[getclikinagas]

Didn't see any announcement regarding the changes, so I thought I'd open a new thread.
 
Functionality
 
Empty space between drop down menu and Nav bar:
The Profile drop down and search drop down have these few pixels of space that cause the drop down to disappear. Care must be taken each time to move straight down past the narrow low res avatar else, start all over again.
Solution: Close the gap, or allow the mouse to pass the gap(for at least the width of the menu) without collapsing the drop down menu.
 
Search:
The search button is counterintuitive and inconvenient. Requiring hover>go strainght down and then left> click> make sure mouse is still within the bar>then type. And if your mouse happens to cross into the tiny space between the search bar and the nav bar, it will disappear.
Solution: The search bar should be on the nav bar. There is enough space to have a perfectly functioning search bar.
 
Log-in:
The new log-in process is terrible. Click icon on right>click log in to existing>Type in username and password each time>click login.
Also, the browser is unable to autofill the saved username and password, which is doubly inconvenient.
Three click and typing instead of a single click like it used to be. I see this as a step backwards in terms of functionality.
Solution: Bring back the old log-in form. This worked just fine and provided a on-click way to log-in. Put it on the nav bar if required.
 
Subscriptions and private messages:
Now hover and click is required to access subscriptions/PMs instead of a single click like earlier. This is often the most used link on Head-fi and increasing the time required to access it is a step backwards.
Solution: Place the subscriptions and Private messages links in the nav bar, once above the other, with a counter next to it. This will not look bad and will restore functionality.
 
Notification counter:
There is no indication whether the notification is for Private messages or subscriptions. There are times when I do not need to check all my subscriptions but would like to answer PMs. Now I have to check a hover menu every time.
Solution: See above
 
Aesthetics
These don't really bother me as much as the functionality list
 

1. The black and white Nav bar clashes with the Head-fi blue theme. I do not see why it needs to be black and white. The blue theme is characteristic to Headfi.
2. The avatar is low res. It looks blurry and should not be the case.
3. Post borders are messed up. Different thickness
4. Search button colour is off and doesn not match any other colour on the site.
5. Floating nav bar has two different-coloured regions when scrolled up to the top of the page.

 
I hope this doesn't sound like I'm complaining for no reason. I really like the sticky nav bar.
But the changes(listed above) adversely affect the way I interact with the site. It was much easier before the changes were made. I am all for moving forward but not at the cost of reduced functionality
 
I hope the mods consider my feedback and see where I'm coming from. I can generate some mock-ups if required, to show how these suggestions can look good without messing up the overall look, while dramatically increasing functionality.
 
Other Head-fiers: Please chip in with suggestions and feedback. Positive or negative.
 
21-Dec edit: Please see Post 14 for implementation of suggestions.
2-Feb edit: Complete theme is now posted:  

[Unofficial Theme] Head-Fi Modern Classic: A more functional Head-Fi [Fixes bugs from the new facelift]​

 

[BassDigger]

My gripe: the floating Nav bar is unnecessary and annoying; it uses up valuable screen space, ALWAYS.
 
On top of this, when opening a page, such as to check 'new posts', the nav bar is always positioned to cover the top part of the post, covering the identity of the poster. I have to reposition the page, so as to see the post in it's entirety.
 
I hope that HeadFi sees the error of a floating nav bar, and removes it asap; part of the attraction of the HeadFi website is its 'user friendly' nature. But some, apparently 'helpful', things are just a nuisance!
 
(Windows 7, Google chrome and IE)

 

[Karnitool12]

Because the navigation bar is placed so close to the advertisement I can't help but run the mouse over it occasionally, then the add. enlarges and I have to X it out . Also sometimes the add. won't close, leaving it covering up the navigation bar. Ever since the site has been updating it has been crashing my shockwave flash, or just crashing in general. This site will work for the first five minutes then it starts to lag when typing, clicking, and scrolling. Load times are also much slower at this point. 
 
The aesthetic is also not that great imho. 
 
Windows 10, Chrome 

 

[Currawong]

Just to clarify, the moderators and administrators don't have anything to do with the changes. The functionality of the site, though to some degree based on our feedback and suggestions, is managed by the Dev Team at Wikia and very often has to work across a number of different sites, not just Head-Fi.
 
That being said, the feedback is welcome and is read by the Wikia staff and we do have ongoing discussions with them about everything from bugs to functionality which has been resulting in useful changes. To give one major example: I asked what must be a couple of years ago now if we could have a means to view all pictures in a thread, and the result is the thread gallery at the top right.

 

[Makiah S]

  Didn't see any announcement regarding the changes, so I thought I'd open a new thread.
 
Functionality
 
 
Search:
The search button is counterintuitive and inconvenient. Requiring hover>go strainght down and then left> click> make sure mouse is still within the bar>then type. And if your mouse happens to cross into the tiny space between the search bar and the nav bar, it will disappear.
Solution: The search bar should be on the nav bar. There is enough space to have a perfectly functioning search bar.
 
Log-in:
The new log-in process is terrible. Click icon on right>click log in to existing>Type in username and password each time>click login.
Also, the browser is unable to autofill the saved username and password, which is doubly inconvenient.
Three click and typing instead of a single click like it used to be. I see this as a step backwards in terms of functionality.
Solution: Bring back the old log-in form. This worked just fine and provided a on-click way to log-in. Put it on the nav bar if required.
 
Aesthetics
These don't really bother me as much as the functionality list
 

1. The black and white Nav bar clashes with the Head-fi blue theme. I do not see why it needs to be black and white. The blue theme is characteristic to Headfi.
2. The avatar is low res. It looks blurry and should not be the case.
3. Post borders are messed up. Different thickness
4. Search button colour is off and doesn not match any other colour on the site.
5. Floating nav bar has two different-coloured regions when scrolled up to the top of the page.

 
Other Head-fiers: Please chip in with suggestions and feedback. Positive or negative.

Yea I'm with you there, the new search function is a little... annoying, though honestly I kinda like the Black an white Floating bar, though I think the same style with Blue would match better visually with the website as a whole 

 

[Tonhao]

  My gripe: the floating Nav bar is unnecessary and annoying; it uses up valuable screen space, ALWAYS.

 
I fully agree. It is the most glaring error in this graphical reform.

 

[castleofargh]

about the login, I had bookmarked http://www.head-fi.org/login that gave me the login form straight on the page(no pop up, no register form BS). the form still wasn't identified as "username" and "password" so that my browser could auto detect and save them, but at least it saved me 2 meaningless clicks.
but even that no longer works and now I get sent back to the home page...

 
right now the "username" data fills in the mail form in the join pop up... so the webmaster even failed that one. headfi can ask for a price reduction over this kind of beginner's mistakes.
 
I tried allowing the load of crap scripts google, facebook, yahooapis...."hey welcome home guys, just look around and see if there is something you like", in case one was needed to have the form work as intended, didn't change a thing. this is starting to piss me off TBH. having such an elaborate website and fail to have a proper login form... makes you wonder.
same thing with chrome and firefox for me so I don't even have that solution.
 
but the mobile version still works like a charm, there is a join button and a login button... duh
and this one does register the username/pass as being username/pass for the browser so no need to write it all down every single time.

 
I thought that half of the job of a web designer was make sure his stuff worked on different platforms before applying it.
 
 
 
anyway for those who are in my situation, the really dumb but effective solution right now is to switch to the mobile version, log in like on any website, and click back on the desktop version once logged in

 
 please have this mess sorted out, it's been a few days already.

 

[BassDigger]

  Just to clarify, the moderators and administrators don't have anything to do with the changes. The functionality of the site, though to some degree based on our feedback and suggestions, is managed by the Dev Team at Wikia and very often has to work across a number of different sites, not just Head-Fi.

 

  .... headfi can ask for a price reduction over this kind of beginner's mistakes.
 
... having such an elaborate website and fail to have a proper login form... makes you wonder.
same thing with chrome and firefox for me so I don't even have that solution.
...
I thought that half of the job of a web designer was make sure his stuff worked on different platforms before applying it.
...
 please have this mess sorted out, it's been a few days already.

 
I understand that it's normal, for even the biggest websites, to be running somebody else's product, even Headfi. 
 
I'm sure that there're some lessons to be learned, but maybe Headfi should switch back to the old platform, until the bugs are fixed on the new one.

 

[Hutnicks]

Funereal in appearance. Search disappears for me if I try to paste anything into the text box. Annoying to attempt to navigate with.
 
This new look has all the function and appearance of the pop up floating ads from which the code is derived.
 
I hope someone experiences a moment of sanity here and at the very least allows users to turn it off in favour of the previous navigation method.

 

[Currawong]

  I understand that it's normal, for even the biggest websites, to be running somebody else's product, even Headfi. 
 
I'm sure that there're some lessons to be learned, but maybe Headfi should switch back to the old platform, until the bugs are fixed on the new one.

 
Head-Fi switched to the Huddler platform in 2010. The new nav bar is just that, a new nav bar. 

 

[james444]

  My gripe: the floating Nav bar is unnecessary and annoying; it uses up valuable screen space, ALWAYS.

 
This. Please provide (optional) auto-hide, or some other way to get rid of it when not needed.

 

[miceblue]

The new floating bar blocks posting options by default if you quote anyone unless you manually scroll down the screen a bit.



Also if you click on a link to a specific post, the floating bar blocks the topmost part of the post including the username, date posted, and post number.

 

[Mr Trev]

I'll add my vote for bringing back the old login. Having to go this many menus is a pain, and the LastPass autofill is no longer automatic

 

[getclikinagas]

  Just to clarify, the moderators and administrators don't have anything to do with the changes. The functionality of the site, though to some degree based on our feedback and suggestions, is managed by the Dev Team at Wikia and very often has to work across a number of different sites, not just Head-Fi.
 
That being said, the feedback is welcome and is read by the Wikia staff and we do have ongoing discussions with them about everything from bugs to functionality which has been resulting in useful changes. To give one major example: I asked what must be a couple of years ago now if we could have a means to view all pictures in a thread, and the result is the thread gallery at the top right.

@Currawong I see. I'm surprised that the Administrators have nothing to do with the changes. Some of these changes are huge changes to accessibility and functionality. And since(I hope) you, I and many Head-fiers agree that some of these changes have degraded the functionality in critical ways, I hope you will make a strong recommendation to the Wikia devs to address the issues.
And there are ways we can help make that happen (see below)
 
@castleofargh  @BassDigger   @Mr Trev  @james444  @miceblue  @Hutnicks  @Tonhao  @Mshenay  @Karnitool12
Thanks for chipping in and reporting the issues you guys have faced.
My post count may not show that I hang around often, but I do. The new changes have negatively affected the way I interact with the site. I had a similar problem on another site I frequent, "overclock.net". Like @Currawong said "Dev Team at Wikia and very often has to work across a number of different sites, not just Head-Fi.". The administrators on that site mostly ignored the negative feedback and so, a few dedicated users decided to do something about it. They coded a functional theme for the website that brought back and enhanced many of the features that went missing/were broken after the transition. The thread can be found here along with the names of the members involved with the development.
 
I am optimizing and adapting their code for Head-Fi and this is how far I have reached:
 
When logged in:
1. The bar is now "Head-Fi Blue" (which is #5b6985). Also no more two tone bar.
2. The search bar now features and fits in the nav bar. Advance search link also provided.
3. Separate links to PMs and links and a counter against each. When there are no messages or subscriptions, the counter will not appear.
4. "Edit signature" link in Profile drop down menu.
5. Hover color changed to slightly darker than "Head-fi Blue"
 

 
When logged out:
1. One click login is now available and can be auto filled.
2. "Forgot password" link, "Remember Me" check box now present.
 

 
All what you see in the screenshots are completely functional and are not mock-ups. This is what I am currently using.
 
I feel this enhances the functionality greatly yet retains the new look and looks uncluttered.
 
@Currawong @jude  @joe and other admins
 
If you feel the same way, please get in touch with the wikia dev team. Let them know your suggestions. Show them that it can (and is) already achieved.
 
If they agree to implement changes, I can share the modified code. Or they can go to the source link(linked earlier) where this development first started. It goes without saying that credits must be given to the original devs from that thread.
 
If they do not agree, then perhaps we could make this an official optional theme for Head-fi. A more functional Head-fi, for the users. A Head-fi admin could announce it with the simple "only two clicks" install instructions (which I could provide). I can modify and optimize the code to work properly on Head-fi, but would like to remain anonymous. All credits must go to the original devs.
I have already spoken to the original devs and they are fine with it as long as credits are mentioned.

 

[hifi nub]

Log-in:
The new log-in process is terrible. Click icon on right>click log in to existing>Type in username and password each time>click login.
Also, the browser is unable to autofill the saved username and password, which is doubly inconvenient.
Three click and typing instead of a single click like it used to be. I see this as a step backwards in terms of functionality.
[COLOR=FF0000]Solution[/COLOR]: Bring back the old log-in form. This worked just fine and provided a on-click way to log-in. Put it on the nav bar if required.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/794299/one-click-login-head-fi-org