HI Michelle, I'm not sure because what I want is maybe something all others don't want (so I would love to have options) but (and sorry because English is not my primary language):

PLease note that the critics are mainly aimed at the ones who designed this forum-type. (And maybe the ones who choose it :D).

the fact that "post's background" is white, while the screen is white is confusing. See this printscreen from another forum (phpbb like I use since 2005) and another (from 2001):

and



in both cases, it is very easy to know where the post starts and ends.

Other is this:

All that place in red is lost.

third is this:



Seriously, are we on a mobile phone or what?

I know i can extend by using the arrow but then:



Why use vertical separation? are we in a time where texts are no longer sentences put one after the other, but bullet pointed onlY? ...

(For this particular reply, I don't have any problem, because I'm exactly doing that, bulletpointing things)

Besides, where is the separation line? where are the colors of the background?

I can't see where the windows for writing starts and ends... and why, again, the lost place?

I was finishing my thread and realised even that in posting here, i'm not sure where the writing area starts and ends:



red borders are from me, just to show what i mean.

Who writes left and read right? When you put images (like in this post...) you are not even looking at the same place in both columns (using the auto-scroll function by default...)

But then, maybe i will "hide preview".. and use all the place to write my post. If that's what it takes... so let's hide!

SERIOUSLY???

No auto-extension of the width of the post area? WQhy does the "hide preview" button even exist then... for mobile users? If this forum is thought for mobile users, ok, but I'm not a mobile user and never will be. So I woul opt out because like is said in English "***** I'm out of this ***". (No insult, just making the joke here.)

another is that:



What are this thing? Am I on facebook?

I want to see categories and not "what i missed in the last few hours", thank you.

IN the old forum, there was a button "see new replies". It is something I like... WHEN i want to use it. Not something by default each time I visit the forums.

"2/ week" in "official announcements", what is this? statistics? who cares. We are not there to make the record explose.

And that brings me to:

achievements.

Yes... there are achievements on a forum. Seriously? ...

Why does that even exist? are people so craving for "doing something of their life" that they need to earn achievement while participating in a forum. I'm like "Am I a 10 years old or what?"

this list of thread:



Lost space on sides. I don't need to know the images of posters (I don't care for who posts in a thread, and besides, if I cared, I'd know their names, not their images which they can change when they want).

Statistics, again, who cares?

However, I don't see when was the last answer.

I don't see that there is new posts. (Is that the red dot?)

I don't know WHO asked the question (remember old forum when a thread started by abe was sure to be full of joke and good mood), neither WHEN (are these threads fresh, or from 15 years with threadomancy)?

mails: I received a mail to warn me you answered here. Good, older forum did that too when you "subscribed" to a thread.

But really:

who need to know that they were answering?

Maybe this is parametrable but seriously I spent 10 minutes yesterday in the menu trying to make my profile what I'd want, and did find NO option useful at all.

and there is



When you use your mouse to underline the text (because you are lost with the missing background cadre helping to keep your eye in the right place), the "quote" button appears and prevent you from reading what is under... really?

And did you see the "time line" on the side? who needs that? "oh today, i'll only read what has been posted 15 days ago. Not before, not after, thank you."

I really have troubles to see what this forum brings new and useful, but I see many things it lost from the older -simpler-clearer forum.

when you are using "extended posting mode": WHERE IS REPLY??



It's like "where is waldo".

And to answer, there ISN'T. You have to go back to mini-reply mode to answer. Speak about a loss of time!



since it's a super-newer forum I expect it to have basic feature. Let's say, where is my spoiler button.

[SPOILER]Darth vader is Luke's father [/spoiler]

[spoiler]Daenarys dies at the hand of John snow![/spoiler]

We will see if these exist or not.

I guess not.

Patrons, what are those? it's explained where?



Are those moderators? admins? what purpose does that serve?

Are they saying the RAW? are they the "ars magica expert" from whom I should always take the answer with more value than from a "non" patron?

the "top" list in forums. Why? What is a top "the more flooded post", "the better content"? who decide? I guess it's a "achievement" thing again.

Well I wrote all I could in the time I have, but you get my point.

In a short answer: this forum decides FORM is more useful than CONTENT. I do not agree, and never will.

I think that those are not "bad" if I can personalise my own experience to have more "content-orientated" forum. I don't want achievement, want a normal-sized writing area, and if preview should be, I want to be able to put it horizontally and not vertically, or even, like in the older forum, in a button-chosen new window.

What is however super is that you brought back the old threads. That is respectful and so I can only say "I" do not like this new things (unless it's personalisable, but I did not find where).