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JSpeer's avatar

Anyone feel that Fluther needs a new look? Or are you cool with it?

Asked by JSpeer (362points) August 21st, 2015

To me it seems a little outdated, but more importantly, I find there are some issues with “user-friendly-ness.”

For example,

1. Why is it so hard to get to the list of questions I’ve asked? Shouldn’t there just be a simple button at the top of every screen that says, “My Questions?”

2. The notifications menu for New Activity and Messages on the right of the HP(Homepage) is strange. Most sites just have a dropdown menu for Messages, Replies, Account, etc. at the top, and place a little number or badge on it when you have an unviewed notification. If I don’t have notifications, it’s just taking up space.

3. On the HP there are 4 categories: General, Social, Just For You, Meta. Then when you’re selected on General (for example), it says “General Section” Again right under it as a header. It’s pretty redundant and adds more clutter.

I guess my overall issue is with clutter. There’s a lot going on the homepage and it makes is difficult for me to focus, navigate, and use the site efficiently. The design of the buttons and everything is outdated too, but I can deal with that I guess lol.

I feel that if I recommend the site to a friend, I have to sit with them and walk them through how to use it, which means chances are they’ll never use it again. Websites should show the user what to through it’s design.

“ASK A QUESTION!” should be front and center as soon as you open the site! Not a tiny little old-school link hidden under the notifications menu off to the right.

Anyway, I only bring it up because the concept of this site is ingenious, and part of me wishes they’d take a look at some more current websites out there. I don’t think I’ve noticed any changes or improvements to the site in years and years.

Does anyone else care, or just me? lol

On another not, what’s with the “Edit” question page? Why do I click Edit Questions, and then have to click Edit Question again? And if you drag the Details text box bigger to edit, it overlaps the text underneath and you can’t see what you’re doing…

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32 Answers

Mimishu1995's avatar

I agree with 1. I’m quite OK with 2 and 3. And the “Ask a question” thing is already big enough below the section bar. You have to sign in to ask anyway.

And my suggestion list:

- I need the “first” and “last” button for every “1,2,3,4…” line. I feel discouraged to search anything from my questions to my messages because of that.
– The “browse” button near the “newborn” section redirect me to the general section. I would very much prefer that the button list every question asked in the date order.
– The GQ button need to be disabled after anyone click on it, and to the asker. It’s so easy to GQ someone twice.

JSpeer's avatar

To be honest, I forgot that Ask Fluther button was even there on the homepage lol @Mimishu1995

That’s a little better, but still – It doesn’t draw much attention – The bright orange header bar above it distracts the eye away from it.

janbb's avatar

You can suggest anything you want – and your suggestions are good ones – but the developers of the site are long gone to other pursuits so no updating is going to be done. One of them pays the server fees still out of the goodness of his heart but is only doing emergency fixes.

JSpeer's avatar

Hm, interesting @janbb

Well maybe this question and it’s answers will impart a little inspiration on whomever is running the site lol. It would be a real shame if they’re not interested at all in user feedback and keeping their business relevant and up to date

filmfann's avatar

Aren’t you a new arrival? How can this seem outdated?
I have been here for a while, and I am fine with this site. I am happy when it works properly. I don’t need any updates.

JSpeer's avatar

@filmfann I’ve been using Fluther on and off for at least 5 or 6 years. I don’t remember if I changed my account at any point, and I may have used my brothers at times, but I’ve been around.

Either way it only takes minutes (or seconds they’d say in the design world) to feel out the design of something, especially a website. Outdated has nothing to do with how long someone’s been using the thing.

I agree, the website is perfectly functional, but there is always room for improvement, and sometimes its good to see changes and new things happening, at least that the company is listening to it’s users’ feedback.

I hope none of what I wrote comes across as too negative, just drawing some attention to some things I’ve noticed

JSpeer's avatar

I commute from NJ to NYC every morning on public transportation. I get from point A to point B, and back, successfully every day – but if you ask anyone that uses NJ Transit what they think of it, what you hear will be 100% negative.

Again, I don’t think Fluther is BAD, but sometimes just “working ok” can be improved upon. If they don’t care, that’s fine too.

I’m a graphic designer and visual effects artist so it’s hard for me to ignore things like this lol

jca's avatar

@JSpeer: What @janbb said. Even though you have suggestions and they may be valid, there will be no improvements made. We’re all just grateful that the site is up and running and maintained for us to use and enjoy. It’s like being given a space to use free of charge. If we start complaining to the landlord and getting too demanding, the landlord may decide it’s easier to take the space away and we’d be out in the cold.

Dutchess_III's avatar

We’re happy that the developers take the time to fix small glitches. This site is only still up because they do care, it’s just not the priority it was until TWITTER STOLZ OUR GUYS!

JSpeer's avatar

Did they really go to Twitter? That’s a shame. Do you work at Fluther? @Dutchess_III

Dutchess_III's avatar

Yes, they really went to Twitter. Twitter called them. It’s called headhunting. So we were proud and sad at the sme time. Bendrew pops in from time to time.
No, I don’t work here, not even as a mod (Stop the howling laughter at the thought of me being a mod, people!!). I’ve just been here since 2009, which isn’t long compared to many others.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Huh. Speaking of glitches…I just changed my avatar to one a moderator gave me about a year ago. It shows it’s changed when I go into my profile, but it isn’t showing changed here, in the comments section.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Finally. I deleted all the avatars on my list, including my Mucha one, but it STILL didn’t change. So I logged out and logged back in. That did the trick.

JSpeer's avatar

@Dutchess_III I had an issue yesterday with updating my email address on the site. They sent me out an email to confirm the new address, and even after I did – they wouldn’t allow me to post questions or replies until I “verified my email address.” The when I clicked “verify” it said “Oops, this email address has already been verified.”

Frustrating lol. Logging our and back in didnt work on my phone or iPad, but when I logged in on a desktop it worked fine.

ItalianPrincess1217's avatar

Weirdly enough I was thinking about how it seems a bit outdated just yesterday. The only thing that really bothers me is when I want to log in, I have to click that “already a member? Log in” crap. New users can just type their info into the boxes that are already there and sign up. But people who already have an account have to go through an extra step and it’s annoying.

Dutchess_III's avatar

? Can’t you set it to keep you logged in? Sometimes the system logs me out, but to log back in I just put the letter D in the user name, and everything else autofills.

It’s a lot more work signing up than it is signing in.

jca's avatar

@ItalianPrincess1217: I don’t have to go through that step every time. It takes me right to being already logged in.

Dutchess_III's avatar

The only think I don’t like about fluther is the blue green color scheme. That color makes me feel icky. I think it goes back to childhood trauma, or something!

ItalianPrincess1217's avatar

For some reason I have to sign in when I try accessing it from my phone. Not more than once in a day but after a certain amount of time has passed.

JSpeer's avatar

@Dutchess_III hah, I know what you mean. There are some “sickly” color combinations around the site

jca's avatar

I like the retro look of the colors and the fonts. Like a 70’s vibe.

Berserker's avatar

I never even think about that anymore. I’m thinking that being able to choose a darker skin option would be kinda cool though. All this happy white and green sometimes just…makes me too happy. Need some dark blues and black. And a shark somewhere.
A mechanical one.

stanleybmanly's avatar

This is a question worthy of far more “great question” responses than it has thus far received. I suspect that a great many more of us would be intrigued with your notions were it not for the fact that lots of us dial up the “meta” category infrequently.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@stanleybmanly Doesn’t matter. There will never be any more changes made, or upgrades, or features added, ever. Only when a current feature starts drowning does Bendrew come in and fix it, and for that we are grateful. They don’t even have to do that.

Dutchess_III's avatar

“A telegram for you, Ma’am…”

Berserker's avatar

All dat, plus who?

Pachy's avatar

With everything else in the world changing from second to second—and not always for the better—I’m perfectly content with the Fluther look as is.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Wull, you’re supposed to say “No sir! You’re a LAND shark!”
Now, go, @Symbeline.

Adagio's avatar

I find the pale turquoise and white stripes very restful. The yellow I can live with or without. The site is fine with me.

Espiritus_Corvus's avatar

Relax. Give it a little more time and people will think it is very cool, very retro.

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