I was surprised when I came to askmehelpdesk just a few minutes ago. Everything looks so different and set up differently.

What was behind the changes and how many more changes are coming.

Joe

Yeah me too, it was a real shock to the system, it seems a lot brighter lol

:D
Here's where we announced it:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/announcements/new-skin-user-interface-installed-36010.html

Me no like it :(

Once I've looked through all of the new posts how do I mark them read?

At the top there's a drop down called Forum Tools.
One of these is "Mark Forum as Read"

Hope this helps

Curly, I admit it's a little early in the morning for me and maybe I just need another cup of coffee, but I can't find the drop down menu marked "Forum Tools".

I'm just proud that I was able to follow RickJ's instructions and figure out the way to get "New Posts"!

Lisa, ignore what I posted as it only works on main forums and not New posts :(

I'm not sure what you mean by marking a post as read. It's something I never noticed or used.

If you use the "workaround", though, for "New Posts", then the ones that are dark are ones you have not read, and the ones that are lighter are ones you have. Does that make sense?

Yes, Rick, I understand that. But in the past, after I read through all of the New Posts I had the option of hitting "Forum Tools" and then clicking on "Mark Forums Read". That's what I'm looking for now.

If I use your workaround now I'm finding that the list does not refresh very quickly. If I check back again in less than 10 or 15 minutes then the list is not ordered by "Last Posting Date" even though I have that saved in my search options, and new posts (bold) are interspersed with old posts.

I appreciate that you guys want to keep updating the site and keep it fresh but so far it appears that this new skin has made it harder to use the site, not easier. I'm patient, though. :)

Ok, I see now. Golly, It's a site feature that I'd just never used, so wasn't familiar with it.

Here's a tool to note (granted, it does not specifically address your issue, but I think you'll find it helpful):

At the bottom of the Edit Options page of your profile, you will see a section that allows you to exclude certain boards from those indluded when you do a search. I have not tested it yet in this new skin, but it should also work for both Advanced Search and the "Answer" link.

This at least helps you focus on the boards you're most interested in - instead of scrolling through lots of posts in areas that you're not.

Thanks, but that won't work. :) I like to look at all of the new posts because occasionally I will answer in an area that I usually wouldn't check.

Also, please note that now the "workaround" for getting new posts isn't working. Each time I try it I get the same search I got the last time and hitting Reload doesn't help.

Hmmm. I've not noticed any issues with it. I'll watch close and see if I can recognize what's going on with it.

It's not updating. I have my preferences set to show by "Last Posting Date" but the posts aren't coming up that way. Instead they're still showing the same order from when I searched 30 minutes ago.

Me no like it :(Why not?

Admin,

Personally I don't care for it because it is too bright. Could we offer the user a way to customize their colors, much in the way that MSN does?

I also get many PMs from new members who have a hard time navigating. So I try and answer their question and explain the navigation. If I cannot navigate I will have a hard time helping a new member.

I also get many PMs from new members who have a hard time navigating. So I try and answer their question and explain the navigation. If I cannot navigate I will have a hard time helping a new member.What is difficult about the navigation? How would you improve it?

Ok, I just went back to the old style. I couldn't take not being able to mark all of the posts read after I went through them.

Admin, the problem I was having was that I couldn't keep track reliably of which posts were new. I went to Advanced Search, set it the way RickJ told us in the Announcement, and I was able to see all of the new posts since the last time I logged in. But once I went through all of them I had no way of marking all of them read. Then when I did another search for new posts a few minutes later, the previous search never updated. It showed up exactly the same, and if anyone had posted a new post within a previously-existing thread during those few minutes then it didn't go to the top of the list of new posts. So I couldn't keep track of what was new unless I went through the entire list again, looking for times out of sequence.

Other than that I didn't think the new skin was so bad. The 2 things I'd like to see in the new skin are:

1. A "new posts" link at the top so I don't have to go to the Advanced Search.

2. A "Forum Tools" link at the top so I can hit "Mark Forums Read".

If those items were there I'd use the new skin.

Personally I liked the old heading options that did not seem to appear with the new format. It was very user friendly whereas I find that the new format is harder to navigate.

As for ideas how to improve... I am not very computer savvy so I can't think of anything better right now than the old way. Maybe someone else has a good idea.

I know that we do have quite a few computer gurus on here, but I for one, am not one.

Perosnally I feel that the old format, while confusing to only a few, was much easier to follow than the new format.

I am sure you have noticed the influx of posts regarding this new format. I understand we were told in advance of the change, and I did try it late last week, but as soon as I saw it I went back to the old format.

I wish I could give a more definitive answer, but as I am a believer in change, I really don't see this as a step forward.

Admin I suppose you designed it, and there really are only a few things that bother me, they are very minor, but I might be able to give some advice. First answer this question please, were you using Dreamweaver?

Okay, I have given it another go... just for some input.

First... I don't care that when you sign in you are taken immediately to the "My Profile" page. I personally could care less about my profile unless there is something I want to change. I, along with quite a few I believe, could really care about the "greenies" and the responses we receive. If we care, we can check them on our own rather than having to be directed there when we initially sign in. I really thought that this was the general consensus. I was under the impression that most preferred to go to "New Posts" first. With this new "skin" we are not given that option that I can see easily.

Second, I think that the opening page that lists all of the subjects is more user friendly than the option we are given currently.

I am one that is happy we are given the chance to go back to the "default" as I, for one, believe this new format, or skin, if you want to call it that, is way too demanding on the eyes, and way too confusing to figure out.

Admin I suppose you designed it, and there really are only a few things that bother me, they are very minor, but I might be able to give some advice. First answer this question please, were you using Dreamweaver?I actually did not design the new skin, although the links, verbage, and functionality are mine. The new graphics were design by Sheldon over at www.vbskinz.com (http://www.vbskinz.com/) with Photoshop. As I've mentioned elsewhere, ideally I would like to tone down the brightness of the site and add some weight via shading. I'd be interested in hearing your feedback.

I think it's good that you try and tone down the brightness, and add weight, also you may want to use a different color background behind the topics in order to sort of make it stand out, and try picking a milder tone. I think if you just changed the background of the subjects/topic's box, you wouldn't have to change much else in the form of brightness. I also think it will draw attention to the obviously most important feature about the site, and it would seem more user-friendly... that's it for now

Being a creature of habit, I was glad to find I could go back to default. Funny how I was just telling myself the other night how pleasant the webpages appeared, then, bam!

I did not need a light on in the room at 5 AM. My eye, eyes!

Announcement? Oops missed that.

My comments are they same as already mentioned. I did really did not care for the pages that appears from the ANSWER button, page after page of posts with no answers, got up to page 15 till it said what I was looking for did not exist. This is what I think J9 was referring to.

I had to go back to the forum I just posted an answer to to see my post.

Toning down the color brightness may help, what is lacking is contrast of color. Besides the color and brightness, the feel is certainly different. Too soon for me to offer any suggestions, but, if I get the guts I will go back and try it a bit more.

Yes, I don't see well and had a lot of trouble with the newer "skin"

I have already changed my back

Perhaps the choice to change the color for the skin to be more personal choice.

I like the fresher look make no mistakes about it, and I honestly like the new asked questions on the side of the page, I answered about 5 in a row, and it really made answering questions quite easy, and I could see things I could help in without having to search through the different subjects, eitherway I think changing the color, like I said before, would go a long way.

Why not?

As J_9 said, I find it too bright too.
And also most link are not where they used to be, and I'm just so used to how it was and never found any problems with it that I don't see why there any need to change it. How it was, was great, very user friendly. The new one isn't :(