New Format of BCO the beginning of the Apocalypse?!?

Anonymous

Holy moly.  You'd think the end of the world was near based on some of the reactions to the changes in the discussion forum!   .....People threatening to leave...saying they have callouses from scrolling....saying newbies will be driven away (newbies have no idea how it used to be so could probably care less. ) 

Anybody else seeing the humor in this?   ...anybody else have confidence that the mods/techs will work out most of the bugs on this informative and FREE site....and once we're used to it everything will be hunky dory?  

Anybody else want to say something positive?

Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller? 

Anonymous

I'll go first! 

I just noticed that when I made my window smaller (by grabbing the corner) the left empty space disappeared. Sweet!

I also like the earthtones.  Matches my outfit today.  ... though it sounds like some are experiencing a "bright white"?  I don't see that .. only my response box is white. 

mrsnjband

Wow, what a change!  I don't like they wide headings on the left.  I really don't like that each topic is more like reading a post. I hope they make some changes as I like to never found the loggin sceen. This is a drastic change. Oh, my.....NJ

susan_02143

This is my third BC.org interface. I am still here, and sadly, so is my cancer. I actually really disliked interface no 2. This one has some potential, though I do think there are some "tweaks" that need to be made.

I really like the new colors. I have a modern and up-to-date computer and the latest browsers so I am seeing gentle colors. The resizing of the window is just modern interface.... BUT... the fact that the css overrides so many default html settings needs to be fixed. With some effort, this interface has the potential to be good.

Clearly, the web team needs to take some daily steroids, have fuzzy eyesight from chemo, and a bit of neuropathy to find the sweet spot.

If I have learned one thing from cancer, any illusion of control I might have once thought I had, was just that- an illusion.

Now as the the apocolypse, 90º weather in Boston during the month of April is the signal.  :-)

*susan* 

p.s. if there were a thread to post positive suggestions, I actually have some specific recommendations. 

Adey

SusansG-  Great thread name, made me chuckle!  Thanks. 

voraciousreader

No. I don't think I need to tell them that their bug problem requires an exterminator. The DH is an electrical engineer and systems analyst and if he unveiled a system like this.... Let's just say.... He worked VERY CLOSELY with his programmers and users. And MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE AT STAKE BECAUSE HIS USERS WERE TRADERS. As far as I could see, these web designers and programmers are amateurs.

Anonymous

Susan02143 ~ I'm glad you are still here .  90 in Boston!? Ugh.  It's 50's here in Seattle today...quit hoggin our sun.  .  I like your comment about the illusion of control.  Life is way too short to fret over things out of our control.

Adey ~ glad I could give you a chuckle.    

VR ~ I'm sorry you are so obviously upset by this change.  I really am having a hard time understanding some of the strong negative reactions.  Maybe your screen layout is presenting itself radically different than mine?   It seems like the techs are continuing to improve and clean up the bugs as they go.  Millions of dollars aren't at stake here...this is just a freebie site for people to find/give support.  Maybe I'm missing something?  

voraciousreader

Susan, I'm sure the folks here paid big bucks to unveil a new site.  With all of the input that went into improving the site and then unveiling it with these many issues....hmmmm.....let's just say, it would NOT unfold like this on Wall Street......The DH often spent years, sitting side by side with the user traders before he would dare change ANYTHING......  And, like I said about one of my favorite websites, theheart.org., created by the visionary Eric Topol, MD....they are always updating their website...but they integrate change slowly.  I think back to what the website looked like a decade ago and look at it now and marvel. 

Anonymous

Thanks for posting Nancynow.  I agree with you 100%.  You really would think the world was ending by some of these posts...and I don't understand the acid-like (good description, btw) comments either?

Your last paragraph really says it all.

Just wanted to have a thread to laugh about the absurdity of it all.  

Anonymous

VR ~ I just quickly checked out theheart.og since you've mentioned it several times.  I pulled up the home page expecting to see heaven unfold  and had ADD overload. Very busy homepage.  Not sure what the allure is for this site that you keep mentioning it?

Again...I'm really sorry that you dislike it so much but I am having a real hard time understanding your (and others) STRONG reactions?

Maybe when this is all said and done... a few months from now.. (when I'm sure 99% of the people who are vehemently complaining about this are still around )... we can all sit and laugh about it.  

voraciousreader

And I will mention one more thing.....I was diagnosed with a very rare type of breast cancer.  Finding information about it has been very difficult.  I chose to put all the research I could find about mucinous breast cancer on a thread here so journeymen could find it.  Likewise, the breastcancer.org website has a link to a description of mucinous breast cancer.  I repeatedly asked the moderators to list the "common" rare breast cancers separately.  I also asked that when the NCCN guidelines come out each year, that they update their website with the information.  I am happy to report that the latter was RECENTLY done.  However, still finding "mucinous breast cancer" on the website is difficult. 

Soooooo....when they unveiled THIS....hmmmmmm......Sorry for the rant....but it just wreaks of amateurs......and I'm running out of patience.  The thing that I learned on my journey was that being diagnosed with breast cancer is very frightening.  Then, when you try to research your diagnosis and find out there is soooo little research and information about your type of cancer, you become more frightened and frustrated.  I've tried during the last two years to make getting a mucinous breast cancer diagnosis LESS frightening by publishing as much information as possible about mucinous breast cancer on the mucinous breast cancer thread.  I just think the folks at bco could and SHOULD be doing more....I think I've done my share...Now they should step up to the plate.

o2bhealthy

I still wish we had a like button

I have been a bit surprised by all reactions to the changes...there are some I like, some I don't like (I think the thread name should be in the forefront, not  the last person to post under my favorites...  It is also harder to figure out who started the article and when but I think that is a learning curve thing). 

1Athena1

Mods: Here I go again....

Negatives: 

why, oh why did the new system NOT include customization to ignore forums or threads? Why the emphasis on a useless lising of articles.

It seems that there is a great deal of inefficiency on data ALLOCATION/storage, etc...

The customization should have focused on the user's ability to control what she sees - not on how much to put on her profile - certainly not some useless "my articles" archive. This isn't Facebook - youy are not trying to see us ads, I hope!

Also, please get rid of the word "dashboard" and use "my home" instead. That kind of language is not accessible. We are not teeny-bopper techies - we are non-young fogies on chemo-brain. :-) Have pity.

If anyone gets offended by what I said, I'll laugh!

Thank you for the great font size of the posts.

Positives:

And thank you, thank you, for the NO ADS view!

The design is sleek, simple and uncluttered  - at least on new-ish PCS with the latest IE browsers. Kudos for that.

GrandmaV

I like it.

sheila888

Susan...how you make the window smaller?

I have been studying the new format to learn more...actually I did when you click on Dashboard and scroll it down all your friends are listed with their original avatar.

One complain I do not like the empty format on the left...I feel like my eyes are missing something.

Anonymous

Sheila ~ I'm in Google Chrome and I just clicked on the top corner of my window to "grab" and resize it.  Does that make sense? ... then you can kind of tweak it to a point where the thread fills up the entire window and the left empty space disappears.

Anonymous

Sheila~ p.s. I distinctly remember when I first joined this forum..that you were VERY helpful to me and answered my many questions.  If I never said it back then... thank you. 

exbrnxgrl

Love the thread title! I was very used to the old format but can't get myself too worked up over the change. Caryn

sheila888

Oh Susan..What a nice thing to say.....Thanks ♥

If I know the answer of the question i always try to help my sisters.

Now...I dont't know if I am in Google chrome...How can i find it out?

susan_02143

I am puzzled why the negative comments are posting here. Each of you has already posted on the negative threads.... such a bummer to have such negativity even on a "say things you like" thread.

*susan* [the other] 

Stormynyte

So you don't understand why people feel the way they do about the new layout..ok fine, but it is pretty sh**y to belittle and laugh at their feelings.

Anonymous

Thanks for the thumbs up on the title,  exbrnxgrl .... I just kept seeing the thread titled.. New Format of BCO a DISASTER! ... and couldn't help but crack up each time I read it.  So dramatic.

Sheila ~ regarding the google chrome... I just know it is because that's what my icon says when I click on it to open it up.    I just opened up my browser with Internet Explorer and resizing the window gets rid of the left empty space using that too.

Thanks, other Susan.  p.s.  ... didja ever notice how many Susan's are on here?!  

Anonymous

Great thread SusansG, there was no room for pos comments in this uproar. I was right there with you chuckling at some of the comments, same one on multiple threads, re: thumb bruising and boils and blisters, teehee

Now...I'm in google chrome as well and have been madly trying to make the darn arrow appear so that I could grab it to spread out the window, but no luck, no arrow 

Moderators

Again, thank you for your support! 

We just started a new topic in this forum, specifically for glitches, errors, bad viewing experiences, etc. 

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/93/topic/787232 

For those who need to express their frustrations, there are plenty of topics that have been started. Please reserve the new topic for reports that we can keep track of, and fix. That way we can also let you know what we've been able to get to and what is causing US frustration. 

Thanks so much!

Your Mods 

exbrnxgrl

I guess we all have our own perspective. My complete pneumothorax was a disaster, stage IV is definitely a disaster as was my sister's death 4 months after a uterine cancer dx. Changing the format of an online forum? For me, not a disaster. Caryn

Hindsfeet

It is good that people can freely express their opinion either good or bad. No one should be critical if they are having a problem or feel like leaving at times. It's all a part of being frustrated. No one wants their world turned up side down or place of refuge like bco. The new format was frustrating in that it was sooo slow. Who wants to wait a few minutes for a thread to open or to enter in a reply or have your window go blank. I'm glad these bugs are being worked out.

And, yes, people like what is familiar. Some have a hard time with the new clinical feel of the website. It is good the mods are listening and working with us. It's good that they added the mucinious thread.

If no one said how they felt then the mods and techs wouldn't have known how we felt, or what to do to make it better. It's all part of the process in making a better forum.

Anonymous

evebarry ~ I agree that people should freely express their opinion. And I'm glad that some people are giving constructive feedback to the mods to help fine tune the new format.  

exbrnxgirl ~ Agreed.  

I have to say.. the more time goes by, the more I really like the new look.  Very soothing and modern.

topless

Change is hard but one sure thing about life is that things change.  Relax, give yourself time to adapt.  Our ability to adapt makes us survivors!

Anonymous

Amen, topless.

Oh, and good idea, mods, to make a thread specifically for constructive feedback.  I noticed a lot of good suggestions, specific glitches being posted in some of the other threads but they were quickly lost amongst general comments only expressing how much they hated the new format. 

blondiex46

unfortuately for me dealing with stage 4 BC is all I have time to do and life in general.  So I have my favorites that I check, other than that, for now that is all I am doing....

it is for me hard and cold and not user friendly...I have said my peace....

Sandy