the site looks awesome...i really dig the new style!!
should we pm you with any little buggys that we run across?
As some you may have noticed, we've made a few changes around here.
The obvious one is cosmetic: we've changed the overall look and feel, and also added a separate front end for smart phones. We'll be tweaking these a bit as we get feedback, especially the mobile look which will probably undergo a complete overhaul or two before we're content.
We ran into a lot of issues with Internet Explorer 6 - that 10 year old version that was never quite right. If you're still using IE6 (and you really shouldn't be), you'll see the mobile look. If you want the full look and can't upgrade from IE6, try Firefox, Chrome, or some other browser. If you get the mobile look and you aren't using a mobile device or IE6, please contact me via PM.
And if you notice anything else odd with the new look, PM me. We've done a fair bit of testing, but tests can never replicate the real world.
Not all of the changes are cosmetic.
We have a new Posting Guidelines sticky; please take a few minutes to read through it. Nothing revolutionary - the DBR Boards have evolved and the guidelines needed to evolve as well. We reaffirm our commitment to civility and rational discourse while having fun talking Duke, sports, and other stuff too.
We're introducing a brand new feature, Comments. On posts especially better or worse than average, rather than saying "POTW" or jumping on someone, you can give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down and add a comment for the original poster. There is an icon, :) :(, in the lower, left part of each post for this. When you float your mouse over it, you'll see "What do you think of this post?" Remember, civility apply here, too!
We're going to play with comments a lot more in the future. For instance, we'll automatically highlight posts that get a lot of positive comments and automatically delete posts that are overwhelmingly panned. For now, give some feedback to the posts as you feel appropriate. Comments are reflected in points, and points are reflected in pitchforks by your username. You can only comment on recent posts, only a few times a day, and you have to spread 'em around between different members. You can see the last few comments you've received on your settings page.
So, come on in, poke around, and let us know what you think.
-jk
the site looks awesome...i really dig the new style!!
should we pm you with any little buggys that we run across?
Thanks, and please.
Lots of credit to devil84 for a ton of help with it.
-jk
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
Would there be a way to wrap the text of posts around the ads? As it is, it makes threads fairly hard to read because you have to scroll past these long, vertical posts.
The mobile site is really bugging me, I am usually on my iPad and now I have to deal with it on here and my iPhone, is there any way You guys can add a Switch to desktop button at the bottom of the page like most mobile sites do?
I like the look and it looks like we may have a few new tools to work with which is nice.
The ads don't bother me but I'm on a computer whenever I'm here rather than mobile. I have seen other sites place them into the comments threads. Whatever it takes to make a buck and keep the site up.
Seems to load faster too.
I like the old board layout much, much better.
For me, one of the most useful features had been to go to the last post read in a particular thread. Does this new format also provide this function? I haven't found it yet.
My immediate reaction is that I'm not overly fond of the look . . . in part because the font is smaller and I'm an old fart with failing eyesight.
But I'll get used to it so no problem.
Haha. To the site staff & moderators let me just say: buckle up. People hate change and will complain to high heaven when this sort of thing happens to a site they visit every day. Take suggestions with a grain of salt, especially this early on. Some are no-brainers, like adding an option on the mobile site to switch to the main view, but for general "I HATE IT AND IT'S UGLY" stuff, people just need time to settle down and adjust. If the level of discussion stays high, people will get used to the new layout in no time. Good luck.
It's still here. On both the regular and the mobile version, note the blue "NEW" button next to the thread heading. On the "Blue" style (for regular old computers), when viewing the thread, there's a menu bar just under the thread title that has a "View First Unread" link with the NEW button next to it.
While I agree with your premise, I'd say the board was overwhelmingly positive when the last major change occurred in 2007 using new board software that allowed additional functionality. So, it's not always true that "people hate change."
I do like the ability to comment/agree/disagree with posts with this new software. I'm not the biggest fan of the new layout/look, but we'll all get used to it. The font is definitely smaller, though. And I am a bit confused about the # of pitchforks. 1 = highest? Looks like some really frequent posters have 3 and others have 1. Not that it really matters, just interesting.
I, too, find the ads distracting when embedded in a reply. Not only are they distracting, but they detract from the message.
Case in point: On both my work and home computers, in the "Decorum and Posting Guidelines" thread, next to the Category X warning description, is an ad for "DateMrsRobinson.com". I don't offend all that easily, but I found this quite offensive.
I know you must have ads to run. I know your control over Google ads is limited. But good grief! "DateMrsRobinson.com"? What's next? PimpsRUs?
I have been reading DBR for ages and have been reading the forums for long before I started to post. It seems to me that the demographic here is NOT 18 year old lads seeking sugar mama cougars. It would seem if you want your board to be PG-13 and nothing you would want your mother to experience, this is the type of thing that is completely inappropriate.
I was frankly embarrassed to be on DBR at my work this afternoon when I saw this.
I have a Mac and the site looks 100% different. Nothing is the same. I don't know if this is what it's supposed to look, but I don't know if I like it