SBN 2.0: More Comments/Feedback/Impressions

by Matthew on Mar 18, 2008 10:55 AM PDT

I've been playing around a bit more on AN and figured it's time for an updated list of things that piss me off about the new format.

We're facing the barrel soon on the switch-over (their goal was everyone by Opening Day), and I imagine it's easier to get stuff changed now than afterwards, so help chime in!

-In current format, I can select how many diaries I want displayed. In new, I'm limited to one of four options, none of which are as high as I currently have set (30).

-In current format, when I go to search, I can specify looking under stories, comments and diaries either by content or author. This is immensely useful. Under new format, you can only do a plain search; incredibly less useful.

-No way to not view fanShots. If you're going to give us an option for how many to view (this applies to both fanshots and fanposts), why not just make it free-form? You gain very little ease of code by limiting us to one of four pre-set options, none of which are 0.

-Main column still too narrow.

-Avatars still suck.

It would also help if I/we knew where to send these complaints directly.

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Comments

Use the whole screen

VEB looks like crap for anyone using widescreen.

and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NUKE THE AVATARS ALREADY they are pointless and add nothing beside a looooooooong load time

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 10:59 AM PDT reply actions

Agree with all of these.

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 11:00 AM PDT reply actions

If they don't get rid of the avatars

for SBN as a whole, is it possible to institute a formal LL no avatars rule?

by seattlebruin on Mar 18, 2008 11:04 AM PDT reply actions

"an informal"

wow my English sucks.

by seattlebruin on Mar 18, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions

Why would you want to do that?

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions

You know why

if they don't get rid of avatars, I'll just make it abundantly clear that they aren't allowed in these parts.

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions

You are my hero

and I'm not just saying that because you own my soul and apparently have the ability to make me ill.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 18, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions

Sorry about that

I woke up cranky and vindictive.

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions

these things happen

but can I have my voice back in the next day or so? I'd appreciate it.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 18, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions

But would you hellappreciate it???

Sorry. I dunno what it is with this week. I've been on an annoying streak lately...

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions

It's OK

I called Jeff a homer and compared him to the Unabomber just in the past two days. I think March Madness has rotted my brain.

by seattlebruin on Mar 18, 2008 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions

No.

I acted like a stupid 12-year-old yesterday. That's well-beyond my normal character...

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Second most of these

and it would also be nice to see a more obvious visible indicator of the comment that you're currently on as you're "C"-ing through them - the double-width line at the top of the active comment is kinda hard to pick up on.

Avatars are...not good. Please reconsider using them.

Still don't like the names "FanPosts" and "FanShots" but I realize complaining about that now is probably pissing into the wind.

Any idea when this new format will be live for LL?

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 18, 2008 11:08 AM PDT reply actions

The last time I tried

I couldn't turn the avatars off

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 11:27 AM PDT reply actions

You can block them on Opera

Also, DO NOT CRIPPLE SEARCH.

Making the site less functional is a great way to make everyone really angry.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 18, 2008 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions

They're working on the search function

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 12:37 PM PDT up reply actions

for some reason

I took that to mean "Do not search for cripples."

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Tea just came out of my nose from laughing

Any idea how fucking painful that is? Damn you.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 18, 2008 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Funnier?

An Ergonomist here at work "confessing" his searching for "contortions" on his work PC at a staff meeting a few years ago. We still tease him about it to this day...

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions

maybe it's all the theraflu I've been drinking

but I don't get it.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 18, 2008 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe contortionists.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, that...

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Mar 18, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Ah, makes sense now

back to the theraflu.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Mar 18, 2008 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions

I think the other problem

is that you have a single avatar over the entire SBN network. There's no "having an avatar on AN but not on LL" option.

I'd be delighted to delete my avatar entirely, but as JI says there's no option to do that yet.

A's fan, living in Oakland

by Soaker on Mar 18, 2008 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Also, I know nothing will be done about it

but the new format is just too glossy, part of what I like about this site (besides the amazing content) is that it's really simple and easy to lose and we're going to lose that when the site rolls over.

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 11:29 AM PDT reply actions

*use

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Only thing I did like:

I checked out AN to see what it was like to register, and it said my "Screen name is reserved for a user of Lookout Landing. If you are the user from Lookout Landing, please enter your password below."

That was thoughtful of them, at least.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 11:50 AM PDT reply actions

Can anyone point me in the direction

of a long comment thread on any of the new SBN format blogs with lots of long subthreads?

LL's comment threads often contain very long subthreads, and they're not likely going to be readable with the narrower display. If we could find one and show it to people that would make our argument more compelling.

Incidentally, their research about line length assumes blocks of text. but if your line length is long enough (like ours is here), you never get blocks of text. Single lines are always surround by white space.

by Llewdor on Mar 18, 2008 11:50 AM PDT reply actions

Oh, and Matthew's totally right

about the diary count thing. I usually display 32 diaries.

by Llewdor on Mar 18, 2008 11:53 AM PDT reply actions

that's a queer number

by Matthew on Mar 18, 2008 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions

I used to display 24, but that wasn't enough

so I increased it by a factor of four thirds.

It made sense to me.

by Llewdor on Mar 18, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Most of the complaints here I second

Plus, looking at AN, it's just so busy. I really don't like it. I like the clean, simple layout that LL (and most of SBN) currently provides.

Yesterday's Pants

by Katal LM on Mar 18, 2008 12:24 PM PDT reply actions

Oh dear

I just realized something. Under the new format, Jeff's posts are going to look absolutely massive on the main page. Either that, or every one of them is going to have a "Continue Reading Post" link after two paragraphs.

And yea, I'm on board with Matthew's points. Definately ban Avatars at any costs. I'm fine with Avatars on message boards but these stupid things on SB are too tiny and aren't needed.

Oh, and question. If we ARE able to ban Avatars here and since in the new SB you can use one account to go to all sites will someone who usually use an avatar at another blog be able to disable theirs here?

by ThundaPC on Mar 18, 2008 4:12 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah

I plan to make frequent use of the "read more" option.

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Still way to narrow is my biggest complaint

And I may be functionally retarded but I have no idea on how to go through a users comment history.

by Robert on Mar 18, 2008 4:13 PM PDT reply actions

I still don't like fixing unbroken things

by Corco on Mar 18, 2008 4:28 PM PDT reply actions

Oh... wait...

since they all share the same registered name, does that mean that HH people are going to simply stop by and comment for shits and giggles?

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 4:48 PM PDT reply actions

I'd actually find that fun

I can imagine it'd cause consternation amongst the more mild-mannered of you though.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 18, 2008 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, great fun.

Can't wait for all of the "FUCK YOU JEFF YOU NAZI!!!" and the "just foundout why o's want sherrillll, an os insider said theyre going to flip him to antlanta for brent lililliliibridge."

Yeah, I can't wait.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions

We need commenter boot camp though

For example, at VEB they put up pretty decent content, but you have a majority of the posters posting things like cURTIS gRANDERSON ISN'T A GOOD BLAPLAYER BECAUSE HE STRIKES OUT TOO MUCH!@@!! or WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT DAVID ECKSTEN!!11 IZTURIS IS TERRIBLE!!111!, and when you explain to them that Eckstein sucks, and dropping his ass was a bad idea AND that signing Izturis was ALSO a bad idea... well.... you just wanna send a swarm of bees their way.

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 18, 2008 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Fuck explaining

If someone's that dumb just abuse them until they go the hell away.

by Graham MacAree on Mar 19, 2008 1:37 AM PDT up reply actions

either wasn't or good

not sure which

"You know, as that was coming out of my mouth, I knew that it was wrong."

by JI on Mar 19, 2008 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions

I can still ban people from here

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

Cause that's clearly a gauntlet you throw down often. The occasional Geoff Baker commenter gets shooed away to DOV by Graham, Matthew and pdb. A whole host of HH enthusiasts may be harder to manage.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd like to see them try

...actually I wouldn't. But I'd still destroy them.

by Jeff Sullivan on Mar 18, 2008 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Meh.

I'm sure the other LLer's will help. Coach certainly comes to the rescue on other websites. I'll wait for permission from you before I go off on anyone since I tend to write in Sermons. We can also try to get USSM people over here for backup. They're pretty good at that stuff too.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Mar 18, 2008 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions