Changes at My B&N - give us your feedback

[becke_davis]

BN.com is asking for your input on some changes: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board/message?board.id=CR&thread.id=14487

[TiggerBear]

Ok What s going on. Everything different and my preferences have been trashed? Becky do you know?

[becke_davis]

Hey Tigger, sorry I had to do a quick edit. I totally sympathize! They are beta testing the new format today and, as I'm sure you noticed, a lot of things aren't working. No personal messages, no ability to "add product," and a number of other issues. They are trying to fix everything as fast as possible, so you shouldn't lose anything. (Let me know if you do!) They are trying to make the pages cleaner, easier to read and easier to navigate. Today is a "testing, 1,2,3" day and I don't think the admins are having any more fun than you are! It's going to be great when everything works right, so please bear with us. Sorry about all the hassle!

[TiggerBear]

Well this site just ate my last 3 posts and 2 pms I just tried to send. (exasperated sigh) Main problem is they make it MUCH MORE DIFFICULT to read, not easier. The color is an eye strain. The page all the way over to the left hand to be designed by a lefty, cause I had to move my chair over today. This sucks!

Please feel free to forward this to the powers that be. Since 2 of those posts and 1 Pm said pretty much the same thing.

[becke_davis]

I'm so sorry you've had so many problems, Tigger -- I know you aren't alone. Did you already pass this on? There's a thread up by the Announcements where they are asking for feedback about the changes, as well as any problems you're experiencing.

Here's the link: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Help-Book-Clubs-My-B-N/bd-p/Help

[TiggerBear]

I didn't because none of the links were working. And direct posts kept getting trashed.

[becke_davis]

They've fixed some of the problems already -- the "add product" link is back and I think the comment problem has been addressed. There's another, newer thread to post suggestions or talk about any problems you're experiencing: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Community-Room/Maintenance-Today/m-p/385720#U385720

[KathyS]

The reasons for these changes are all beyond me....it's a mess.  I hate Beta.  It sucks. Graphics, color, design placement...wasted space...and accessable placements does NOT exist.   PM and log-in is clear to the right, off my  visual screen, unless I manually move the screen over.... Lost main access page...ability to float threads is missing...missing friends list...you name it, it's gone, gone, gone...but I'm not going to report it, because I know darn well everyone else is complaining......and I know darn well these Admins are aware of every inch of what is viewed, and what is not viewed, and what is missing, on these boards. Or, I at least hope they are aware!

As Paul had said in our Com Room, on the book discussion....where people were complaining....it's a work in progress.  But why the H can't they figure out all of this crap before they allow it to be viewed half finished by us is, again beyond me.  They did the same thing to us last time!  They must like the activity in the complaint department. 

I'm glad I finished my book discussion in time....but the poor author came on to say good-bye to all of us....and she couldn't, because these doe-does closed it for freaking MAINTENANCE!  She said she had felt, for this month, a warm embrace by everyone....and then she wants to say thank you, and it felt like they changed the locks on the doors....the life of an author...I'm glad she has a sense of humor, because mine is waning.  There was absolutely NO ANNOUCEMENT OF THIS...NONE THAT I SAW...it should have been announced a week prior....on EVERY BOARD...that's what pisses me off the most.  How inconsiderate can you get!  I hear people are leaving.  And you don't know the half of it....If it aint broke, don't fix it!

[Choisya]

I sympathise with every word KathyS.  My biggest problem is that when posting a message anywhere the font is very small and I can hardly read it - I have to peer at my screen which I surely should not have to do!  I altered my display setting as advised but that has only altered the main board display.  I remember that last time a number of people with poor eyesight left the boards because of the small fonts and pale colours - you really would think the techies would have learned from that.  I have decided to compose on my computer in a font size I can see and then cut and paste to the message boxes but I really should not have to go to all that trouble.  But let us not clutter up Becke's board further with these problems. 

[becke_davis]

Clutter away, Choisya. Some people may feel more comfortable venting here than in the Community Room. I know people are riled, and I'd rather have everyone talk about it than hold it in and not come back.

But here is a peaceful scene to help us relax:

[KathyS]

Becke, thanks for the scene....you always make it nice for us here.  I just got up from a three hour nap...I guess I was tired!

I'm through ranting about these changes, here or anywhere. People will also argue against you...which defeats the purpose of change.  I don't want to argue obvious points.   It's a waste of time, crying over something we have really no control over.  If they haven't learned by now, there is nothing more we can say that will change this.

I gave one last try on the subject of fonts....my eyes start to cross with the way it is now.  I have so many floaters in my eyes, they obscure some of my vision if I have to read this small of print.  As Choisya said, we could keep manually changing to a large view, but it's more trouble than it's worth, and it really doesn't change the font readability.  There is not enough space between the characters to make them clear to read.   This font they use is in a condensed verson.  They should be able to adjust this.  The program I used when I typed the newsletter, I could make whatever font or character size I used, to open or close....I would think that these programs that they use, would have the same options.  I don't want to work at reading.

Well, that's it for now....back to The Old Man And The Sea...

[becke_davis]

I know they pretty much invited the rants over at the Community Room board, so don't sweat it. I just thought we could use the peaceful scene to set the pace for September. Hopefully the Powers That Be will take all the feedback they're getting into consideration when they go back to the drawing board. Thanks to you all for bearing with us while the maintenance is going on.

[becke_davis]

Well, I've been unable to post for a bit, and I know others are having the same problem. B&N is working to fix the problem, so please bear with us!

[TiggerBear]

(nearly fainting from shock) Oh my goddess the reply button works again?!?!?

[becke_davis]

---

TiggerBear wrote:

(nearly fainting from shock) Oh my goddess the reply button works again?!?!?

---

I know, I know. It happened to me, too. But the B&N tech people are working really hard to get this renovation completed. Thanks for hanging in there while some things are still under construction.

[TiggerBear]

Ok I can post agin, but anybody know why or how the pages got 4 times as wide?

[becke_davis]

Um, mine look the same. Do you know what browser you are using? I am using Google Chrome, but sometimes I have to switch to Mozilla Firefox when weird things happen in Chrome. And I've heard a lot of people have strange things happen here when they are using Safari. Again, hopefully these issues will all be addressed soon.

[KathyS]

Becke,

I like your use of the word "renovation"....you feel like you have to wear a hard-hat, on a major construction site!

Funny cartoon!

Fred, sitting at his computer.  My mouse has a sticker of Mickey Mouse on it!  Ha!  I love Mickey!  He's my hero!

I'm living dangerously this morning....having hashbrowns with Ketchup!

[KathyS]

This is all very funny!  I haven't had any problems with any of this stuff.....I thought I was on B&N night and day, but maybe this stuff is showing up when I'm NOT on....My screen hasn't changed...it's just the font size that bothers me.  I haven't tried to link anything, or post a picture of anything, or cut and paste.  Yeah, I get the HTML malformations, but that's nothing new....I've always had those problems, and it's a big pain to try and figure out WHY it happens. 

It's all aggravation, and I know this is going to take another month to get these glitches all sorted out.  I love the word, glitches...it makes everything that goes wrong, sound so cliche.....I must be on a word kick this week...with newfangled computer programs going wonky, what do we expect?  I think TiggerBear has had the most problems...

Hey, TiggerBear....who builds her own computers.....Maybe you should try and find the manual VTC lost on her Mothership, as she took off for outter space! 

I'm teasing you....I know the frustration....I commiserate in your pain.

[becke_davis]

Kathy - Well, I'm glad you aren't having the problems some of the rest of us are. You've had enough problems with electricity at home without all this, too!