Site Maintenance

[Tamstrong]

Going forward, we can change colors or the style entirely if anyone has ideas. My only concern with having several very different styles is that it becomes harder to support and can get confusing when we're discussing site features but seeing different things on our screens.

Personally, I'm fine with it like this. I think it fits the Black & White theme and goes well with the red accents, and I'm pretty much used to it since I chose the similar option from the last big update. I can understand why it would take some getting used to though, especially after all the years of the vbulletin blue it used to be.

I still got enough of my blue fix from the favicon on the tab, but that's not there anymore either for whatever reason (it does show on the Admin page though). It made the tab stand out and easy to locate for me, which is nice since I tend to have a lot of tabs open (too many most of the time lol). It does still show up on the shortcut icon though.

 

[samson1701]

Personally, I'm fine with it like this. I think it fits the Black & White theme and goes well with the red accents, and I'm pretty much used to it since I chose the similar option from the last big update. I can understand why it would take some getting used to though, especially after all the years of the vbulletin blue it used to be.

I still got enough of my blue fix from the favicon on the tab, but that's not there anymore either for whatever reason (it does show on the Admin page though). It made the tab stand out and easy to locate for me, which is nice since I tend to have a lot of tabs open (too many most of the time lol). It does still show up on the shortcut icon though.

I'm just not a fan. I didn't really care for it on the dating side of the site, either. Also, I like the idea that the forum had a different look than the dating portion. Over here we just talk about everyday stuff and shoot the shit. Sure, there is some flirtation between members. But, it's mostly just hanging out. Kind of like a digital version of the neighborhood bar. Now, when my girl walks by, I got to explain to her how I'm not on a dating site and this is the same forum I've been on for years. ...LOL!! Real talk, though; this look isn't as "friendly" looking to me. And, in places like the "Alerts" tab, it's harder to differentiate what a user has read or seen and what they haven't.

 

[Tamstrong]

I'm just not a fan. I didn't really care for it on the dating side of the site, either. Also, I like the idea that the forum had a different look than the dating portion. Over here we just talk about everyday stuff and shoot the shit. Sure, there is some flirtation between members. But, it's mostly just hanging out. Kind of like a digital version of the neighborhood bar. Now, when my girl walks by, I got to explain to her how I'm not on a dating site and this is the same forum I've been on for years. ...LOL!! Real talk, though; this look isn't as "friendly" looking to me. And, in places like the "Alerts" tab, it's harder to differentiate what a user has read or seen and what they haven't.

That's totally understandable. Such a big change can make something feel less like home and like someone broke in and redecorated everything when you weren't home. lol I'd probably feel the same way if I hadn't chosen the similar option last time when I was in the mood for a change. I remember old talks on here with requests and suggestions regarding the look of the site before the last big upgrade. We didn't end up with the change I was hoping for, but what we got grew on me over time and I came to appreciate it. There are a lot of things I miss from previous versions of the site, but unfortunately change just goes with the technology territory and so does adjusting to it. I still love the site regardless of which look it is.

I didn't notice the alert thing until you mentioned it and took a look. I've clicked on it when it showed I had new alerts and the number it showed matched the number of new one, so I didn't think anything of it. It was easier to tell which ones you'd read before the update. Even marking them as "Read" doesn't make any difference I can see—that will definitely take some getting used to.

 

[webmaster]

I'm just not a fan. I didn't really care for it on the dating side of the site, either. Also, I like the idea that the forum had a different look than the dating portion. Over here we just talk about everyday stuff and shoot the shit. Sure, there is some flirtation between members. But, it's mostly just hanging out. Kind of like a digital version of the neighborhood bar. Now, when my girl walks by, I got to explain to her how I'm not on a dating site and this is the same forum I've been on for years. ...LOL!! Real talk, though; this look isn't as "friendly" looking to me. And, in places like the "Alerts" tab, it's harder to differentiate what a user has read or seen and what they haven't.

Interesting point. Most of the complaints over the years have been about the personals being too separate. It's still functionally separate, just not as distinct visually now. I was actually considering ways to merge it further with the forum, but you make a good point. And now that you mention it, I remember someone else saying that years ago.

Some of the changes you're seeing, like the alerts, are structural to the software itself. This upgrade covered 74 releases and a major version change since the last big forum update. When you wait that long between versions, many interconnected systems/plugins/themes have to be rewritten or upgraded at once to keep things working, which is why so much changed in one go.

Shoutout to @Drewski for helping debug some backend issues with the Personals.

Not to worry, though. Nothing is set in stone, and we can all work together to make the site better, visually or otherwise. I like the concept of "a digital version of the neighborhood bar." Maybe I'll create a new thread or forum to discuss if folks think that's a good idea.