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I don't think users should be down-rated because they've expressed their opinion of the new site design.  

Down rating any criticism of the site a bit sketchier than expressing one's criticism, I think.  In fact, most sites make design changes from time to time, and they always come with some negative feedback.  It's a fact of life.  And most sites want to tailor their sites to their users needs.

Actually - now I am super creeped out.  

It's not like he was trolling or making personal attacks.  The new design is profoundly aesthetically displeasing to more than one person.  

You live in a world where not everyone is going to like everything you do.  Get a backbone.  

Take the opinions of others about your design into consideration or ignore them.  But you can't just give people low ratings for that.  It's not a personal attack.  It's a a longtime user and contributor commenting on the usefulness and tolerability of the design, fer crying out loud.  Take it or leave it.  


"Talking nonsense is the sole privilege mankind possesses over the other organisms." -Dostoevsky

by poemless on Thu May 14th, 2009 at 05:19:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
While I agree Sven's comment could have been more diplomatically phrased, I agree with poemless that downrating him for expressing an honest opinion is unjust.

Rather than have a flae war, let's just sleep on it huh ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu May 14th, 2009 at 05:43:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Not a fan of the redesign either, or of the downrating.

The categories work well, the graphics don't.

Is there any good reason not to use some nicer looking jpegs as drop-in headers?

The election coverage logo looks much more believable in comparison.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu May 14th, 2009 at 06:04:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm not fighting for the headers (though I drew them up quite some time back to offer them as a possibility, and as they were well received among editors, Fran included them), and don't mind if they're kept or not. But there are those who like them (just as there are those who don't). We could put in jpegs, but the same problem would occur: likes and dislikes, strokes and folks.

What is unjustified imo is judging a Scoop site run by volunteers on professional criteria. Issuing a brief to a professional designer is not among ET's possibilities. Even if it were, there'd still be those who wouldn't agree with the result.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri May 15th, 2009 at 03:30:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well - yes and no. The problem with that argument is that it's not unusual now for amateur sites to look relatively polished. They may not be Scoop sites - which is a different issue - but readers won't be aware of that.

I think if there's any interest in being taken seriously, site design shouldn't be relegated to a side issue.

This doesn't mean it has to go through a total overhaul and a formal design process with briefs and a paid contract.

But if there are very negative reactions it might not hurt to try a range of possibilities, debate which ones are most popular, iterate, and converge on the look that's best received.

There's no reason design shouldn't be done in the same way that other collaborations are done here.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri May 15th, 2009 at 07:07:26 AM EST
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I've nothing in principle against "collaborative design". However, there has already been a lot of inconclusive meta-discussion about site design, the look of the front page, etc, and it's certain that even on quite major issues there has not been convergence. So the question is whether it's worth spending time on this, if in any case people don't agree in the end.

But people are free to post diaries here with their suggestions, if they think it's worthwhile.

A caveat: the Salon is Fran's contribution to the site, and she will in any case be the person who decides what look it has, just as each member does for their own diaries.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri May 15th, 2009 at 10:03:30 AM EST
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I gave Sven a 2 (not a troll-rating, as you well know) for the reason I explained - that his comments went imo way beyond reasonable or constructive criticism (which would have been welcome).

If "get a backbone" is addressed to me, I don't think you need worry.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri May 15th, 2009 at 01:45:38 AM EST
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