FreeRepublic Re-Design

[mercy]

Go to topics. Create your own sidebar.

[mercy]

I lost count. I think there's about twenty now.

[lawgirl]

One suggestion: it is ok to keep it called "Self-Search"--I like that phrase b/c it means stuff you posted as well as what others pinged you to.

I think that the new look is FABULOUS! ANd I thank the whole FR team for taking what must have been HUNDREDS of man hours to do all of this. I think it looks fantastic, and if you guys take the time to look around you'll see a lot of great new feature--head over to My Preferences to start.

The site looks fabulous and VERY professional- which I think is very very important to the way outsiders see us. I never did like the look of the old FR- it looked too old fashioned.

Thank you FR team for giving us a gorgeous new site with LOTS of great new features that are very practical. Everyone else- quit your whining and start learning how to use the new stuff! Sheesh you whiners sound like my 73 year old grandmother complaining about trying to figure out the internet!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Haha, that explains that. While you are here, why does the sun rise in the east and set in the west?

[mfulstone]

I like the old format better.

[ironman]

FYI, new format is also MUCH better on my PDA.

[Captiva]

I thought it was broke - never really figured it out so I'm no worse off. Benefit of being a newbie?

[deport]

Glad you could make it. I was worried you maybe lost in cyber space..... LOL

[Somebody4Justice]

I am with you. I don't like it at all. Space is being wasted and there is less words to read per page click.

I don't like the letter type. It is harder to read.

I don't see the breaking news list.

It has too much of a comercial quality like it has been bought out by Yahoo or something.

Please, lets go back to the old format!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

You can still get it --!

And a lot more -- !

[Araminta Vavasour]

Go HERE HERE HERE for full BREAKING NEWS. Bookmark it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A number of the complaint threads have directions on customizing the side bar!

Including getting breaking news on the sidebar!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It is available, you just need to do your customizing to include it!

[GWfan]

I always have limited time on FR. I really want back the 'find in forum' feature. It allowed me to find my friends and to read favorite posters comments. I can't find this in the new system. Can anyone help me? Am I missing it?

[a_Turk]

Figured it out. I like this design. Real mailboxes (a_turk@freerepublic.com) and multiple email recipients might be good.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

When did you buy your last pair of shoes?

Old shoes always feel better til the new ones get broken in!

[Enlightiator]

Gosh I'm glad this was put up; we needed another thread about this.

Well, maybe there have already been a few threads on the site redesign :) But I would like to see a thousand more until this message is received by those who came up with the new format:

1. More bells and whistles, while fun for software designers, but there is a point where you can cross the line into confusion, crowded format, and poor usability. FreeRepublic has now achieved it.

2. Large side border graphics (the faded flag) are passe on most sites, but for some reason this site thinks a 1 1/2 inch border that crowds out REAL information is "pretty." It ain't.

3.Now the sidebars have only 5 messages per sidebar. This isn't even close to enough for Breaking and Front Page News sidebars. And along with a sidebar comes yet another "United We Stand" flag ad, to compliment the one already in the new obnoxious flag border sidebar I guess?

4. All the links on the new left side flag border sidbar could easily be placed at the 5inches or so of unused top frame of the page, freeing up well over an inch of horizontal screen. With this new sidebar, the real text like breaking news is now crammed between two large borders.

5.Its hard to get everyone to be happy with a style, especially a new one. So why not offer several styles, including the old one? This would NOT be hard to do, in fact, it would be easier than some of the other bells and whistle added.

6. There are a lot of new features such as customization improvements, thats good. But does this require a fancy new layout that elimiates the hard text stuff in favor of a pretty sidebar? Why throw what works away just because you add new features. 7.Don't hide important functions like subscribing to a topic by using tiny 2 point fonts saying "You do not subscribe to this topic. Click here to subscribe. " Consider using a 10 point "SUBSCRIBE." in bold. Uh, by the way, how do we UNSUBSCRIBE?

8. FreeRepublic uses links to topics, functions, and adds with the same style. Do something to differentiate FUNCTION LINKS, TOPIC LINKS, and ADs.

9. Conduct usability testing of beta formats, not just "are all the new features working ok?" Now you may have done this, and if you have, FIRE YOUR USABILITY TESTERS, they stink! lol...

[McGavin999]

I don't think I've ever laughed this hard. I know all these threads are redundant, but it's so much fun!

[SamKeck]

Well, at least I was able to figure out how to get those inane comments from popping up on the top of the page every time I logged on. It was simple, I just changed my location listing from "California" to "No Preference."

[RFP]

Jim, you apparantly never heard the term K.I.S.S - Keep it simple smart*ss! I agree, this new design is confusing and will frignten people away. I find myself coming here less often already.