New site design

[Anonymous]

in an attempt to be more constructive


April 15 20.57

Dim dissapointed with new daily news pages
april 15 20.57
by dim

By Dim - Dim dissapointed with daily news pages
By Dim

Dim is dissapointed with the new daily news pages

because, ok, lets be serious for a moment.. what on

earth have you done.. Firstly whats with the huge

font and the massive line spacing, is there a new

eu rule governing the internet and the partially

sighted or something, that means we need plenty

of white space everywhere.. and what is doing on

with the three ton of white space everywhere.?

second point and i realise

the need for recent archives

to be there but why on

earth are they where they

are?? It reduces the amount of

the page used for the actual news

by another column so you end

up with a narrow column of new

that only covers about half of

the page with three ton of white

space to the right.. the archive

is important but why on earth

is it there.. its like a news page

for the visually and mentally

impaired...

by dim
April 15 20.57

 

[Anonymous]

and for those that find the above post annoying, space wasting and a complete nuisance to read, that is my thoughts about the news pages..

i opened the page, and couldnt even be bothered to read it, i was more concerned about objecting to it..

 

[dough1]

New website

I'm very unhappy with the new site. Too many motion containing ads, too much eyestrain. Poor eye straining color choices. It has everything I hate about the velonews website, only intensified.

 

[NewWebSiteSucks]

please, oh please bring it back!

A quick review of the feedback shows we're pretty much in agreement - the new web design has failed big time!

I too sincerely hope the amount of negative feedback will prompt Cyclingnews to bring back the old format. Seems like they did no analysis of what folks want/need out of the site. It may have looked a little "old school" but it was extremely efficient and didn't require many clicks to navigate to what you you wanted.

Now it's content light, frustrating to navigate, and is plain broken in many respects. Try pulling up the gallery from a stage of the Tour de Suisse, then click on a photo - you get a "previous" link, but no "next". Also I really liked being able to jump to related story, related results, etc.

I'm afraid I'm dumping Cyclingnews to start my search for a better site - maybe I need to learn French...

 

[Kazistuta]

A big NAY! her from Denmark as well. I enjoyed he simplistic look of the old CN, today I can't even find the complete results from the first stages of Tour De Suisse (can't even get the "show more" button to work in the stage pages).

Well, I could give a lot of constructive critisism, but I've read four of the pages in this thread so far, and the general consensus sums it up pretty good.

I really hope you'll take a big step back and look on what you've done. Right now I'm just satisfied with the forum (which should have been the only new thing here on CN).

I'm sure Menchov doesn't like the new design either, even though you state it as the truth

 

[NewWebSiteSucks]

search for new site

Hey - if anyone else finds a reasonable web site that's even close to what the old one offers please post a reply. If they don't revive some of the ease of use from the old site then I'm gonna be in search for something better...

What is it about "New and Improved" that makes me think "Altered and ruined"?

The new look is slow and clunky. It's not just my connection; At work it won't load properly at all. The pictures, headlines and text all overlap.

I've been a reader for 10 years or more but I won't be any longer if this is how it's going to be. Pages opened quiker back when I first started to read it than it does today. I don't want fancy banners. I'm not interested in animated headlines. I want news and results...and I want it easy to find!

Does anybody know of a good site for cycling news?

adi

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

My first reaction was the same as others, "what have they done?" But now that I'm adjusting, I think I like it, or will soon enough. At least it's visually a little more pleasing and I think will be easier to navigate to new viewers, and even us once we adjust. I do hope though that it's viewed by CN as a step, and not a finality, that will need tweaking over the weeks and months to come.

For those who really can't adjust at all, I recommend reading this profound book.

Flash ads (all animated ads) suck year-old stale tire air , but I do understand the need for advertising.

 

[doryon]

Disaster!

I totally agree: the new design is a disaster. Here are my main complaints:

1. It is slow! Even though I have high-speed cable connections, what with all the glitz it takes a day and an age to load!
2. The stage reports contain the winner's name up front! When I want to watch the "live report" after the race is over it is difficult to avoid seeing the winner's name, which spoils all the fun!
3. I hate having to click on the arrow to see the complete result listings, particularly since they come up slowly. It was much faster to just scroll through the entire listing.

In addition, some links don't work properly, but I imagine that'll get fixed.

The one positive thing is having a direct link to each news item, instead of their being split up into arbitrary groups. But this improvement could have been easily achieved without the other changes.

On the whole, give me back the old format!!!

 

[powerste]

New Site needs help

Since today is day one, I'll reserve judgement on the navigation until I've spent some time with it. I think the 2-level navigation (discipline and type of content) has potential and if the learning curve doesn't kill me I might come to like it.

That said, there are 3 absolute deal-breakers that don't warrant any wait-and-see whatsoever.

1. SPOILERS - I can no longer read about a race without first knowing who won. I don't want to see the result in the headline as soon as it's posted. I have VeloNews for that. I know I'm not the only person who reads the live coverage after the race but before reading the full report, something I did regularly on the old site. Which brings us to . . .
2. LIVE Coverage - which is now available where? I read it last week during the Dauphine but I sure can't find it now.
3. FEEDS - You're already behind the times by (I'll be generous here) 4+ years. Making every piece of site content available as a feed is not dependent upon a UI redesign. Today we get the redesigned UI (whose jury is clearly still out!) but no feeds. You promised them in today's News item. Where are they?

 

[Nemesis]

I don't like the new design either...

The "show more" thing in the results page is super-irratating. If it is a 'must', than why can't it work backwards? The page should show all the result as default, and if someone doesn't need the whole list, then he can press a "show less" button. 1 button of course, not 5..

 

[tomphill]

So slow!

My complaint has to be that the new site is SO slow! I have a brand new pc, fully optimised, and everything else works on it at the speed of sh*t off a shovel (ie fast). However, links off the new Cyclingnews site typically take sixty seconds or more to open up, and the site freezes up while they are opening. This prevents me changing my mind and trying to go to a different link.

I'll be browsing elsewhere unless you get it back working at least as fast as the old site, whatever you decide to do with the design.

 

[coldass]

And what is it with the 'sunflower images' that frame either side of the page. YUK - clutter.
I also keep finding myself having to scroll left and right. Not just up and down. I have a Mac 15inch screen - hardly rare...
When I load the main page 75% of the page is filled with menu or banner information.

Delete the annoying flash box that dominates the home page and move it all up. Would make a HUGE improvement.

Clicking to a race result just shows a picture? You have to scroll all over the place to find anything.
It was so easy to just read, then scroll down to the lists if results, that stage then overall. This was the best thing about CN - one click and its all there. Now gone............
And to add - where has the stage information gone?

IT JUST GETS WORSE. Why did you do it? Why? I know....


FP buy CN. FP it guys plan and have to take over CN tech. FP IT guys impose what they know. Editors suck it. Public now wait for a old CN style alternative.

Who will fill the void? OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Stats

I think pipo are too negative now. Give them time until the whole work is completed.

Me too i was very shocked today about the new design. It let me to register after 10 years or so of visiting this site. But since all old Stats are still available (I HOPE IT WILL NOT CHANGE), i am getting used to it now.

The Stats for todays TdSuisse Stage are complete as usual in the past. So i see no problem. I think we should give the editors time to eradicate errors which always come with new "products".

So we shall not judge too early.

I already found some improvements compared to the "old" site (Team-Page, Rider-Infofs etc.).

It is still the best cycling site, so i will stay...

 

[coldass]

Only saving grace is time. While CN has content we'll come here and suck up the poor design.

Once an alternative nails it we'll leave.

I can see I'll spend more time surfing for data.

The fact Bikeradar didn't establish a home run site says that the new CN lacks appeal. What better market test did FP need. CN has traffic - AS IT WAS.

Sometimes quirks make a masterpiece.

 

[Mike Cross]

I totally agree: the new design is a disaster. Here are my main complaints:

1. It is slow! Even though I have high-speed cable connections, what with all the glitz it takes a day and an age to load!
2. The stage reports contain the winner's name up front! When I want to watch the "live report" after the race is over it is difficult to avoid seeing the winner's name, which spoils all the fun!
3. I hate having to click on the arrow to see the complete result listings, particularly since they come up slowly. It was much faster to just scroll through the entire listing.



In addition, some links don't work properly, but I imagine that'll get fixed.

The one positive thing is having a direct link to each news item, instead of their being split up into arbitrary groups. But this improvement could have been easily achieved without the other changes.

On the whole, give me back the old format!!!

I've given up counting but reckon you are at about 10% for, 90% against what you have done to our old much-loved and much-enjoyed website. ANOTHER VICTORY OF FORM OVER FUNCTIONALITY. My old rheumatic fingers can only cope with so many clicks per minute and so I have given up looking for photos etc. I,m sure that you won't believe all these negative comments and have a rethink; but if you do could you at the same time, cancel your love affair with Armstrong (Lance, not Kristin (sic))?

 

[coldass]

A Positive
They have got traffic and users to the forum. (how many posts per page?)

Imagine how many site viewers don't post in forums and are just visiting the new Bikecyclingradar.com frankenstein....

 

[waranga]

Agreed

Unfortunately in total agreement with previous posts. I navigated to the site today to see latest news block and it just isn't apparent. Nor was finding results quickly for current races. Rather disappointed and would much rather return to the old site

 

[On the Rivet]

Leave out the spoilers!!!

Please leave out the spoilers! It's the reason I only visit cyclingnews.com and not other cycling websites...because you guys never spoiled my fun before I got a chance to watch the races on TV.

 

[ryanharne]

I haven't had any problems with my Mac and Firefox. My Mac laptop has Safari, I will try it out.

Susan

Thanks for noticing my concern amongst the myriad design-specific complaints.

While I know that I would adjust to any new layout and distribution of information, I cannot stress the importance of compatibility with all browsers and operating environments. A growing reader/user base is necessary for any profitable website nowadays and no operating system or browser limitations should exist within coded design to prevent or inhibit such growth. My two cents (from another coder's perspective).

I checked a few seconds ago, and the drop down menus still cause Safari crashes. I was trying out the Tour du Suisse stage drop down to switch to another stage and it crashed.

 

[lil8znguy]

The new website is poorly designed. Bring back the old one

 

[Wrangler]

about the new page design

la verdad apesta. estaba mucho mejor como estaba antes.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for noticing my concern amongst the myriad design-specific complaints.

While I know that I would adjust to any new layout and distribution of information, I cannot stress the importance of compatibility with all browsers and operating environments. A growing reader/user base is necessary for any profitable website nowadays and no operating system or browser limitations should exist within coded design to prevent or inhibit such growth. My two cents (from another coder's perspective).

I checked a few seconds ago, and the drop down menus still cause Safari crashes. I was trying out the Tour du Suisse stage drop down to switch to another stage and it crashed.

i will say as yet ive not enountered any problems in opera (beta 10) which is the most standards compliant..

thankfully opera is only problematic with bad coding, and not poor taste and bad design..

on mobile though the re-render to single column is simply horrendous.. probably the worst website i have ever seen, worse than the bbc.. but to be fair its fine in full size browsing, its just a nightmare scrolling around on a mobile phone..

im not sure what portion of traffic use mobiles to browse, but the 25% of those browsers that use opera wont be too thrilled.. :/ i would run it thoruhg the nokia emulator but frankly ive seen enough of it for one day..

 

[coachkev]

Not gonna happen!

I think the old site appealed to the web-savvy folks who have been on the internet since Mosaic, like me. But there are others (like my parents!) who looked at the old CN site and the type was so small and crowded that they couldn't find a thing and never clicked a single link.

The new site will hopefully touch a broader audience and it will hopefully be simpler to find the content you want. But like a previous poster said, people hate change. So complain all you want! Let it all out! Just be sure to tell us how much you love it after you get used to it ;-)

Laura,
Keep thinking very smugly that you are correct and we will come to love the new site. But, as for me, NO WAY!!! I tend to make it a habit of not getting used to things that annoy me and are crap. I seek out things (and sites) that appeal to me and that is why I became a long-time loyal cyclingnews.com fan. I guess it has been about 10 years that I have gotten used to using a site that was very clean and simple layout and had great content. If I hadn't liked it on my first visit I wouldn't have made myself "get used to". That is why I will not make myself "get used to" this LOAD of FLASHY JUNK. I will miss my daily use of the site and following the live race reports. Although those as well as race reports in general have gone down in quality a little in the last couple years. It seems you have gotten more writers who clearly are not as knowledgeable or experienced in bike racing. In the early years of reading the race reports and play by play it seemed as though it was written by a true racer who knew the sport inside and out. Now, reports occasionally come off as though they are written by a cat 4/5 or some AP writer with no concept of the real nuances of the sport.

This new site design is just another step down that road toward worrying more about look then any true substance! That's it for me. I just created this forum account to voice my disapproval and say "I'm outta here!!" (unless the old site happens to come back).

 

[manolo]

(Is that too suckie suckie?)

Why yes! It is! : )

 

[khayes100]

The new website has gone the way of Yahoo and AOL and other portals that believe loading up the site with fancy Flash and so-called "web 2.0" features increase useability. Unfortunately, that's a flawed assumption. This revision alienates users on mobile platforms, older browsers and users who prefer content over form.

For at least 4-5 years I have enjoyed CyclingNews.com, and I eventually dropped all other cycling websites and even printed magazines, but now since I have to learn a new user interface, I might as well check out the others again. This same hassle got me to switch to Mac from Windows Vista - "if I've got to learn a new system, I might as well see what else is out there." I was otherwise happy with Windows XP, for example.

I will be curious to see if your readership rises or falls after this change. And if your actual revenue rises or falls. You may end up with fewer readers but higher revenue, if so, then perhaps it will have been worth it...


BTW, your forum software is fine - I recognize it from a number of other sites, and it works really, really well.