SO, I'm not complaining really but... I get avatars I get smileys I get compressed threads I lose ease of navigation to stuff like "my gallery" I lose color and layout control I lose thread navigation I lose a LOT on general useability I temporarily lose some link function I lose consistancy across the site hmmmm...I'd trade EVERYTHING in the get column for color control. I'll freely admit I didn't read any of the pre-change threads where the advantages of this change were probably mentioned and I am sure this will all get worked out and be just fine eventually but at the moment...I gotta call it a lose lose. If this were a new relase of a software product "upgrade" to a loyal customer base the provider would get butchered. Maybe I am too close to the issue being in software and working directly with customers to represent their needs, but they would absolutely KILL me for something like this...and they actually LIKE me. So far from this end it looks like..."Let's put in PHP then scramble to get them back the functionality we took away." I feel very much like I've been given some shiny new toys to mask the fact that some of the regular tools I use have been taken away or tucked into well hidden corners. I haven't seen anyone overly excited about the change so it seems to me a roll back would generate more customer satisfaction than the work arounds now being bandied about. Given that that will probably NOT happen... Can someone please remind me why this change to PHP is a good thing?

Quote - "Can someone please remind me why this change to PHP is a good thing?"

Emmm... sorry but I've got no idea. :unsure: It would have been a great thing if they had used the power we have in 2006 but it looks like the programmers are stuck with the technology of 1986. It's not a very good advert for Bondware.

I'm just curious how Bondware expects customers to buy this when some features which are the standard to all but two forums I visit (Renderosity and RDNA being those two) aren't there. Things like thread-bumping, a link to take you to the last post on a thread, easy to use formatting code (I don't have that much of a reason to learn HTML just so I can have my posts look pretty here), and screen-width threads (I use 1280x1024 and theres wasted space on both sides of the screen) are features which I, as a customer and consumer, would imagine anyone trying to have a good forum section needs to have for satisfied users. But, apparently those features don't "fit into the vision" the ptb have for Renderosity and Bondware, which leads me to wonder: "What is the vision?" Not to mention for some of users(myself included), the new forums are slower than the old ones.

"What is the vision?" Well, umm, lets see... There was "Digital Art For The 21st Century", which was purest vanity publishing. There was "RENDA", which was a bad copy of Vicky 3. Now we have a barely functional PHPboard they plan to resell later. What was your question again ? ;-P

Ok, so now I HAVE read the post that is supposed to tell me the advantages of the switch to PHP. Avatars - who cares...candy, nothing more subscribe - facilitated lurking quotes - because cut and past was just too hard stickies - for those REALLY important messages performance - where? when? I guess we're trying to become something more akin to "My Space" Mind boggling, truly mind boggling. And worse they're talking about switching other parts of the site to this trash as well.

Well, this thing is still fresh, so im all for giving the guys some slack, but so far im afraid im not exactly impressed, nor would i say that the forums are more interesting now. Its painfully slow(and im on broadband), and far to messy with the layout beeing used. Unfortunatly this entire thing are starting to look like DeviantArt, and that is certainly NOT a good thing at all. Eye candy such as avatars, smilies etc are ok, but not on the expense of the overall page performance. Reduce the size of the avatars to max 50x50 and disable smilies(which are already beeing extremely overused). AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please change the page layout and colors to something that looks like 2006. Please staff, take a REALLY close look at CGtalk forums, and see what the tools are capable of. You really need to pick up a few things from Leonard & Co.

I think i've seen this forum template before. The stars I've definitely seen them before. I think we should have a forum design contest!

Good idea raflafx seriously they can hold a contest to redesign that >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Too while they are at it. :)

Sorry, but I'm also not a fan of this new format. I think avatars, smilies and the like are extraneous nonsense compared with the the ease of navigation that's been sacrificed. The glaring, uneditable color scheme, the need for multiple logins (one for the homepage, another for the forums) have made coming here a chore. I've been a 'rosity member since the Poser Forum days. I've seen a lot of great changes. This isn't one of 'em.

I've said it before and I say it again: * Information architecture! * Usability! I'm sorry to say but the site(s) feels "home made" right now.

I hate it. I mean I really hate it. It looks like crap. Everything's in a different place. It's horrible

Quote: "...it seems to me a roll back would generate more customer satisfaction than the work arounds now being bandied about." I vote for a roll back!

I liked the old fprmat far better. Sorry.

Y'all do realize, of course, that they will eventually fix all the bugs, change features per member requests, and add new features? Right? And then it'll all be terribly normal around here again - different, but normal - and y'all will find something else to complain about... In the Big Scheme of Things in Life though, what does it matter what RO does with its forums? Everyone can adapt. As a species, that's one of the things we've always done well. :)

Sure they will...and sure we will...you're missing the point. The point is that the features they will add will be features WE ALREADY HAD. This "addition" took more away than it added...which doesn't make sense.

It would also be nice if I didn't have to log in EVERY DAMN TIME I clicked on the email link for a post.

Hell, it'd be nice if I didn't have to drive a block or two to find a parking spot near my bank every Friday, but, as they say, "Life's a bitch.", and I don't expect them to go out of their way to accommodate me even if I do contribute to their profit. My point is, y'all oughta get a life and go out and find something meaningful and/or creative to do while they fix this shee-ott.