I don't particularly like the new look of the forum, but I will get used to it and have already found a number of things that I like about it. I can deal with it.

But I am really tired of all the griping about it. I mean, sheesh! This is an improvement. It was done for our benefit. Thanks, mods!

No good deed goes unpunished.

If I had a paid membership I might feel differently, but for what It costs me to use this wonderful resource (zilch)....I certainly get more than I pay for.

That could be rectified, you know.

My comments were not intended to be viewed as criticism. I offered my user's results with the hope that it will help the webmaster sort out user issues. And it is good that we do this since everyone will benefit. As for the appearance, I liked the old one just fine and can't complain about the new visual presentation. But I do hope user issues are addressed. Thanks and keep up the great work. I truly enjoy visiting the Bicycle Forum and greatly value the information I glean there.

Well as a paid member, I really don't like the new look and my 46 year old eyes find it harder to navigate and some portions harder to read.

I do like the look of the new forum and I am a paid member. BUT Who cares? Back in 05 when I joined, I ddin't come here and say "Wow that's a good looking website, I think I'll join". I come here for the information and the fun we have as a group. The website is simply a tool to meet that goal. I'm with the OP, stop the whining.
Now if you just bought a vintage bike, paying $200 for it only to find the head is cracked and you didn't see it, NOW you've got something to whine about. (no that didn't happen to me.)

You would have had an easier sell about a week ago

But a membership is on my xmas list

I scarcely notice the difference. It's fine for me.

I saw nothing wrong with the old look, and I guess I prefer the old look to the new version, but I'll get used to it and I'll forget all about the change soon enough. In five years (or whenever), when the next revision happens, y'all'll be saying how much you miss this version, too. Etcetera.

+1 with noglider. Also, it is easier for me to read on my iPhone. I too, will be receiving a membership for Christmas.

I picked up an old forum cheap on Craigslist. You can read about it over on Internetforumsforums/classic&vintage. Restoration will be tricky though, as some of the old threads are French.....

Tonight's my first night on in the couple of days - been working on that Nishiki I lucked into on Sunday. Gotta admit the new format was a bit of a shock. Will wait until next Friday night, keep an open mind, and give it a week, before I start grumbling like a complete bastard.

I'm still in a punishing mood. I think that, objectively speaking, the design is inferior, and I don't understand why people should have to accept it as part of . . . what's the upside? Please remind me -- I'm looking for it, but not seeing it.

I paid, by the way, back when I first joined.

As for this thread, you didn't really expect a groundswell of +1s, now, did you?

I'm already using it less.

Humour is wasted on you lot...

Your post was clever and gave me a chuckle..but you must admit, despite the labor involved in getting them back up and running, those classic forums are far more efficient mechanically and more aesthetically pleasing!

touche CM !

I'd also like to be helped to find the upside. I just don't see it. My usage is slowed and impaired, and I am more frustrated on this site than I was. There have been several threads providing the opportunity for user venting, and I presume there was some intention to answer some of our comments, if not address their resolution promptly. I know how it is when your swamped with complaints, you do triage and try to hit the biggest ones first. Maybe Tom S. could take some time and address "Why did we do this and what do we hope to improve?" He's a strong communicator, and that would at least put a positive and concrete stake in the ground. I'm not into new bells and whistles when usability is impaired and function decreased, nor vague statements about the added bells and whistles that are coming.

Enough of us are users of other forums that we could walk. Wouldn't get our $$ back, but our eyeballs would not be on BF and we could proceed with cycling chit chat with less aggravation. Enough of that happens, and IB does not have an effective cycling platform for advertising sales.

I'm not IB's customer, as far as I can tell, I'm a set of eyeballs that is expected to observe regardless of what is there to observe.

Hmm, maybe it works for me because I'm a paying member. Maybe the ads make the forum function badly. I'm going to test out that theory and create a non-paying login...

+1..... the look feel is not good, (and I have designed gui s for software products, so I have some background)

But remember - the new user-identified construction and graphical interface layup yields a forum that is laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant.

-Kurt

Can you list some examples of the egregious differences? I find it to be the same. The buttons are bigger and different colors, for all I can see.

Could someone post a screen shot?

I'm pretty sure I'm missing like 3/4 of the stuff that I used to see. No avatars, buttons, etc.

Fine, but I've got a red star, too. There are problems, in my opinion, with how it works. I've written three notes about them in the various threads. Part of the problem is that there is no dialog. The appearance is that IB does not care about the users. If the revenue stream is based on advertising, then the red stars and probably the Titaniums are not desired, since we do not see advertising. Hence, complaints by paying members will be ignored.

Just a hypothesis, not even a theory.

OK, Tom, here's a short list of *****es:
Name of poster (blue) fades into the gray background, and is visually disassociated from the text of the post. Why is the gray area of the left sidebar taller than that across the top?
Name of poster is less prominent than the Reply buttons on lower left.
Avatar is centered in left sidebar, while everything else is left justified, ragged right.
Too much whitespace -- means fewer posts, less real information, fits on the screen.
Every element is in its own "space" that is not really related with other elements -- there's no visual consistency or alignment of elements.

It's been days now, and I have to admit that it hasn't grown on me in the least; it's actually a deterrent to login and read, because it looks alien, and feels uncomfortable to navigate.