I'm not sure how I feel about the changes to BladeForums

Jay_Ev · #1

Maybe it will just take some getting used to, I don't know. I find it cumbersome & hard to navigate. How do you guys feel?

JNewell · #2

Another forum I frequent upgraded (ha) to the same version a few months ago. I really have a hard time with it, bt I haven't figured out why. I thin it is something about the new look, andI find it VERY, VERY hard to scan or even to read. I don't mean the navigation, I mean the forum thread lists. There were a few others who made the same comment but it was a small minority and needless to say there's nothing to do about it. I'm having the same problem with BF.

DeathBySnooSnoo · #3

Can't say that I am a big fan of the new forum...but I guess that over time I'll get used to it.

cosmo7809 · #4

As mentioned I do not like.... at all..... But I guess I will get used to it.

Orion's Belt · #5

I hate it.

Leatherneck · #6

As a paying Gold member I feel I have at least the right to an opinion and I don't like it.

...then again, I am old and don't always like change.

yablanowitz · #7

I've been Platinum over there for a few years now. As long as he can fix the bug that has the banner ads showing up for paying members, I'll get used to the new layout.

Leatherneck · #8

Been over there a while tonight and while it may take a few more clicks it seems fully functional. Hope they end up with a "dark" theme option.

A few of my regular stops have upgraded to the new VBulletin software.

The Deacon · #9

Thanks to Firefox and Adblock Plus, I never saw the ads when I was a RU, so I don't see them now that I'm Gold. Only real gripe I have is that, when you're in a thread, there's no button at the bottom of the page to return you to the sub-forum's index page. Unless you want to go to either the next or previous thread, which for me is often not the case, you have to go back to the top of the page to exit. Aside from that, I can't say I'm crazy about it, but there's nothing really annoying.

unit · #10

The Deacon wrote:Thanks to Firefox and Adblock Plus, I never saw the ads when I was a RU, so I don't see them now that I'm Gold. Only real gripe I have is that, when you're in a thread, there's no button at the bottom of the page to return you to the sub-forum's index page. Unless you want to go to either the next or previous thread, which for me is often not the case, you have to go back to the top of the page to exit. Aside from that, I can't say I'm crazy about it, but there's nothing really annoying.

That is the #1 gripe I have.

I will add to it the lack of info on the home page (mainly when you see all the new posts and and who made them BUT NOT THE FORUM IT IS IN!)

The addition of Blogs is funny. Does BF really need more headaches?

I am a paying member...and I have already noticed the dramatic drop in my activity over there.

The whole site just tastes like "new" Coke to me...bring back the classic!

I am just whining now...

Oh well, I am just going to have to start getting out in the woods and using my knives instead of sitting at my PC reading about others doing so...it ain't all bad...

Bluntrauma · #11

Every time I log in over at Knife Forums I appreciate every other forum experience immensely.

FLYBYU44 · #12

I never go on bladeforums too much, but went there last night to check it out and noticed they changed. Not too excited about it. It's harder to read and it's slow like other forums of that format. Not really sure why people would call it an upgrade as it most certainly isn't. I do agree the Knifeforums is probably the worst though.

yablanowitz · #13

Paul, I've had "back" assigned to a button on my mouse for so many years that I don't even notice that. I've always just clicked the left outside button a few times to get out of a thread or a site. Just the way I surf.

Bring back the old software? Not gonna happen. That's like asking "them" to bring back 8 track tapes, or asking Microsoft to bring back Windows 3.1.1. The old version of the forum software is no longer supported. Unless you know enough about it to edit the code yourself to close security exploits, you're not going to be able to use it any more, because the people who do know that much about it aren't going to do it anymore. Eventually the same thing will have to happen here when this version of vBulletin is no longer supported.

The Deacon · #14

yablanowitz wrote:Paul, I've had "back" assigned to a button on my mouse for so many years that I don't even notice that. I've always just clicked the left outside button a few times to get out of a thread or a site. Just the way I surf.

Bring back the old software? Not gonna happen. That's like asking "them" to bring back 8 track tapes, or asking Microsoft to bring back Windows 3.1.1. The old version of the forum software is no longer supported. Unless you know enough about it to edit the code yourself to close security exploits, you're not going to be able to use it any more, because the people who do know that much about it aren't going to do it anymore. Eventually the same thing will have to happen here when this version of vBulletin is no longer supported.

Aside from my still using a two button mouse, the problem with Back is that it does not mark the thread as read. If you're skipping around, reading things out of order, like I sometimes do, it's not as good as navigating out of the thread via the buttons or links. Having to scroll back up to the top of the page to exit the thread isn't the end of the world, just a bit more time consuming.

Agree they're not going to go back. As Spark noted, the old software will no longer be supported, so he had no real choice but to move forward. Personally, I'm ok with 95% of it, and there's one thing I really like - on the sub-forum index page, the OP's name, hyperlinked to their profile, is no longer directly under the "Go To First New Post" button. I'd hate to say how many times I've clicked a little low and wound up in the wrong place. :o

PS - When I worked at the AG's office we finally upgrade from Win 3.1.1 to NT in 2001 :eek:

jzmtl · #15

The color scheme is too busy and visually distracting, with all the different light colors and shades. The old format was easy to read, white background with dark letters.

bh49 · #16

I do not see much problem or improvements yet.

c.joe · #17

I like it. It is some how easier on the eye. Not sure why. Perhaps its the colors or the size of each thread.

Pinetreebbs · #18

I like the new look, kinda like HD vs regular TV. It only took a few clicks to find my favorite forums. You can see fewer threads on a screen, but I may be able to change that as I get more familiar with the new program. The colors, meh, at least they are not orange text on a black background. :eek:

angusW · #19

I like it better. The old blade forum had a unique look but for someone like me who didn't live there made it a pain to navigate. Now it's uniform to a lot of other forums I go to as they use the same or similar versions of vBulletin. I say "Good job BF".

Switchback · #20

So far I find it rather frustrating but I think I will get used to it.

I have only been a member there since October and I had pretty much just gotten used to the old format.

The navigation is OK and I might even learn to like it.

I don't know if it's just my computer or what but the pages take about 5 or 6 times longer to load up now and that is what I find frustrating about it.

Also, the little indicator next to each members username that lights up green if they are online is so small that it's hard for me to tell if it's green or not. Not a big deal though, just an inconvenience.