Coming Soon: Site header redesign (UPDATED FIRST POST 7/1)

[snufflypoo]

i really dislike the footer idea - i mean i really, really hate it. i think the current logo is better than the proposed new one and i'll be seriously bummed if you take away our bubbles.
i like the header just the way it is currently. it's the first place i look to see if i have messages, trades, announcements, etc. and i do not think you'll improve anything with these changes.

please don't go through with these changes. sad

[PaleBlueSlump]

I would not like a footer, or anything that would add 'framing' to the page, even slim framing. I have a small screen as it is, I like to keep my screen space as open as possible.
Private Messages are a priority alert and placing them at the bottom of the page does not seem desirable.

[Lava Cookie]

Just leave it the way it is now, If the map is an issue just remove it.
If it's not broken, don't fix it.

P.S. That logo looks like crap.

[Mooniewitch]

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/8164/avatarninja3w.png









-I really like the footer idea but please, please, please leave the logo the way it is.
Now it just looks like it was placed somewhere on the page randomly... with a border.
At least make it touch the left side of the screen?

Also....why blue? (Gold counter ect) It doesn't match anything... and looks quite horrible tbh XD;
I definitely prefer white or something neutral... this just doesn't go with anything on the page.
Especially with the background changing it would be better neutral.
It shouldn't stand out so much, especially since you won't use it as much with the quick links moved.

[Murderous Distraction]

I don't like the thing at the bottom; I'm used to clicking on my inbox from the top of the screen, where I can easily find it. The only time I look toward the bottom is when I am changing windows.

All in all, it's too much like Facebook for me. Just keep the inbox button where it is, but you can keep the other stuff except for the logo.

I like it the way it is now. Just don't even bother with it. It's not broken, and it's easy to use.

[Valentine]

Do not want. neutral

I don't even know where to begin. Removing the world map -- fine, I understand the loading issues with it and the possibility of it coming back in a better form later. Oddly mismatched blue color -- at least it's used elsewhere on the site. Hemmed-in tab-alicious logo -- uh, well, I suppose it stands out more now, but not in a cohesive way. They're things I could get used to, given time, but for the most part I don't see why they're being changed anyway.

However -- moving notifications? The floating footer thing? DO NOT WANT. I'm not seeing how these things would be visually desirable or at all useful for site navigation and use. Web site design should be about usability first and prettiness after, not the other way around. I can't imagine how that footer will be anything other than a garish, annoying bit of code.

Simply put, I'm not at all impressed with these changes.


...On a somewhat unrelated topic, the "XX Gaians online" thing is mildly interesting (even if I never care anyway), but I'd much rather have the current Gaian time posted there instead. Or both, if absolutely necessary. I've never understood why the time wasn't made more prominent, considering that features on the site do use it.

[Cake-Kun123]

I'd rather you put gold as a color. No blue. Also, please add more color to Gaia, like it used to be. People honestly like Go-Gaia better. -.- Footer? Eh---Nah, not me. Most people disagree.

[Like OMFG]

If you're goal is to make Gaia look like facebook (and other social networking sites), it looks great. First with the colorless My Gaia page and now with the floating bar. You're definitely starting to accomplish that goal. razz

I don't see how the new header makes us look like a vibrant and lively community. We'd have a new ugly logo box that sticks out like sore thumb on that background. Now, I understand why you chose the purple. The blue for the box with gold and cash amounts? I don't see what made you pick it. Certain things are blue on the site, however is there really enough to make that ugly blue box go cohesively with the rest of the site? No. You're vibrant and lively community looks like it is having some serious color problems and is about the farthest thing from looking vibrant imo.

Now for the floating footer. What possessed you to try to take away our bubbles again? Have you honestly forgotten what happened last time? The floating bar at its best would be inconvenient. At its worst would be a total b***h to deal with. We don't need it. Please don't put it in.

Maybe you could put some of functions of the footer bar into the drop down header we already have now? (Stuff that won't take away the speech bubbles)

EDIT: Instead of the footer do something like this if you absolutely have to change it:
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc25/oddity_sarah/PMfix.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc25/oddity_sarah/Friendfix.jpg

[Geminai Mistario]

I didn't like it the last time you guys changed the header. I especially don't like it now. It's turning into that new setup that I despise already at Facebook. God don't do that here too. And I foresee a floating header being more intrusive than the current one by the looks of how you have set it up.

Gaia should be focusing on other things right now and not changing what works. The headers are good. Leave them alone right now.

Also, whenever you do a huge layout change like that, some people permanently lose access to your site because of their older systems and face it, the economy sucks right now. They aren't going to buy a new computer just to use Gaia. They're going to leave. I have people who barely can run it now due to the former updates. Floating headers (along with the auto login on GIM that was an issue for awhile) are not good for those systems. KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.

[Carbon Soul]

Can we add Tom to our top friends too?

[Breakability]

I do like it. After the Need gold/need cash? buttons were added, it felt really cluttered.

I'm sad that the map is leaving, since we don't really do anything with it, but if it makes the site/page load faster, then it's for the best.

I like it <3

[liamnaruto]

it looks like that get users even more p'oed at the staff even more
in other words bad idea

[RoChan]

I like everything about it except for it being a footer and our bubbles disappearing. The new icons are much more stream line and a nicer blend with the new layout. I also don't mind the map moving out but please give us a good border of sorts, I do use a wide screen format and like in the picture you posted the header goes on with a strange repetition. If there was a way for you to extend the image out for those of us who use wider screen formats I would love it visually. :3

I do have to say that I have never liked any sort of floating anything. It gets very annoying and distracting. Worse is that it's at the bottom, that is neither visually pleasing or helpful to anyone. Society has dictated that import things go at the top and by you moving it to the bottom you have dictated that this is not as import as the should be. It's a mental and psychologically that is what it implies and becomes. So please, keep the same icons and format, but move it up and don't take our bubbles away. D:

Thanks~

[Gining]

I'm not fond of the footer idea. I like to keep my screen as clean as possible without a bunch of extra things taking up room. And I like having the speech bubble next to my avatar to alert me of new PMs, announcements, and profile comments. It seems more smooth the way it is.

[Simplistic-Tyranny]

No...Please no. gonk Fix the problems already at hand, and then worry about the landing page, for the sake of the user's sanity.

One: I don't even see a 'redesign' of the Gaia header other than adding more graphics to make it slower than it already is. We already know the dropdown shortcut menu fails when it lags, thus causing several dropdown dupes to appear, but why eliminate it all together? I personally find the current header I have now than the one you guys want to change it to. I don't have any loadtime issues with the World Map, so I think that's just a bluff to get us to forget about the other aspects of this site all together. At least with it there my window doesn't look like complete s**t due to the fact Gaia's made in static 10:7 when my monitor is to remain 12:10. The refill button is just going to prove to everyone that you guys are "money-hungry".

And considering the time-out issues that lasted a good three and a half weeks the LAST time you did this, I'm pretty sure this is going to fail right off the line.

Secondly. The footer. The very Facebook-y footer. stare

I said this when you implimented the stalker status feature: I WANT IT GONE.

WHY IN HELL DO YOU GUYS FEEL THE NEED TO COMPETE WITH FACEBOOK, OF ALL PLACES?!

Facebook is NOT Gaia and GAIA WILL NEVER BE FACEBOOK!!!!
Why are you being up to date with THEM when you SHOULD be trying to get the edge on the other well trafficked avatar sites like Roliana, Solia Online, Menewsha, Kinsaki, and Zantarni? Why are you trying to compete with a site based for REAL LIFE CONNECTONS rather than an RPG/Roleplaying community that Gaia Online STILL uses in their Metadata?

There is NO plausible reason other than to ignore the obvious problems at hand.

DON'T FIX WHAT AIN'T BROKEN. WORK ON THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE PILING UP WHILE YOU GUYS TWIDDLE YOUR THUMBS AND 'FIX' THE LANDING PAGE.

I VALUE MY PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET. While that's a laughing matter. I still have some dignity with how I conduct my leisure on the internet. These features are an invasion of my personal privacy and I will not stand for it. You already subjected your userbase to the dark side of the internet with the scamming offers page, so I already know that you guys don't really care if little suzy or andy gets a trojan horse or even better, have the IRS on their parents for fraud....

Don't try to pry into my life with this crap. I'm not your guinea pig.