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

[-T-h-e-S-h-y-N-i-n-j-a-]

sweatdrop I'm not liking it honestly

[The Undead Suitor]

Bleh. Geez, stop updating the header and actually fix bugs for once.

Stop blowing money on shiny things and then come crawling back with a rig to make ends meet at the end of the month.

[Teh Savior]

BUT
W


WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS
ITS GREAT HOW IT IS. D:


Don't fix what ain't broken. ;~;

[Diavolica]

Can we please have the ability to shut off the "join" feature? I don't care if someone can see me as online, but having to appear as offline simply just to shut it off is not a viable option for me.

[Eudaemon]

Can there PLEASE be an option to turn off that annoying footer? Seriously. This isn't Facebook...and the one on Facebook is annoying to begin with.

Keep announcements and new messages in little bubbles that pop up next to our avatars, please.

Actually...keep the site the way it is? What is wrong with it? I don't understand the need to mess around with a perfectly fine layout? I agree with Simplistic-Tyranny, fix what is already wrong with the site and leave the layout alone. She got it pretty much on the spot here.

[adorabah]

no thank you, it's great the way it is now neutral

[Eudaemon]

So a lot of users don't like the new logo? I MADE A NEW ONE! They should use it, it's so true!

[xXHopless RomanceXx]

It looks ugly imo. I like the Header the way it is. I like having PMs and announcements in the little bubble next to our avis.

[SeIvaron]

I really, REALLY don't like the footer. I downloaded the Gaia toolbar for a reason, and I don't need two things telling me if I have a PM, one of which I can't even get rid of. Honestly, just make a few updates to the toolbar - people already have it and you're nearly rendering it useless, when it could be vastly more useful, since it looks like it does the exact same thing, but with less intrusion. Very much against the 'floating footer'.

[carbonphyber]

The floating footer is always visible, whereas the bubble is only visible if you're scrolled to the top of the page.
The bubble will not always be the same colors as in the preview screenshots.
We have another feature which will make it easy to see when you have new notifications, even if you don't notice the numbers in the footer.


Shortcuts menu / Quick-Links

Endrael

Shortcuts menu: Are we going to be able to customize our links for that or will they be static like they are now? I'd personally like to be able to customize them, and I've seen others request the ability, too. I don't know how difficult it would be to implement that, but it'd be nice to have if it's doable.

Mindset

I agree with the request to customize our Quick Links - at minimum, I hope we don't lose Subscribed Threads and Subscribed Journals, because I use those every day.

The shortcuts menu is unchanged -- it will be located in the bottom-left of the window and called "Quick-Links", but there is no functional difference (well it won't be buggy). You will not need to scroll to get to it... EVER. Currently, the shortcuts menu requires you be at/scroll to the top of the page.
In the near future, the goal is to allow users to customize what links show there.


Gold-Gain Notifications

Endrael

Gold gain notifications: Still in the menu portion of the header like they are now?

Gold gain is unchanged -- no visual or functional differences.

Endrael

Other than that, I like the minimalized header, but that footer will take some getting used to.

It does takes some getting-used-to.


PMs in the Footer

darkspineshadow2

I think there will be complaining about the PMs in footer thing. It makes it less convenient.

Gaia staff is used to complaining question We have to try and please 7 million users... no easy feat.
In the future, I imagine you'll be able to sneak a peek at the top 7 PMs in the footer menu... much quicker than loading a new page with your PM inbox.


No Scrolling Required

diet otaku

not to mention what a pain in the butt it'll be to have to scroll down to the BOTTOM of the page to access any of the shortcut items like subscribed threads or journals.

Milady Phoenix

I think the "floating" part of the phrase "floating footer" implies that the footer sits at the bottom of your screen, rather than the bottom of your page.
Therefore, one would not need to scroll waayyy down to the bottom of the page to see/receive notifications.

Exactly right.


An option to disable the footer?

Sanrei

An option to turn the footer off would be nice too. I can't say whether it will annoy me or not, but signs point to yes.

I've been using the new header/footer for days now and I kind of like the footer.
No enable/disable toggle currently available.
I'd like a toggle also, but I think my preference would be a light-weight SITE, not just a light-weight header/footer. I'm hoping the http://www.gaiaonline.com/wap/ (mobile site) is opened to the general public, not just Verizon phones. It's bare-bones and snappy-fast.


Centered Body/Content?

Sanrei

it would be more visually appealing for the site to center for those with larger resolutions, rather than be stuck off to the left with tons of empty space to the right.

Header/Footer themes

emorexic-pimp

background: can we please have an option to change the default to somewhere else? barton gets awfully boring after awhile.

The goal is to have the header and footer change thematically for events. Right now, the header background changes with the section of the site you're in and any event. The goal is to have the footer do the same (although initially it will only be purple-themed).
Those of you with browser-extensions and CSS skillz can write your own CSS for the header/footer (which can also be used to hide/disable things).


SiteMap-style Footer Links

emorexic-pimp

i have one little question: where will the links that are in the current footer go? or will the non-floating footer still be there?

Mindset

Double-checking --- the Site Map -style static footer, with the links, is still staying, yes? It's often incredibly helpful.

The footer links at the bottom of every page (on the white background) will still be there, unchanged.


Bubble Changes

Mindset

Oh, and since it looks like the Announcements bubble will still be there, comments/PMs will still show up in that bubble too, right? They're one of the fun things of Gaia I'm sure most people would hate to lose.

The bubble at the top of the page will only link to announcements from now-on. All the other links that used to be there will be moved to the right-side of the footer.


GIM / Instant Messenger

Mindset

I'm not going to miss the "Sign into IM" part at all. biggrin

That will be the rightmost link in the footer. Other than moving the link, nothing in GIM has changed.

Edit: removed mention of petitions

[Lucidly]

DO NOT HAVE A FLOATING FOOTER. DO NOT.

Sorry for yelling, but it has to be said. Floating footers are the single most annoying thing on the internet. I'm sure it'll not be welcomed by a lot of users. I prefer having everything placed at the top of page, not having it split between the top and bottom, even if it does stay the same distance apart no matter how much you scroll.

[Eudaemon]

CarbonPhyber

Petitions:
Another note:
Gaia is YOUR community. Gaia Staff do listen to petitions (and Bug Reports). If you don't like part of the site, please file a petition and gather signatures.
More signatures = more energy/higher priority.
Petitions help us understand what we're doing wrong and a possible way to fix it (if the petition comes with a suggestion).

Isn't this already petition-y enough? Mean, is there ANYONE here that actually likes it?

[Simplistic-Tyranny]

Crabonphyber: While I appreciate you answering questions, this thread was made to give feedback on what we think. The majority doesn't like it, all the mods I see in here don't like it.

Your post basically gave me the feeling of "Shut up and deal with it, I nor anyone else have no care of what you think."

...

while that is probably not the case, and I'm sure people agree with me.

If you're just going to do it anyway without giving a damn about what we the users think, then why even bother making a feedback thread? If we don't matter, then why are you giving us the option to give our opinon other than to probably laugh at us from your desk?

I find this facebook-infested landing page invasive. I feel like i should scan my computer YET AGAIN for spyder because I don't feel safe as I did 4 years ago. neutral

Edit: proof of the mindsets please, I see nothing in this thread that backs up your claims.
Edit two: Thanks to Eudaemon, I found a perfect way to eliminate the blank space because this is what I see Gaia Online as.

[Klim]

WHY are you guys doing this?

Do not "fix" what isn't broken.

The current notification system is perfect as-is. I love the bubbles.

and I can't understand why you would get rid of the towns backgrounds in the header as WELL as the map. Gaia is a world, and I am sad to see that you are going to be getting rid of that immersive part of it.

Congrats, guys! You continue to sterilize and take away the quirkiness of the site, for the sake of making it look like every other bland social networking site out there.

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