hmmm.. I actually kinda think the nav menu should be in a separate frame for those ho have frame-enabled browsers. That way the menu wouldn't have to be scrolled out of the picture for reall long threads or pictures.

What do you mean, slight change? For those of us with poor eyesight using 800x600 displays, the new format makes it very difficult to read the thread titles on the forum pages. The buttons at the top work fine and there is no need for a menu at the right.

The blank space at the right side of the page looks like the first step toward putting ads down the right side. I can just imagine the flashing/animated ads that will wind up on the right side of the page.

There is/was nothing wrong with the original format of the site. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

We won't be using frames at all, there are just too many problems with them.

--jeremy

I prefer the old buttons at the top. You have to scroll down to reach the new menu, then you have to read through the long list of links ('logout' is buried under them all), then you have the unsightly gap on the right, which also takes up space from the forum content.

aaa,

logout is hidden up top, too. I never use it and I had to really look just now to see it. I use a 1600x1200 resolution, and I obviously have no problem with screen real estate, but it seems that people using lower resolutions really do.

btw, I'm looking at this page right now, and the 'leaderboard' (or whatever it's called) is cut off on the right. I see "Keyboard Layout swit" and "Ads by Goog". I'm not sure if this is a bug or if you're just working on it still.

I was going to ask what you would put in the top to replace the buttons (that, too, would have been a lot of whitespace). Checking out the reviews link makes me realize you have this aaaaall figured out Looks very nice, and very functional. Tux would be proud.
-- Poetics

Do they remain in the same order? (the menu on the right) I've noticed I tell people to navigate to the site and I tell them to click on search at the top and watch them take a bit to find it. As long as thats static, great!

I like the buttons also. Maybe you could put them in one row just above the first blue title bar in any given page. That might present a problem with lower resolution displays, however, but maybe not.

Edit: or just above this line:

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Website Questions & Suggestions > Layout Change

I didn't make myself clear, it seems the buttons are hard to navigate for people that don't come here often. I like the menu to the right better, or perhaps the menu on the left hand side?

Regardless of your preferred resolution setting, you should be able to specify a minimum font size in your browser. (Certainly for Firefox this is true.) If the lettering in the links is too small for one's tastes, it should be a trivial matter to simply bump up the minimum font size setting.

As for replacing the buttons with a boxed stack of navigation links, at least from my point of view it's all the same. As long as the links are easily found, their placement on the page is pretty much a subjective thing - some people may prefer that they be at the top, others may prefer them on the right or left hand side.

As long as the site is actively being reworked, I'd like to mention that the page titles sometimes are inconsistent, and that it may be worth considering an update to them as well. To illustrate, the < title > is variously:

where Linux users come for help (Forums main page)
where Linux Newbies come for help (any specific forum)
where Newbies come for help (Answers main page)

Obviously this has no functional impact, and I'll admit is a tiny detail, but it may be worth a review. I consider "Where Linux users come for help" as the best choice, as it is the most inclusive, and most accurate IMO. Just my 2 cents -- J.W.

J.W., you are correct, this should absolutely be the same everywhere. I have updated the ones I have found. If you notice any others let me know. Thanks.

Astro, the text links do stay in the same order.

--jeremy

jeremy - just FYI, and using the nav buttons in the top right hand corner to traverse the site, as of about 00:15 AM PST the title after clicking the Search button is "You have Linux questions, we have answers" and the title for the Answer button is "Articles - where Newbies come for help". These captions are OK as is but they do differ from the standard "Where Linux users come for help" caption. I did a Refresh on each page, so I don't think this is a cache issue.

Anyway, I don't mean to be an irritant and only mention this if it will make the site better -- J.W.

Thanks J.W. - updated both of those. If you see any more, let me know.

--jeremy

I just noticed this:
at the bottom of the page.
Is that necessary down there? Looks kinda klunky down there on my screen.

I like it - it stops me having to scroll up to open the Forums list.