altogether.

Over all it's alright, but like I said, it will take some getting use to.
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Keleja



Joined: 28 Jan 2012
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:08 am Reply with quote
Hey, one more suggestion on text size on the article 'previews' (like what can be found on the home page). I'm finding that on the current layout the text is jumbled and I'm not sure where the focus of the user might be going. I think this can be fixed with a simple text size change to provide contrast within the article preview section. The key point should be the header/title of the article.

Currently, the text isn't bolded, but is just bigger than the article snippet text. Also, the contrast in text size isn't the best. If you had the article header bolded and the preview text slightly smaller (1 or 2 pt size) then it might direct the users eye more to the main point... the title. I know the preview text is important, but might not be the main draw on a homepage full of links to the main article. It's a subtle, but effective change in my opinion for any of the view modes.

Also, I don't see the point of the 'x' and arrow graphics when using the menu drop downs. It looks distracting and kind of old school in web design IMO.

Also, I just want to let you know these are just my opinion as a designer. I don't mean to be stepping on toes or anything or trying to be snobby.

Examples of what I mean (my version is rough and quickly recreated so bear with me on it):

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