New Vital Website.. | Vital Football

New Vital Website..

cornypomp

Vital 1st Team Regular
Just want to say a couple of things about the new website..

First off.. when it loads on my laptop screen I can't even see it. I have to drag it up from the bottom of the screen, and even then the majority of it is all 'white-space'.. there's nothing there!

Nothing to see???

Just mentioned it above, but I want to ask.. why all the 'white-space'. Its not at all welcoming. Then.. nothingness isn't is it. Feels like an online banking site. As for being user friendly. Its not! All the content is far too widely spread, and when you want to comment on the front page you have to log in again with name and email address. Someone's made a right b@lls up me thinks..

The old site was far more compact and welcoming.. :thumbup:

You didn't have to scroll down three or four pages to see just a couple of posts either.. you could virtually see the whole page..

Sorry, I know I'm not long back, but I must vent my feelings (I always did) and say IMHO there's something desperately missing here, feels too damn corporate.. :downer:

PS : Here's a screenshot of what I actually see when I first load Vital Pompey.. just the tip of the whistle.. Click on the tiny blue fleck in the corner (its the tip of the whistle) and you'll see what I see.. or don't.. ha ha :innocent:

New_Vital_Website.._Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-07_17.55.15.png
 
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Thanks for feedback Corny, will pass it on.

Also, I'll look to comment more when I can. Just finished paternity leave and back to work. Couple of days off (including today), where I hope to get up and running again... well, if the little lady allows!
 
Ok Rug.. that will be appreciated.. :thumbup:

Re the website.. Its all well and good website's being specifically set up for mobile phones, but for those of us using laptops or PC's its really off-putting. As I said in my earlier post, its not welcoming whatsoever. I'd actually say its pretty 'bland'. Far too much white-space and lack of fluidity.. :downer:
 
Not forgotten this, just hadn't got round to it. The boss is currently away, so will get in touch with them next week.
 
Not forgotten this, just hadn't got round to it. The boss is currently away, so will get in touch with them next week.

Ok Rug.. thanks mate. I'm just going to post four examples in the sequence entering the site takes. I think you'll see exactly what I'm on about. Here goes.

1.) First page to come up after selecting Vital in bookmarks is this. Note they got this centered ok..
Vital_Portsmouth_Forum_Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-21_18.50.11.png
2.) Then I get this..
Vital_Portsmouth_Forum_Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-21_18.50.40.png
3.) Then I have to scroll half a page to get this..
Vital_Portsmouth_Forum_Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-21_18.51.13.png
4. To arrive at this.. after logging on.. I'm not going to say anymore, the sequence speaks for itself.. Its a nonsense!
Vital_Portsmouth_Forum_Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-21_18.52.30.png
 
Hi Cornypomp.

We hear you. Will raise this with Jonathan and will see what can be done.

Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated.

Andy (Vital Football Admin)
 
Cheers Andy, saves me a job! Appreciated.

They'll get onto this now Corny.

Thanks Rug.. I appreciate it. It really is off-putting.

I partake in a couple of forums on line, one for guitarists, and another for sailing, and both are welcoming and cohesive in their makeup. Its very easy to moan about something, but I just felt I had to say something about this. Lets hope it gets sorted..

Cheers..
 
Your comments are massively appreciated. Working day in and day out on something we are guilty of going blind to a lot of things. Really hope we can improve the user experience on desktop.

Keep the faith!
 
Your comments are massively appreciated. Working day in and day out on something we are guilty of going blind to a lot of things. Really hope we can improve the user experience on desktop.

Keep the faith!

Thank you its appreciated. I hope you can get it sorted for us desktop users. There's still a few million of us about.. not all Pompey fans mind you.

Here's something interesting. I've just logged on to answer your comment and instead of a completely blank page which is normal, the page appears to have crept up a bit. Its far from right, but it surprised me being there. Here's a screen shot..

New_Vital_Website.._Vital_Forums_-_2018-08-24_17.36.57.png
 
Hi Cornypomp. There should be an ad at the top, shown once every 24 hours which pushes the content down. I must admit we are not keen on it but it keeps the lights on at Vital Towers. Of course, if we removed the ad (and other ads) there would be no Vital football.

We are down on numbers this coming week due to people having the temerity to go on holiday! So just me rattling around on my own but the points you raise are a big deal so we will make progress on them.

Cheers

Andy
 
Hi Cornypomp. There should be an ad at the top, shown once every 24 hours which pushes the content down. I must admit we are not keen on it but it keeps the lights on at Vital Towers. Of course, if we removed the ad (and other ads) there would be no Vital football.

We are down on numbers this coming week due to people having the temerity to go on holiday! So just me rattling around on my own but the points you raise are a big deal so we will make progress on them.

Cheers

Andy

Thanks for that Andy.. I must say, if there's meant to be an ad at the top of the page, it must really be some size. All encompassing! From the top of the whistle to the top of the page on my laptop screen is blank. There's also another sizeable blank between the blue Vital toolbar and when the posts start.

So much wasted space..

I understand that Vital have to keep the lights on with ads, but surely they could be composited better within the page. To me, it appears an advert is more important than the forum itself, which is kind of self defeating don't you think.

Also, I must say this.. before you can even look at anything on the forum, you are hit (virtually) with that Privacy Notice that takes up the whole page. Its aggressively done. Sure, on the majority of sites now you have to 'ok' the Privacy Notice, and acknowledge cookies etc, but the majority are just an unobtrusive bar at the bottom of the page. Nothing like the Notice we are hit with (and can't get passed) when just wanting to look at the forum.

First impressions count one hell of a lot. The front 'home page' is the same. Although not so badly white-spaced, its equidistant block layout reminds me very much of my first ever glimpse of Windows 8, and we all know what reception that got. While I'm on the subject of the front page, I must ask why.. if logged in on the forum, its necessary to declare an email address and name to log in so you can comment on the home page. Where's the joined up thinking? The old site from way back allowed that if I remember correctly.

One last thing. Ok, I've mentioned it already, but I will do again. It seems that people putting websites together today are predominantly aiming at people with i-phones etc, and that is why there's a predominance of white-space and huge text. On a PC.. pages like that are like looking at your first reading book at Primary School. That's unacceptable! taking steps backwards instead of forwards. I use a Kindle and eBooks, and they are based on a normal reading experience, with text in the requisite space. No problems there!

To finish up I want to say.. There is a middle way, a compromise, and that's what I'm hoping can be accomplished on/for Vital Pompey. It will certainly make it more welcoming and inclusive, and that at the end of the day is what a forum should be. Its a coming together of human-beings to discuss their interests..

Cheers.. Corny...
 
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Hi Corny... and again thank you for your comments - they really are very welcome!

I am a desktop PC creature rather than a tablet or smartphone so I appreciate where you are coming from.

One question - which browser are you using? I have to check using Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge and Opera but my browser of choice is Chrome.

As regards logging on here and then needing an email address to add comments on the article pages. Completely agree. We have two different systems and I would dearly like things to join up between forum and 'front page' articles.

That is our medium-term aim - to almost blend forum and front page.

Once Jonathan gets back from holiday I am planning to go through this thread (and one or two similar snippets from other Vital forums) and get a development plan sorted.

Cheers

Andy
 
Hi Andy..

I'm using Windows 7 Professional with Firefox, and just as a sneaky check.. I looked up the Vital Forum on my mates laptop, and he's running Windows 10 with Firefox. The result.. exactly the same!

Corny..
 
Hi Corny, sorry for the delay. I am now looking at the forums and how it all hangs together (or not) and how things can be made smoother.

Keep the faith.

Andy
 
Hello Andy..

I thought you'd disappeared to planet Zog.. ;-)

I'm starting to wonder if anything can be done about this at all. Its the forum software that's modeled for mobile phones. Its such a damn shame, its like walking into an empty white painted room with the odd picture here and there.

Not an enjoyable experience at all really.

I know I've been away for a while, but I remember a time when Vital Pompey was a hive of activity. People used to 'virtually' meet here. Lots of people. Now its empty and feels like the last chance saloon. State of the art, fashionable white-space might be some web designer's idea of fun, but with nobody to advertise to, well..

I've checked out some of the other Vital sites too.. exactly the same. To attract people back to the Vital forum network the site needs to be attractive and welcoming. Someone needs to see beyond a bit of software.

Corny..
 
Hi Corny... will mail Rug with some ideas I have got. Some bits I can configure.. other bits I will have to get head down and delve into what info is out there.

Small changes to begin imminently
 
Hi Andy..

Thank you, your efforts are very much appreciated..

Pompey FC is on the up, and I for one would love to see this site rise to the challenge along with the club.

Rug and Dave (that man from Eastney) have been real stalwarts on here, and I really do think their efforts have been incredible, and are so worthy of praise. What we need to do now is get the Vital Pompey family of fans back on-board, so that we can once again be a dynamic part of Pompey's renaissance..

Facebook, Twitter, etc play a part in bringing fans together, but a forum does so much more I feel. There's an intimacy, a feeling of belonging on a forum, despite it being out there in the ether. That's why its so important to create the right ambience, and feel.

A journey of a 1000 miles starts with one step..

Corny.. :thumbup: