Discussion of CelticsBlog Upgrades

[Amonkey]

My biggest beef is that there is no news unless I click on the article. I much liked the old style where there is a significant preview so I dont have to click at every story to read it. I am wondering, is there any chance that this will change at all? If not, in all honesty, I will just take the ESPN Boston Celtics section for the news and I will keep coming back here for the forums.

By the way, I really do appreciate all you have done. My Celtics thirst has always been filled from this place. From the days early days when I was in school, back in 2003 and I facebook was in their early days, to the boring days on the Cape and unemployed and having all the time in the world, to now recently married and looking for another great season, this place has always been a special place in my browser. I do feel that some of that will go away with me cheating with ESPN, but thank you.

[dwayne celtic]

it looks good but, its kinda confusing it has too much goin on, the page is too busy

[CDawg834]

Not sure if any tweaks have been made, but I got a new computer at work yesterday, and the layout of the site looks much improved.  Maybe my old computer was just so horrid that it could only handle a generic layout of the site?  Not nearly as bad as it was for me a couple days ago.

[Roy H.]

My biggest beef is that there is no news unless I click on the article. I much liked the old style where there is a significant preview so I dont have to click at every story to read it. I am wondering, is there any chance that this will change at all? If not, in all honesty, I will just take the ESPN Boston Celtics section for the news and I will keep coming back here for the forums.

Candidly, if the *only* reason you view the front page is for news, then ESPN might be a better fit.

However, I think you'd be missing out on a lot of what the front page has to offer.  First, there's the writing and analysis (both from our staff and from fans), which you're not going to find on ESPN.  Our authors try to approach stories from a lot of different angles.  Next, there's the variety of links from outside sources, that you won't find aggregated on ESPN.  Lastly, there's the chance to debate and interact with other Celtics fans through the comments.

I understand where you're coming from with your complaints, and I sympathize.  However, having to click a couple extra times in order to get all the other benefits that CB offers doesn't seem like a huge deal to me.

[LooseCannon]

It's huge and unreadable on my Blackberry.

[erisred]

Accessibility problem...

...I have poor eyesight and generally need to increase font size of web pages to at least 125% (sometimes 150%) to comfortably read articles. Try it with the new design. (Ctrl+wheel) Watch that whitespace expand and the text turn into long skinny columns with one or two words across. That's awful! I think this happens because the columns are being placed on the page as either percentages or fixed pixels...I can't remember which...but it's the other way that *should* be used to make pages more accessible.

And what's with those huge white margins on either side of a single column of content. That's not good design, not even for magazine style format! This is NOT a paper magazine that needs margins on either side.

BTW, putting a picture next to a column of text that doesn't wrap around the picture is just *asking* for problems!

Sorry, guys, it's not growing on me. I'll hate to miss your wonderful stories, but if they aren't readable (or even findable) what good are they to me.

[Jeff]

remember to submit any specific useability problems to support@sbnation.com

thanks

[Kane3387]

I've given it a few days. Still don't like the big pictures at the top. Wish you could give more information about those articles then just a title. But the rest of the layout isn't too bad. I will give it more of a chance when the season starts. 

Seems a little scattered and busy for me. I like things like Recent Forum Posts, Latest News, and Fan Posts on the same side of the page.

Change is tough sometimes. I definitely was simply more comfortable with the previous layout. Seemed more simple and I believe as a result it gave it more of a community like feel. I really valued that aspect of it.

I think the forums are a huge differentiator for CelticsBlog and should be put at the top of the page.

Please don't change the forums. My traffic likely won't change as long as they are the same. I love that they still have the look of the old CelticsBlog.

[Surferdad]

My biggest beef is that there is no news unless I click on the article. I much liked the old style where there is a significant preview so I dont have to click at every story to read it. I am wondering, is there any chance that this will change at all? If not, in all honesty, I will just take the ESPN Boston Celtics section for the news and I will keep coming back here for the forums.

Candidly, if the *only* reason you view the front page is for news, then ESPN might be a better fit.

However, I think you'd be missing out on a lot of what the front page has to offer.  First, there's the writing and analysis (both from our staff and from fans), which you're not going to find on ESPN.  Our authors try to approach stories from a lot of different angles.  Next, there's the variety of links from outside sources, that you won't find aggregated on ESPN.  Lastly, there's the chance to debate and interact with other Celtics fans through the comments.

I understand where you're coming from with your complaints, and I sympathize.  However, having to click a couple extra times in order to get all the other benefits that CB offers doesn't seem like a huge deal to me.

Glad to hear genuine sympathy, but I don't follow the logic.  I think we all agree that CB has the very best Cetlics writers. We all love the different angles an the chance for "lay" writers to show their stuff.  This is exactly why we don't go to ESPN.  The new front page is not as good, and I too loved the previews in the old front pages. The extra click is not convenient, especially considering how slow the page loads are now.

Honestly, I find myself coming to CB less often now and when I do it's generally to these forums. What a shame.

[Jeff]

the only thing that is supposed to change about the forums is the header - the meat of the forums will be the same

[Kevin72790]

I'm a bit of a lurker and very rarely post but I really don't like the new design at all. Sorry! It's totally sloppy and not as clean as the past one. I would expect that you will get less comments on articles compared to past seasons. People will just go to a better designed site! It's just totally messy and unorganized. Sorry.

[Jeff]

posted an extended note on the front page

http://www.celticsblog.com/2012/9/29/3426200/about-the-new-site-design

thanks for your feedback and understanding

[greg_kite]

Steve Jobs is not walking through that door, fans. Bill Gates is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old. ... And as soon as they realize that those three guys are not coming through the door, the better this town will be for all of us. ... All this negativity that's in this town sucks.

Seriously, Jeff has put years into making such a great site for us for FREE and this is the thanks he gets?

If you aren't happy with the site please at least be cordial and appreciate that he's trying to improve the site and not just say "this sucks, this is awful, I could have done this better as a college freshman".

I like the big pictures on the front page and new large fonts.  And if we have to click more to read the articles we shouldn't complain.  If it helps keep the site running and maybe gets a few bucks for Jeff(which I doubt it does) then I'm all for it.  This is still the best place to go.

[ItStaysYang]

Steve Jobs is not walking through that door, fans. Bill Gates is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old. ... And as soon as they realize that those three guys are not coming through the door, the better this town will be for all of us. ... All this negativity that's in this town sucks.

Seriously, Jeff has put years into making such a great site for us for FREE and this is the thanks he gets?

If you aren't happy with the site please at least be cordial and appreciate that he's trying to improve the site and not just say "this sucks, this is awful, I could have done this better as a college freshman".

I like the big pictures on the front page and new large fonts.  And if we have to click more to read the articles we shouldn't complain.  If it helps keep the site running and maybe gets a few bucks for Jeff(which I doubt it does) then I'm all for it.  This is still the best place to go.

You seem oblivious

[Roy H.]

Steve Jobs is not walking through that door, fans. Bill Gates is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old. ... And as soon as they realize that those three guys are not coming through the door, the better this town will be for all of us. ... All this negativity that's in this town sucks.

Seriously, Jeff has put years into making such a great site for us for FREE and this is the thanks he gets?

If you aren't happy with the site please at least be cordial and appreciate that he's trying to improve the site and not just say "this sucks, this is awful, I could have done this better as a college freshman".

I like the big pictures on the front page and new large fonts.  And if we have to click more to read the articles we shouldn't complain.  If it helps keep the site running and maybe gets a few bucks for Jeff(which I doubt it does) then I'm all for it.  This is still the best place to go.

You seem oblivious

Oblivious, or he just has a different opinion?