Has Your Use of the Sportsmobile Forum Changed?

[BrianW]

I'm a prior contributor. I've set the toggle to off but still see ads.

[redrock]

I don't have an SMB currently so that has definitely slowed things down regarding checking in here, though I still do check in periodically.

But as BrianW said above "The forum design itself is really busy and confusing, with too much on a page, or at least too much not designed well."

In addition, the design is very cold.

The place seems to have lost much of its personality.

No offense to the guy who bought jage out -- I'm sure jage appreciates the cash -- but IMHO jage's presence and influence is one of the big things that's missing. His personality has been erased from the forum and it shows.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Originally Posted by 1der

I find the new format to be less user friendly. I REALLY miss the OLD "Recent Threads" feature. I could look back through a weeks worth of Threads and find what I was looking for very easily. Now, I use "Today's Posts" but stuff falls off after 24 hrs. If I use "New Posts", it is incomplete because it only lists threads with posts I have not read yet. So a two day old thread I read without any new posts is not listed and I have to search for it again. The current "Recent Threads" box is kind of useless, imho. I have not experienced this shortcoming on any other forum.

Only way to keep the threads view-able in Today's Posts is "bumping", which is a bit obnoxious. If I use Subscribed Threads, again, it is only showing items I have posted to since I have "auto subscribe" but not any I have just read.

Add me too as one more in agreement with 1der here.
It seems this is one of the biggest sources of frustration with the new SMB Forum design/layout/function.

Q: How hard would it conceivably be for the current (new) site admins to simply "add in" that same "Recent Threads" feature, and have it operate the way it used to?

It seem if enough SMB Forum members voiced their concerns strongly and convincingly (and respectfully) to the new site owner, this would be a pretty easy thing for even a junior-level website designer to add.

Great thread you've started here, btw!
To your original question....I was a relatively-new SMB owner when the site design change happened, but I had been reading the site avidly for a long time before I bought an SMB. The site "switch-over/re-design" occurred perhaps a year-and-a-half after I had bought my Sportsmobile, so I had a good solid period of using the "old SMB Forum website design" as both a 1) reader and 2) contributor/participant. So this (old) website absolutely helped lure me in to SMB's.

What shouldn't be overlooked is that this website serves as a "gateway" to many, MANY people who are interested in SMB's, but haven't "jumped in" yet....so the experience that people have on this page isn't important just to those people that *already are members*, but also to those that might join the SMB tribe in the future. I absolutely can attest that the positive vibes and "buzz" that I felt radiating from the old SMB website were a huge contributor to my own decision to take the plunge. It was clear from all the animated conversations, the fantastic trip reports, (and even the upbeat conversations and jokes about fixing the inevitable things that broke) --- that you guys were all sending the signal "come on in, the water's fine!"

And my personal feeling, now that the website has changed hands/been redesigned? That's easy, and it echoes many here --- I definitely liked the previous website design better. Visually and functionally. It was simpler. It had more of a "down-home" feel (that's a good thing).....

.....and, perhaps most importantly to those that view this as a proper community (which it most certainly and wonderfully IS!!!).

The old website design felt like there was more "human activity" on it at any given moment.

And this was due to a couple things:

1) The list of "active members online at this moment" was RIGHT UP ON TOP.
Now, it's buried at the bottom, looking like the fine print that nobody reads on a website for medical devices.

2) Same for the "welcome our newest SMB Forum member, "____________" script, this was alway prominent, right up there on the top as well.

I always thought *this in particular* was great.
When it held and displayed my name for perhaps the better part of an afternoon, and said "welcome newest member MountainBikeRoamer," I was so stoked. Seriously seriously stoked. Like...at last....after wanting "in" for so long, I finally was part of something truly great, a fantastic community of people doing this all *not just for the vans,* but equally for the opportunity to share in an activity that they knew other like-minded passionate people were part of.

3) And then there was aforementioned "Recent Threads" list --- THIS was the true SMB Forum human element, focused. It was basically "The Party That Everyone Is At" --- if you wanted to jump in and see what people where talking about, sling a hello at people, or join the banter and enthused discussion, you could hop *right in there* and not miss a beat.

And, as others have pointed out repeatedly in this thread already, it contained *the whole party,* not just the top sixteen most recent yowlings of people in random discussions.

So you could stay current, you could maintain continuity, you could stay engaged in the discussions.

---------------------------------------

Again, it seems these could all *very easily* be added back to the current forum design, and not skip a beat.

I must say however --- that despite all these missed elements from the old website design, I am on here *more than ever,* due to the fact that I'm still a relatively-new SMB owner (it will be two years now in July) ....and my addiction to SMB's only continues to grow

To round out all of my admittedly lengthy musings --- I would propose that perhaps the most important function an online forum should serve is to truly feel like an active human community to those involved with it (and perhaps even more importantly to those who aren't yet involved!)

In that respect, this new forum truly feels to fall short of the measure of the old one. But it seems like it could be easily fixed.

[yvrr]

Interesting discussion...I too thought that there were fewer posts than before the switch. But, I didn't realize that "Today's Posts" actually meant only those posted since midnight...somewhere. Since I only log on in the morning before breakfast, I'm obviously missing all of the posts from the rest of the day.

There really needs to be obvious "Posts since your last visit" button.

[1der]

Originally Posted by yvrr

Interesting discussion...I too thought that there were fewer posts than before the switch. But, I didn't realize that "Today's Posts" actually meant only those posted since midnight...somewhere. Since I only log on in the morning before breakfast, I'm obviously missing all of the posts from the rest of the day.

There really needs to be obvious "Posts since your last visit" button.

Actually "Today's Posts" reaches back EXACTLY 24 hours. Tested this yesterday.

"New Posts" is close to "Posts since your last visit" button. What it does not display is any threads you HAVE visited recently which have NOT had any new posts since you last visited it. This is where the disconnect happens with a list of recent threads reaching back a week or so.

I did receive an encouraging message from admin that they are looking into this issue . Hopefully it will be resolved soon!

[Sheriffdoug]

Just thinking, it,s like the new forum has Altzeimers! Fella's, let's all persist,
it can only get better.
I use to be able to view my old posts, see how many had looked at my posts,
I think? LOL.

[arctictraveller]

I definately miss the old site as it seems harder to stay current on those subjects that interest me. It also seems as though build threads and photos are fewer. The ad's don't bother me though since I realize that it takes money to support the site. Since ad revenue is generated in part due to the number of forum members and the number of visits, I would suspect it would be in the site owners best interest to keep the members happy and make some improvements. While I don't visit as often as I did in the past, I still enjoy the comunity and will continue to be an active member.

[1der]

Site weirdness this morning - "New Posts" contains only three posts from today even though my setting is 100 days. Used to have many more 😞

[daveb]

I understand how frustrating it is being bombarded by the commercial aspect. There should be a set point where your status changes to an active member and allows you to turn off the ads. I thought that was in effect but I guess not. I agree the sites skin in not as easy one the eyes and some features the old site had excel over the new design, but I'm getting used to it.

My usage is also down a bit but some of it is due to the fact I retired. You'd think I'd be on more but with all the other irons in the fire I just don't have as much time to scan all the topics. I also moved into the future by purchasing a smart phone and to tell the truth (not the forums fault) I really don't like navigating the forum in either the cell or the regular mode on a damn small screen.

Are there features I'd tweak to make it better for me? Yes.

This thread would probably be better suited to the Forums problem & suggestions section the way it's going but it's still a good overall view of what some members are feeling.

The quickest way to get a hold of the upper management is to use the contact us button on the bottom of the page if the site has operating issues. The other option is to use the forum support section and start a suggestion thread of some sort that everybody can chime in on. Obviously the owner can't make it fit everybody's basket but it's a good place to start.

[1der]

" I really don't like navigating the forum in either the cell or the regular mode on a damn small screen. "

I only use the "Full Site" format selectable at the bottom of the page when on my phone. Can't find a "Today's Posts" or Quick Links when in Mobile Format. Full Site requires a bit more zooming to be able to select a feature but at least the feature is present.

I am making it work and glad we have the forum available. A few tweaks mentioned here and there and we should be even better than before! ��