- 24,535
- United States
- GTP_Jordan
- GTP_Jordan
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: GTP9
- Thread starter Jordan
- 342 comments
- 23,600 views
- Status
- 8,707
- Utah
- ceiling_fan
I have a little annoyance regarding the new posts icon.
Am I the only one who actually has to verify whether a non-hot thread (blue envelope) has a new post or not? Here's an example:
As you know, the second icon down means "this thread has new posts" and the blue color signifies that the thread has less than 1000 views/50 replies. The third icon down doesn't have any new posts and thus has a dim envelope. When I'm casually scrolling down my recent posts I often can't tell if it has new posts and I have to stop to make sure I see the icon right.
In a nutshell. the second and third envelope icons in my picture look a bit too similar. If the second one had more contrast (like the red envelopes) that would be a nice improvement.
I hope that made sense...
edit: here's a more direct example.
Am I the only one who actually has to verify whether a non-hot thread (blue envelope) has a new post or not? Here's an example:
As you know, the second icon down means "this thread has new posts" and the blue color signifies that the thread has less than 1000 views/50 replies. The third icon down doesn't have any new posts and thus has a dim envelope. When I'm casually scrolling down my recent posts I often can't tell if it has new posts and I have to stop to make sure I see the icon right.
In a nutshell. the second and third envelope icons in my picture look a bit too similar. If the second one had more contrast (like the red envelopes) that would be a nice improvement.
I hope that made sense...
edit: here's a more direct example.
- 4,312
Nice Jordan! Looks very clean and modern. Good job. 👍
- 3,987
- Gaithersburg/MD
- landseaair
Out of curiosity when will ver.1.1 drop and what are the changes?
- 3,987
- Gaithersburg/MD
- landseaair
Rotary Junkie
Premium
- 9,810
- Canton, MI
- RJs_RX-7
Hmm... Can't decide whether I like GTP 9.1 or not... Seems a bit less cluttered than normal GTP9, but seems to have in-thread ads...
- 24,535
- United States
- GTP_Jordan
- GTP_Jordan
Not for "senior members". If you could view the 'full' styles before, you won't see in-thread ads on GTP9.1.
- 3,987
- Gaithersburg/MD
- landseaair
not too sure I like whatever you just did with the top bar Jordan
it's going to take a long time to get used to it this way
it's going to take a long time to get used to it this way
- 24,535
- United States
- GTP_Jordan
- GTP_Jordan
I agree, G.T, it feels more like home again. 
As many of you have probably noticed, the GTP9.1 update has been applied. I did away with the multiple styles, returning to our standard "Default" and "GTP Lite" selections. If you had it set to use one of our previous GTP Lite styles, you will need to change this setting again - sorry. All non-Premium/Staff members should notice a slight increase in speed, and IE users who didn't have access to the old Full styles should notice a considerable increase in page rendering time, especially on slower connections. I've also fixed the reported bugs and moved a few things around. My GTPlanet can now be found next to the "New Posts" link in the yellow box, and the links to the member list and community calendar can now be found near the bottom of the forum home page, right above the Online Users statistics in the blue bar. As has already been mentioned, the 'Planet' has also returned to the site logo. Please let me know if you find more bugs or problems with GTP9.1.
As many of you have probably noticed, the GTP9.1 update has been applied. I did away with the multiple styles, returning to our standard "Default" and "GTP Lite" selections. If you had it set to use one of our previous GTP Lite styles, you will need to change this setting again - sorry. All non-Premium/Staff members should notice a slight increase in speed, and IE users who didn't have access to the old Full styles should notice a considerable increase in page rendering time, especially on slower connections. I've also fixed the reported bugs and moved a few things around. My GTPlanet can now be found next to the "New Posts" link in the yellow box, and the links to the member list and community calendar can now be found near the bottom of the forum home page, right above the Online Users statistics in the blue bar. As has already been mentioned, the 'Planet' has also returned to the site logo. Please let me know if you find more bugs or problems with GTP9.1.
I appreciate the work you put into this site, Jordan, so take the following as constructive criticism.
To put it simply, I miss GTP8 Lite's simple and convenient menu bar. Personally, I don't see why half of the major forum functions need to be bunched into the small yellow box, while the other half are relocated to the hard-to-find and time-consuming-to-scroll-to blue bar found only near the bottom of the main forum index page. GTP8 Default was the same way, which is why I used GTP Lite exclusively.
What's more, I don't think it's a good idea to leave the actual forum search function (you call it "advanced") as a small link next to what's blatantly a Google search box. Maybe it's just me, but I avoid Google-powered search engines on websites because they just don't work, and no offense, but the one here is no different. If any of our newer members are like me, that means fewer of them will even try searching before starting new threads. I understand you probably want to alleviate server load by reducing the number of searches on your server, but if we're going to emphasize the usage of the Google-powered search, it seems a bit unfair to emphasize searching before starting a thread, as the Google search often proves fruitless.
My humble request is for the GTP Lite style (which currently seems to do nothing but make the top of the page boring) to return to something similar to what it was before. Bring back the red menu bar, with those clear, easy-to-find buttons for My GTPlanet, New Posts, Private Messages, Search Forums, etc., and that drop-down menu for the functions currently found only in that blue bar at the bottom of the main index (Mark Forums Read, for example, which I use frequently). If users don't want all of the forum's functions staring them in the face, they can always use Default.
Apart from those things, I like the new, updated look. I just wish the forum was as intuitive as it was before.
To put it simply, I miss GTP8 Lite's simple and convenient menu bar. Personally, I don't see why half of the major forum functions need to be bunched into the small yellow box, while the other half are relocated to the hard-to-find and time-consuming-to-scroll-to blue bar found only near the bottom of the main forum index page. GTP8 Default was the same way, which is why I used GTP Lite exclusively.
What's more, I don't think it's a good idea to leave the actual forum search function (you call it "advanced") as a small link next to what's blatantly a Google search box. Maybe it's just me, but I avoid Google-powered search engines on websites because they just don't work, and no offense, but the one here is no different. If any of our newer members are like me, that means fewer of them will even try searching before starting new threads. I understand you probably want to alleviate server load by reducing the number of searches on your server, but if we're going to emphasize the usage of the Google-powered search, it seems a bit unfair to emphasize searching before starting a thread, as the Google search often proves fruitless.
My humble request is for the GTP Lite style (which currently seems to do nothing but make the top of the page boring) to return to something similar to what it was before. Bring back the red menu bar, with those clear, easy-to-find buttons for My GTPlanet, New Posts, Private Messages, Search Forums, etc., and that drop-down menu for the functions currently found only in that blue bar at the bottom of the main index (Mark Forums Read, for example, which I use frequently). If users don't want all of the forum's functions staring them in the face, they can always use Default.
Apart from those things, I like the new, updated look. I just wish the forum was as intuitive as it was before.
- 24,240
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
I thought things looked a little different today 
GTP9 didn't quite sit right with me at first, the fonts and sizes, the colours of the envelopes and even the speed seemed a little slower than what i'd become accustomed to with the previous version. I wouldn't say i was unhappy with it, it just didn't seem like home.
But when i logged in this morning everything was just 'right' 👍
I don't really spend much time on other forums, but i have to say that GTPlanet has to be, technically, the best looking and smoothest running forum there is.
The fact that it's the best run forum goes without saying.
GTP9 didn't quite sit right with me at first, the fonts and sizes, the colours of the envelopes and even the speed seemed a little slower than what i'd become accustomed to with the previous version. I wouldn't say i was unhappy with it, it just didn't seem like home.
But when i logged in this morning everything was just 'right' 👍
I don't really spend much time on other forums, but i have to say that GTPlanet has to be, technically, the best looking and smoothest running forum there is.
The fact that it's the best run forum goes without saying.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,732
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
I agree with this, I really liked the top bar.
- 3,124
- Bradopoly
Good to see the planet back Jordan. 👍
- 7,666
I think I'll miss that navigation bar that was at the top of the screen. Just having the search bar makes it look a little boring and maybe a little awkward. IT looks especially lonely and like it was just kinda there when you are viewing the index and don't have the GTP Forums > ..... links filling the gap up there.
- Status
