Huddler Redesign 2: Electric Boogaloo!
This thread is for comments about the second desktop version of AppleInsider since the move to Huddler. This design was pushed out November 2, 2012. The thread about the previous redesign has been locked to prevent confusion.
Please direct all comments, good or bad, and all bugs and improvement suggestions here. All posts regarding this redesign posted in other threads will be moved here as well, so that the Huddler team has a single location from which to draw feedback.
Personal request: do not make your comment simply "I hate it" or "I love it". Please tell why. Specific details equals quick improvements. Generalities equals long waits.
All comments of a similar nature about the new mobile version of AI should go here.
Comments
It's too white for my taste. If the page background was #C2C2C2 or even with a hint of a color (#A3A7B5), I'd like that better, as I think it would be more readable.
I like the primary font change, it's just a little big at times, and the kerning is a little tight on our usernames. But I'm on a 27" monitor, so what do I know.
In regards to the article.... In the paramedic field, we have started using tablets to do our reports. Only downside is, they aren't iPads. We need iPads with an otter box so they don't get destroyed, and then I'll be very happy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
It's too white for my taste. If the page background was #C2C2C2 or even with a hint of a color (#A3A7B5), I'd like that better, as I think it would be more readable.
I like the primary font change, it's just a little big at times, and the kerning is a little tight on our usernames. But I'm on a 27" monitor, so what do I know.
The resizing on page width seems to work better, which is good. On the "New Posts" listing, threads that you have posted in are now longer a different color, which makes them harder to spot. Formatting replies still seems clumsy, unless I just haven't worked it out how to do it. Specifically, if you reply by quoting a post and want to address points individually, there seems to be no way to split up the quote div without working in the source html. It would be nice to be able to see, split, remove and add nested divs.
Originally Posted by muppetry
Specifically, if you reply by quoting a post and want to address points individually, there seems to be no way to split up the quote div without working in the source html. It would be nice to be able to see, split, remove and add nested divs.
Oh, I've always done this, and it has always been possible without messing with the source. Just the doing of it is a little clunky, thanks to the extra, hidden whitespace (that does not appear until the post is committed, forcing you to then go back in and edit immediately) around every quote box. I'd love for that to be removed.
AH, but I'm remembering now that occasionally the area below quotes is—you're absolutely correct—unselectable in any form unless you go to the source.
On my 15 inch MacBook Pro, the fonts all look massive. Perhaps my eyes will appreciate that size in a few years, but for now I feel like I'm in a primary grade reader.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by muppetry
Specifically, if you reply by quoting a post and want to address points individually, there seems to be no way to split up the quote div without working in the source html. It would be nice to be able to see, split, remove and add nested divs.
Oh, I've always done this, and it has always been possible without messing with the source. Just the doing of it is a little clunky, thanks to the extra, hidden whitespace (that does not appear until the post is committed, forcing you to then go back in and edit immediately) around every quote box. I'd love for that to be removed.
AH, but I'm remembering now that occasionally the area below quotes is—you're absolutely correct—unselectable in any form unless you go to the source.
It's not that it's unselectable - but for example in your post quoted above here - if I had wanted to split it and respond to your first paragraph, then have another quote box with your second paragraph, I cannot see a way to split the quote div except in the source.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
AH, but I'm remembering now that occasionally the area below quotes is—you're absolutely correct—unselectable in any form unless you go to the source.
I'm not sure if you are describing the problem that you can't drop the cursor below the quoted text after you delete some of the quoted text, or not, but whenever that happens you can drop the cursor above the quoted text and then that action, for some reason, frees up the area below the quoted text and you can type normally without having to enter the source code.
Originally Posted by muppetry
It's not that it's unelectable - but for example in your post quoted above here - if I had wanted to split it and respond to your first paragraph…
Oh, here's what I do. I select everything after what I want in the first box…
…cut it, and then I put my cursor at the end of my reply for that box, hit Quote, and paste into the new box. Placing the cursor at the end of my reply (instead of two lines down where I want the quote box to actually be, which is more intuitive) uses the user-hidden whitespace against itself. Same with images.
…then have another quote box with your second paragraph, I cannot see a way to split the quote div except in the source.
That circumvents the need to go into the source.
Originally Posted by mstone
I'm not sure if you are describing the problem that you can't drop the cursor below the quoted text after you delete some of the quoted text, or not, but whenever that happens you can drop the cursor above the quoted text and then that action frees up the area below the quoted text and you can type normally without having to enter the source code.
Oh, yes, and that does work occasionally. It's just that we shouldn't have to do it at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Oh, yes, and that does work occasionally. It's just that we shouldn't have to do it at all.
Javascript is a fickle bitch. Or perhaps I should say Tiny MCE is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by muppetry
It's not that it's unelectable - but for example in your post quoted above here - if I had wanted to split it and respond to your first paragraph…
Oh, here's what I do. I select everything after what I want in the first box…
…cut it, and then I put my cursor at the end of my reply for that box, hit Quote, and paste into the new box. Placing the cursor at the end of my reply (instead of two lines down where I want the quote box to actually be, which is more intuitive) uses the user-hidden whitespace against itself. Same with images.
…then have another quote box with your second paragraph, I cannot see a way to split the quote div except in the source.
That circumvents the need to go into the source.
That is strange - when you did that the resulting code was clean (at least by Huddler standards). When I try that I get multiple garbage span tags defining fonts, colors, borders and other stuff, which is why I had stopped doing that and was working in the source code instead.
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
I have a really nice script that basically turns the home page into an RSS feed but instead of linking to the ugly article it goes directly to the forumn. Let me know if you want to give it a try.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
I have a really nice script that basically turns the home page into an RSS feed but instead of linking to the ugly article it goes directly to the forumn. Let me know if you want to give it a try.
I have a version of your script (I think) that works well on the home page, but it doesn't link to the forums. Did you update it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
I have a really nice script that basically turns the home page into an RSS feed but instead of linking to the ugly article it goes directly to the forumn. Let me know if you want to give it a try.
I have a version of your script (I think) that works well on the home page, but it doesn't link to the forums. Did you update it?
I have recently updated I thought it always linked to the forums. I'll post in a second I have to switch browsers.
[code]
javascript: (function() {
document.getElementById('headline-module').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('top-promo').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('content').style.marginLeft = '-180px';
document.getElementById('content-home').style.backgroundColor = '#eaeaea';
document.getElementById('header').style.marginLeft = '0px';
document.getElementById('leaderboard').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('footer').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('content').style.width = '1100px';
document.getElementById('sidebar-left').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('sidebar-right').style.display = 'none';
document.getElementById('content-home').style.width = '1100px';
document.getElementById('wordmark').style.marginTop = '20px';
document.body.style.backgroundImage = 'url(none.jpg)';
document.body.style.backgroundColor = '#eaeaea';
document.body.style.fontSize = '14px';
document.body.style.letterSpacing = '.08em';
var theH1s = document.getElementsByTagName('h1');
for (var i = 0; i < theH1s.length; i++) {
document.getElementsByTagName('h1')[i].style.fontSize = '18px';
}
var divContent = document.getElementsByTagName('img');
for (var i = 0; i < divContent.length; i++) {
divContent[i].setAttribute('style','display:none');
}
var cn = document.getElementsByClassName('container');
for (var i = 0; i < cn.length; i++) {
cn[i].style.style.backgroundColor = '#eaeaea';
}})()
[/code]
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
I have a really nice script that basically turns the home page into an RSS feed but instead of linking to the ugly article it goes directly to the forumn. Let me know if you want to give it a try.
I have a version of your script (I think) that works well on the home page, but it doesn't link to the forums. Did you update it?
I have recently updated I thought it always linked to the forums. I'll post in a second I have to switch browsers.
OK - the comments link goes to the forum - is that what you meant? I meant that the article title link goes to the main article page. Nice reformatting anyway - thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman
This redesign makes puppies cry and causes me to hurt kittens. Too white, the fonts are too big and several elements are all out of proportion. I don't have much hope because the front page for the site is so wasteful and massive in terms of elements that it must have been designed by someone who is legally blind. My neighbor enjoys being able to read the articles from my MacBook from his own living room though since he can see the site and read it clearly all the way from across the street.
I have a really nice script that basically turns the home page into an RSS feed but instead of linking to the ugly article it goes directly to the forumn. Let me know if you want to give it a try.
I have a version of your script (I think) that works well on the home page, but it doesn't link to the forums. Did you update it?
I have recently updated I thought it always linked to the forums. I'll post in a second I have to switch browsers.
OK - the comments link goes to the forum - is that what you meant? I meant that the article title link goes to the main article page. Nice reformatting anyway - thanks.
If you drop it intoTextmate you can make an optimized scriptlet which runs faster (see figure below). I obfuscated the earlier version but it is really a pretty simple script. Seek and destroy!
BTW,
I like the new look and function of this area of the site!
It seems like a big improvement so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DESuserIGN
BTW,
I like the new look and function of this area of the site!
It seems like a big improvement so far.
Actually I was mistaken. I thought you had removed this annoying "feature":
Just let us use the command key to access our own spell check, thanks.
Esthetically the changes seem very positive though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DESuserIGN
Quote:
Originally Posted by DESuserIGN
BTW,
I like the new look and function of this area of the site!
It seems like a big improvement so far.
Actually I was mistaken. I thought you had removed this annoying "feature":
Just let us use the command key to access our own spell check, thanks.
Esthetically the changes seem very positive though.
If you place the cursor at the end of the word it displays your systemwide spelling options.
2. Special characters become ? in threads. That can't be difficult to fix I presume (?)
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/18510/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
3. Increase font size could do with a maximum, but I seriously don't know of anyone actually using this feature (on any site)
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/18511/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
4. Top of homepage has way too much white space. I'd adjust the layout of the toolbar, perhaps by moving the stock ticker and search field up so the menubar can move right and up.
5. View comments button keeps you on the main article page, View all gets you to the forum. Choose one button; less (options) = more
6. An article page (http://appleinsider.com/articles/yy/mm/dd/*) gives the first 10 comments (with a useless 'Previous Comments' header to the left). I think the design ought to be the last xx posts, with the 'Previous Comments' label becoming a button.