Improving BARF User Experience

[insyder]

Hey Guys!

So Budman and I have been quietly looking at moving forward with making improvements to the forum in whatever ways we can, delicately and hopefully not breaking anything permanently.

One of the primary goals is to improve the user experience for mobile users. As we're on a really old, though ironically pretty reliable and speedy version of VBulletin, this old girl doesn't do mobile very well. So we've been looking at options.

So right now we're looking at introducing a responsive(mobile ready) template. That keeps us on this version of VBulletin, while we continue to weigh out our options on what exactly we want to do with the underlying forum software.

This is where you come in. We don't want to just "switch over" without a few people having a look and giving feedback on what might need to be done or how it performs on various mobile devices.

So go check it out, the style is called "BARF - 2017 Responsive" if you want to switch with the style chooser on the footer of the forum pages. Or you can just click this link:

:cool http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/index.php?styleid=23

This link will get you back to our "old school" style

:afm199 http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/index.php?styleid=3

 

[Whammy]

Personally I liked the black version that was used in the days following Nicky's passing.
Much more easier on the eyes than the current one,and this silly green you have on this one.
Hmmm lets call it BARFY green.green:barf
Makes me feel like on some kind of Vegan, or Green site or something.
All the pastel colors just don't do it for me.

 

[augustiron]

I am in the new version right now on my phone, avatars are frikkin huge!

I still have to zoom in to read posts as the default width is so the banner ad is full width of the screen, posts are about 55% of the width.

Also, odd justification alignment of some text cutting words in half...

Galaxy 4s on chrome browser...

 

[auntiebling]

I am in responsive now as well, and avatars are bigger but not huge.

 

[mrzuzzo]

Standard looks way better on my Android.

Also, the so-called "responsive" theme doesn't seem to be responsive at all for me.

 

[augustiron]

Screenshot of alignment...
Upload function and navigation is improved also

 

[augustiron]

I had to switch back to old school

 

[budman]

Thanks guys.

I like old skool to just because it is still the same.

 

[ScarySpikes]

will try responsive on mobile later. On laptop the buttons don't look quite right, both with color choice (reds, greens, etc) and size. otherwise and the BARF logo looks pretty lonely at the top there, I feel like it would be better use of space at least to put the Bay Area Riders Forum text should separate from the BARF portion so on laptop they will be side by side and for responsive they will be over under.

 

[insyder]

Ok. Banner ads code effed up the layout.

Ads removed for now.

I agree the colors are a little :barf

Device: Galaxy S4 on Chrome

 

[MysterYvil]

BARF is fine to me, both desktop and Android.

 

[budman]

Ads removed.????

We need to fix that.

400 thousand views lost.

 

[EastBayDave]

Personally I liked the black version that was used in the days following Nicky's passing.
Much more easier on the eyes than the current one,and this silly green you have on this one.
Hmmm lets call it BARFY green.green:barf
Makes me feel like on some kind of Vegan, or Green site or something.
All the pastel colors just don't do it for me.

THATS KAWASAKI GREEN BUB! Uh, guess not? :laughing

Thanks guys.

I like old skool to just because it is still the same.

I'm kinda used to this one; but will look at it on Tablet before making a concrete conclusion...

BARF is fine to me, both desktop and Android.

agreed :thumbup

any way around, "we have the technology, we will adapt..."

EDIT =EDIT: UH OH. After looking at the new version, I used the link to switch back. Now the txt is too light (as in light blue instead of dark blue =same as this edit.) Now harder to read....can't seem to switch it back in "Options." Derp...

 

[Tally Whacker]

The Responsive is the first mobile-specific forum software that I would choose over the full site. Most others are truly terrible, but this one works for me.

 

[insyder]

Playing with the avatar css to change size on the narrow screens...

 

[insyder]

...EDIT =EDIT: UH OH. After looking at the new version, I used the link to switch back. Now the txt is too light (as in light blue instead of dark blue =same as this edit.) Now harder to read....can't seem to switch it back in "Options." Derp...

Sounds like you were using the "Old Eyes" style

http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/index.php?styleid=19

 

[ctrvl]

This responsive style is rad, thank you! Looks great on my Pixel XL on Chrome, I think I'm in love.

 

[Marcoose]

The new mobile version, on an iPhone 6s, hyphenates weird. Back to old eyes.

 

[Abacinator]

I've been using the responsive theme. It works well between both platforms for me, I I just have to get used to having the usernames above each post on mobile. It also wraps words to the next line, splitting them, which is a bit annoying. I preferred the Nicky tribute color scheme as well. I'll always choose a dark or "night mode" color scheme if it's available

 

[sckego]

Used it for a bit today. I'm pretty meh on it... Think I'll stick to standard.