Okay, wtf is with the new layout

hankejp · Dec 18, 2008

It'll take a little getting used to, but I think the new theme looks more modern. Is there going to be an arcade? I love my message board arcades.

JerryPH · Dec 18, 2008

Annoying as hell. Being bombarded by ads from 3 out of 4 possible angles... WTF? That left side is just terrible.

Hey TPF... there is one site I used to go to that even had ads in between EACH message... that is all that is missing to give me an excuse to go elsewhere. Brutal, perhaps, but I am NOT liking the massive advertisements in 3 out of 4 directions. This will not increase sales, it will just annoy people no end and likely even cause a few to leave.

Parkerman · Dec 18, 2008

I have dealt with ekool on another forum [SRTforums...much much larger than this one.. and a car forum], the forum was good at first... But then one day he decided he wanted to put ads EVERYWHERE.

Then to get rid of the ads you had to become a subscriber.. And you had a yearly or lifetime option, yet... some of those people still got ads. Other benefits were a larger PM box, and being able to host pictures in the gallery [or something to that nature].. and afew other useless things.

This is when i got ad blocker for firefox. So I can continue to enjoy that forum without having to pay... and my screen be raped by ads.

Overread · Dec 18, 2008

ok I don't run any fancy anti adware - what ever is auto loaded into Opera is running and in IE7 as well = nothing extra add, but I don't seem to be seeing all these extra ads.
The only difference I see is that the lensbaby ad is now in the lefthand sidebar and I think there is one more side banner add joining it. Where are the other ads located?

It already been voiced that the sidebar needs to change sides

kundalini · Dec 18, 2008

I'm getting a lot of "Path Error" messages when navigating the main menu tabs....... especially if just lurking and not logged on. Very annoying.

The ads should be minimal to non-existant if you're a subscriber.

dEARlEADER · Dec 18, 2008

kundalini said:
I'm getting a lot of "Path Error" messages when navigating the main menu tabs....... especially if just lurking and not logged on. Very annoying.

The ads should be minimal to non-existant if you're a subscriber.

me too....

i get a path error when i first log on and select "new posts"

the new posts button only works for me if enter a forum first...

andrew99 · Dec 18, 2008

Just switched to the "TPF Default" theme, *much* easier on the eyes! Thanks for the tip!

"We fear change" - Garth Algar

gpimages · Dec 18, 2008

I will not continue here with ads flashing and jumping and scrolling in my peripheral vision.

Mersad · Dec 18, 2008

Don't like the new layout either. Switched back to "Default".

dascrow · Dec 18, 2008

This should be fixed now, thanks for reporting it!

dEARlEADER said:
me too....

i get a path error when i first log on and select "new posts"

the new posts button only works for me if enter a forum first...

Arch · Dec 18, 2008

Guys try and keep some perspective please...

ok so we have a few ZOMG!!.. WTF!! etc etc... but this is hardly the end of the world. The team are (as you can see) working on ways to incorporate a new look to TPF whilst still listening and trying to satisfy everyones needs.

These things take time and a steady but posititve progression to reach something we are all satisfied with... please try and show a little faith in the TPF team while we try to continue to update the site.

I realise some of our longer standing members may find it difficult to adjust having posted so much in the older style, but you may want to try it out at least (when all the changes have been made), then if you dont like it, you can always change back.

There is absoultly NO reason to want to leave the forum or anything like that... if you want the default look, choose the default look... its really VERY simple.

Thankyou for the considered suggestions people have made in this thread, we find them useful and can use those suggestions in a positive and constructive way.

JerryPH · Dec 18, 2008

Hey people, the old layout is still there. Go into your control panel and change to the Default TPF skin... and voila, no more issues!

I did this and am happier than a pig in mud again.

Hey Arch, yeah, having the choice to go back to the old layout is nice... but wow, those ads were *really* annoying... lol

I bet if you did the research, you would find that they do not really increase sales to or for the sponsors and less than 2% of al users even click on any of the ads. All it ends up doing is giving you a lot of unhappy people. All the google stuff was also totally unnecessary. As someone said, if I want to do a search or read ads, I know where to go, please don't take TPF into over-commercialization.

I am moderator of another forum and did the checking. We went from a sponsored ad filled layout to no ads (but a couple small but specific links to sponsors), and satisfaction shot WAY up again. Sponsors lost nothing as per their comments either.

pm63 · Dec 18, 2008

Okay, as soon as I post this I'm switching back to the old layout.

This new one is confusing. There is too much white, it is too harsh on the eyes. In the top left, there is not enough separation between the TPF logo and the background. The blue background for the nav panel is really random and doesn't fit into the colour scheme. The ads are unsubtle and a bit of a mess. Why are they all on the left? Western cultures tend to observe web pages, photographs, paintings etc. from left to right, and the ads just get in the way.

Not a fan overall. PLEASE keep the option to change back.

Parkerman · Dec 18, 2008

Arch said:
Guys try and keep some perspective please...

ok so we have a few ZOMG!!.. WTF!! etc etc... but this is hardly the end of the world. The team are (as you can see) working on ways to incorporate a new look to TPF whilst still listening and trying to satisfy everyones needs.

These things take time and a steady but posititve progression to reach something we are all satisfied with... please try and show a little faith in the TPF team while we try to continue to update the site.

I realise some of our longer standing members may find it difficult to adjust having posted so much in the older style, but you may want to try it out at least (when all the changes have been made), then if you dont like it, you can always change back.

There is absoultly NO reason to want to leave the forum or anything like that... if you want the default look, choose the default look... its really VERY simple.

Thankyou for the considered suggestions people have made in this thread, we find them useful and can use those suggestions in a positive and constructive way.

Aslong as the option to go back to a default setting is still there.. im fine with it. As I have said before.. I can block the ads. The new layout.. is just cluttered...Its like when you go to a cheap website and they have mess EVERYWHERE... Its confusing.. and some stuff is just unnecessary.

If we aren't forced to use this new layout... everything should be good... Cause no one really asked for any of this.

Dweller · Dec 18, 2008

Add me to the chorus. The new layout sucks, and I will be switching to the old one. That is until the new owners decide to pollute that one with Ads as well. I have been through this process on other forums and it always ends the same. Old owner gets a check, new owners come in saying how much they want to listen to the membership, changes get made for the sake of making changes, ads start showing up everywhere, old time users get less than they used to and what perks we once enjoyed start falling under the "perks for membership" umbrella.

When I was Supporting Chase and his love for photography and this forum, I was happy to donate. Now that I am being asked to support some corporation that runs who knows how many forums and have no particular interest in what the forum is about, only in how much traffic it sees then I am done donating.

Members (paid and otherwise) give our time and collective expertise to provide content to a forum. As a thank you for that we get slammed with ads and other changes simply for the sake of making changes. Almost universally there has been criticism of the left hand column, the new owners acknowledged that it "may" change and yet here we are, with the left hand column still in place. I suspect it will not go anywhere at all and we will instead be forced to "get over it" or to move on. the decision will be an easy one for me.