Discussion Forum General Discussion Announcements and Site Matters How is everyone liking the new site design?
  • #7134
    David Farkas

    We put a lot of thought into how to make Red Dot Forum even better for our users and have incorporated new, fun ways to interact. I hope everyone is enjoying the re-design and new features.

    Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions on we can continue to improve Red Dot Forum.

  • #7167
    dalethorn

    It looks different, but apparently all of the forum info is preserved, and I’m able to navigate between the main and sub-pages OK, so it looks like a success. It would be good if you could add more contrast with various shades of grey, since it’s very plain-looking now.

  • #7178
    David Farkas

    Dale,

    Yes, above all else, we needed to make sure that no data would be lost in the transition, so every post, every picture, etc. has been preserved and moved over.

    As far as the design goes, we are certainly open to tweaking here and there, but we felt that the look and feel was much more modern than our previous site.

    Be sure to check out other areas of the site as well, like the Activity Feed, where you can create your own galleries, comment on images and have more fluid community conversations. The forum is still a great place to get answers and share information and all forum activity also shows in the Activity Feed.

  • #8053
    Jack MacD

    David,
    I see I am now a new member. And my photo is gone. Perhaps I might as well start over with one posting?

    I like everything but the forum. It will take an adjustment. the news etc is a big improvement on a computer. My iPhone jams on the site and I can’t access the forum yet.
    Jack

    • #8054
      David Farkas

      Jack,

      You’re not exactly a New Member…. all of your previous posts and uploaded images are still here. And your post count remains. The site rating is based on a new points system which counts all involvement, not just forum posts. Pretty easy to accumulate points. Just visit the site, read some articles, post some comments, upload images or comment on other’s images.

      As to the forum, we are currently tweaking the final look and feel. And I do mean currently! Our programmer is actively working on this right now. I encourage you to play around more.

      And as to working on an iPhone, it should be a piece of cake. The site is totally responsive, meaning it scales dynamically based on window size. While it will look best on a big screen, the site looks great on tablets and pretty good on phones.

  • #8400
    Jack MacD

    David,
    I added my photo easily, and was glad to see that my join date is three years before yours.
    I like the new “using” designation.
    So now that I am live, I like the new site

  • #8633
    dalethorn

    It looks like I won’t be able to post any more ‘T’ photos. I found a great way to post photos a few months ago at the suggestion of the person running the LeicaPlace forum, and it posts a thumbnail that connects to a full size photo. But that didn’t work here, and I really don’t want to jump through hoops JUST to contribute photos here. I have nothing to gain from this (just in case I missed an easy workaround).

  • #8685
    hwmueller

    I really like the design and format. Some tweaking will take place I am sure but Kudos to the sign design.

  • #8770
    dalethorn

    Correction to above – made a successful post – not my ideal way, but seems to be functional.

  • #9103
    Doug

    I am missing the little forum controls that lead to the most recent post in a thread. I’ll have to explore other areas, as my main involvement is the forums. I also note that in my Pentax thread in Alternative S lenses, some posted photos have unusable huge scaling.

    Doug

  • #9206
    David Farkas

    Doug, if you click on the time/date in the Last Post column, you will be taken directly to the latest reply.

    As far as old attachments that were migrated over, yes, some the sizing got a little strange. But, moving forward all smaller res preview images will all be the same size.

  • #9898
    Jack MacD

    David,
    I have now lived with your new format awhile.
    1. I think your features of NEws Reviews and Field Tests are handled much better than before.
    If I send someone to the RedDot it appears as a better sourced of Leica info than anywhere else.
    Congratulations.

    2. The Forum just takes getting used to it.

    Given that over the last three years, you don’t have as much posting as other forums, you are wise to make the News and Reviews more prominent.
    Your postings are fewer because for the most part, users are asking questions and getting answers. Your forum thankfully does not have the fights that occur on some other forums.
    I appreciate that the sellers of phones and crap have not found their way onto your new forum yet. Net, the site is better, and the reduced emphasis on the forums is a smart business decision.

  • #9900
    dalethorn

    Well said.

  • #10150
    Pete Walentin

    David,

    After browsing in the new layout for quite some time I think I have a clear opinion about the new look and feel. In general I like the new approach with the header including News, Reviews etc. Nicely presented, worth to continue reading. Even more worth for the community to add own articles as they are not that hidden anymore. Nicely done.

    What I do not like is the layout of the forum itself. There is so much unused space and I find it hardly readable, hard to get an overview which thread has new content and which thread not. If I remember correctly the former RDF had those small icons telling you instantly if there is something new going on after your last visit or not. Now I need to check the date and the font color of the date is hardly readable. It would be also super cool if the margins in the thread and post overviews could be scaled down to the actual content and do not showing so much unused space. It would also help a lot to add common forum shortcuts like go to first unread post or showing threads/post with new content in bold font etc.

    I also think that the user experience is heavily responsible for the possibility that the community could grow. If I wouldn’t be a long-time member of this community, the accesibility of the forum would not invite me to participate. I would also suggest to have a direct link in the header named “Forum” as this is maybe something people looking for as first time visitors. “RDF Community” is the last in the line and than you have to open the menu to find the forum. This is a long way to get here.

    Addig these features would really roundup the new user experience, look and feel of the site and I think it would be worth it and to the benefit of the community.

    Just my two cent.

    Best,
    Pete

  • #10849
    BrianS

    My original account is dead, and the Password Reset Emails do not work. Something is wrong with the software, and I’m thinking a lot of members lost their accounts with the software changeover.

    • #10850
      dalethorn

      “My original account is dead, and the Password Reset Emails do not work. Something is wrong with the software, and I’m thinking a lot of members lost their accounts with the software changeover.”

      Besides not having a Quote button I can find, it would seem that you’re right, since the system behind the forum is some kind of WordPress system, and not the former software.

      • #10852
        David Farkas

        You are correct. In order to create a more modern and feature-rich site overall, we had to move away from our previous vBulletin software. As such, the forum functionality is a little more limited, but we have many more community-based features like the activity feed, member profiles with interest tags, friendships and user galleries. In the end, we felt the trade-offs were worth it to take advantage of current web standards and features.

        On the password front, because the new software uses a different encryption schema, users have to reset their passwords and update them in the new system. For most users, the reset procedure went quickly and smoothly. For some, the email from the system was marked as junk or SPAM by their email servers/software. This is always a challenge and something that we have no control over. For those having issues, I’m happy to reset passwords manually.

        Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

        If you haven’t already done so, please help us out by taking our quick survey here.

  • #10899
    dalethorn

    Today for the first time I tried to change my avatar. Whoa! To get my head into the frame, I had to start with a given size, say 960 x 1280, then change the canvas size to 1280 x 1920 (the 960 x 1280 image now floating in the center of the larger canvas), then let the forum software crop it to the square format. I’ve had years to learn these workarounds for this kind of stuff, but I pity others who don’t have the means or time to do them.

    In the user profile, Street Photogrpahy is misspelled. The new D-Lux is also missing as a camera choice.

  • #32236
    Kevin900

    Thanks

  • #32985
    jirok

    Hi guys, I want to build my website for my sales business, hope you can give me some pointers.

  • #32986
    Dave

    You can try building your website with google tables, you can find out ecommerce website price here. From me I will say that it is a good option because it is scalable. While Google Tables is simple, it can work well for some small to medium sized businesses. Especially if you start simple and build on. In some cases, it can be scaled over time to fit your needs. I hope that for you it will come in handy.

    • This reply was modified 9 months, 1 week ago by  Dave.
  • #35105
    bitcot

    The new site design has been receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone who has experienced it. Users are expressing their delight with the fresh and modern look, as well as the improved functionality and user-friendly interface. The design elements are visually appealing, capturing attention and creating a memorable browsing experience. The intuitive navigation has made it easier for visitors to find the information they need quickly and efficiently. The responsive layout ensures that the site looks fantastic across various devices, enhancing accessibility. The attention to detail in the San Diego web design has not gone unnoticed, with users appreciating the seamless integration of interactive features and the overall professionalism of the site. The positive reception of the new site design is a testament to the effective implementation of web design principles, resulting in a highly satisfying user experience.

  • #35693
    Mavvick

    Thanks guys!

  • #36073
    margobra

    I like it!

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