The front page is ugly

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Hebell
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Hebell »

Honestly, every time I land on that front page I think the website is broken. I agree with the OP. Particularly if you want to get new readers.
mikejuss
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by mikejuss »

Hebell wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:58 pm Honestly, every time I land on that front page I think the website is broken. I agree with the OP. Particularly if you want to get new readers.
What makes you think the home page is broken? It looks fine to me.
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tooluser
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by tooluser »

iamblessed
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by iamblessed »

I love it like it is. It loads faster.
000
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by 000 »

I love being able to see threads from all forums together. Not saying it needs to be the front page, but navigating the forum would become much more annoying to me if the front page functionality disappeared.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by mikejuss »

iamblessed wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:15 pm I love it like it is. It loads faster.
You are indeed blessed (with intelligence).
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sailaway
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by sailaway »

iamblessed wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:15 pm I love it like it is. It loads faster.
It also uses little of my limited data.

And at home it is my test page to see if the internet is disconnected or just wonky.
Last edited by sailaway on Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
nakatomi
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by nakatomi »

+1 for the existing design. I really like it - the simple and timeless layout is a visual embodiment of key Boglehead principles.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by iamblessed »

000 wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:19 pm I love being able to see threads from all forums together. Not saying it needs to be the front page, but navigating the forum would become much more annoying to me if the front page functionality disappeared.
I love that to. I am to lazy to click each subject I like. One page for me.
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tainted-meat
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by tainted-meat »

I love the front page and how basic and fast it loads. Many sites I used to visit run too slowly because of the flashy upgrades.
manlymatt83
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by manlymatt83 »

Keep the home page as it is. Love it.
Kookaburra
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Kookaburra »

kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am ... from the early 1990s.
Everything that’s great originated in the early 1990s!
Hebell
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Hebell »

Kookaburra wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:55 pm
kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am ... from the early 1990s.
Everything that’s great originated in the early 1990s!
Which is why, if you want to attract younger readers, the page needs some updating. It looks, frankly, like a forum left unloved since the Myspace era.
IowaFarmBoy
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by IowaFarmBoy »

I like it as it is. I come here for the content, not a cool visual experience. I get really frustrated with pages that load lots of images and ads which causes them to load slowly and the content to shift so it becomes hard to click on a link because they are moving.
truenorth418
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by truenorth418 »

Please don't change the format.

My only beef is with how it appears on a smartphone. If it could be formatted better to read on a smartphone great, other than that leave it alone.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by abuss368 »

kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am Most of this forum looks professional and well maintained. But the front page has some kind of text-based forum preview from the early 90s.
This should really be changed.

I know the current front page may be useful to some users, but shouldn't it be placed elsewhere? This website should put its best foot forward.
I love and enjoy the forum. The founders have absorbed the cost and the time is voluntary.

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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by LadyGeek »

tooluser wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:13 pm Reminds me of this...
https://youtu.be/t0LTTyImnJg?start=26

And also of this...
https://youtu.be/t0LTTyImnJg?start=194
:D
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Call_Me_Op »

kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am Most of this forum looks professional and well maintained. But the front page has some kind of text-based forum preview from the early 90s.
This should really be changed.

I know the current front page may be useful to some users, but shouldn't it be placed elsewhere? This website should put its best foot forward.
History is rife with so-called "product improvements" that make the product unusable. I think it's fine as it is.
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montanagirl
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by montanagirl »

I love the bogleheads.org front page. Much better on mobiles and it was less conspicuous at work! Lol

What I hate is the bright red mobile app for vanguard.

Why do these places feel their stuff needs to be so noticeable in public? Bank and credit card sites too. Always with the big splash page with kids and dogs and mountains and stuff, when I just want to do a discreet transaction. :annoyed
angelescrest
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by angelescrest »

Turbo29 wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 7:29 am I like it. Gives an instant view of active topics.
I also thought it looked unappealing at first, but over time, I’ve also come to appreciate the fact that it highlights active topics across the various sub forums. So I’ve come to appreciate both the functionality and speed, and really dislike the Board Index setup. This is coming from someone who refuses to move accounts to Vanguard because I love the interface at TDAmeritrade.
angelescrest
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by angelescrest »

Hebell wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:10 am
Kookaburra wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:55 pm
kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am ... from the early 1990s.
Everything that’s great originated in the early 1990s!
Which is why, if you want to attract younger readers, the page needs some updating. It looks, frankly, like a forum left unloved since the Myspace era.
Are you kidding, the 90s are trending red hot right now. The page is just starting to come into its own...young people will flock to it like a Champion sweatshirt. :oops:
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Peculiar_Investor
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

angelescrest wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:43 am I’ve also come to appreciate the fact that it highlights active topics across the various sub forums.
So does search.php?search_id=active_topics. You could bookmark that as 'your' Bogleheads alternative homepage.
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angelescrest
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by angelescrest »

Peculiar_Investor wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:48 am
angelescrest wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:43 am I’ve also come to appreciate the fact that it highlights active topics across the various sub forums.
So does search.php?search_id=active_topics. You could bookmark that as 'your' Bogleheads alternative homepage.
Thank you for sharing that. I wasn’t aware this was an option. I’ll have to test it out to see how I adapt to it. My first inclination is to say that it feels very busy, but maybe in time I’ll prefer it.
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Sandtrap
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Sandtrap »

I've always used the topic index page as the "landing page".
It is the simplest and quickest way to scan posts. And, the "replies" can be reordered to be sure new posts or low volume posts are taken care of.

There are few websites where so much information can be scanned so quickly.

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siamond
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by siamond »

Peculiar_Investor wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:47 pm
mdavis6890 wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:22 pm It works great on mobile as others have said, plus it's a running list of the most recent posts from ALL the subs. No need to click into each one to see what's recent.
dratkinson wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:37 pm The old home page provides a very useful index to all forums... let's me see every forum at once.
So does search.php?search_id=active_topics
Well, here you are, this seems like the right compromise. Redirect Bogleheads.org to the active topics page. And ditch the old page.

=> the folks who got used to the existing home page as an entry point to the forum will have EXACTLY the same functionality

=> new visitors will not be put off by a really odd barebone display. And go straight to what is the true core of this community (the forum).

Seems win/win to me. Simple (and consistent) is beautiful.
exigent
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by exigent »

I like it. Simple and functional, which aligns well with my investing strategy. And I really appreciate the fact that it combines the most recent posts from all sub-forums in one place. Makes it much easier to dip my toe in the water and see what's going on.

If you don't like it, just go here instead:

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php

And you can return there by click the little house icon/"Board index" link just below "Quick links" near the top left of any forum page.

The front page exists in addition to the forum, most such forum websites just have the forum index page (linked above) with the value-added front page that BH has.
snapvestor
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by snapvestor »

iamblessed wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:15 pm I love it like it is. It loads faster.
+1
exigent
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by exigent »

siamond wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:01 am Well, here you are, this seems like the right compromise. Redirect Bogleheads.org to the active topics page. And ditch the old page.

=> the folks who got used to the existing home page as an entry point to the forum will have EXACTLY the same functionality

=> new visitors will not be put off by a really odd barebone display. And go straight to what is the true core of this community (the forum).

Seems win/win to me. Simple (and consistent) is beautiful.
There's stuff in the sidebar of the front page that isn't replicated by the active topics search page. I'm really not sure why people are objecting to the existence of an additional page on this site. It's not replacing anything, and you can still go directly to the board index or the active topics search. Why reduce options/functionality?
KneeReplacementTutor
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am Most of this forum looks professional and well maintained. But the front page has some kind of text-based forum preview from the early 90s.
This should really be changed.

I know the current front page may be useful to some users, but shouldn't it be placed elsewhere? This website should put its best foot forward.
I agree entirely that the Bogleheads site it is not "attractive". At the same time, it provides the information that I have been unable to get elsewhere. For free. Contrast that with my former financial advisor. He had an amazing front page paid for by people like me yet I could barely squeeze and whorthile financial information out of him. The site doesn't bother me in the least. Admittedly, it's unlikely to win any awards for its aesthetics or ui.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Kuna_Papa_Wengi »

MinhN wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 10:56 am I have to disagree. The front page is the best part. It leads you straight to the action. No extra clicks are needed to read the most current threads. I don't need a splash page, blog, or news section.
This. The front page is my favorite page. It has the most recent topics. I never even go into the separate forum pages.
ddurrett896
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by ddurrett896 »

It's simple, basic, boring and no frills....just like the Bogleheads investment strategy!
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siamond
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by siamond »

exigent wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:10 am
siamond wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:01 am Well, here you are, this seems like the right compromise. Redirect Bogleheads.org to the active topics page. And ditch the old page.

=> the folks who got used to the existing home page as an entry point to the forum will have EXACTLY the same functionality

=> new visitors will not be put off by a really odd barebone display. And go straight to what is the true core of this community (the forum).

Seems win/win to me. Simple (and consistent) is beautiful.
There's stuff in the sidebar of the front page that isn't replicated by the active topics search page.
Yes, it's a fair point. To which I would answer that the forum menu bar needs to be reorganized to capture such functionality (e.g. a couple of missing links, which should be located in intuitive drop-down menus). And that this should happen irrespective of the fate of the home page...
exigent wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:10 amI'm really not sure why people are objecting to the existence of an additional page on this site. It's not replacing anything, and you can still go directly to the board index or the active topics search. Why reduce options/functionality?
Because of what I stated above. This is a turn-off for [some] new visitors. Sometimes it is not a bad thing to listen to the feedback of the younger crowd...
SethJane42
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by SethJane42 »

kagantx wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 3:50 am Most of this forum looks professional and well maintained. But the front page has some kind of text-based forum preview from the early 90s.
This should really be changed.

I know the current front page may be useful to some users, but shouldn't it be placed elsewhere? This website should put its best foot forward.


I actually like the simple front page. It's clear what is currently being discussed, and easy to navigate to it. I like simplicity and navigation over beauty.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

Maybe a better two part question is 'what is the purpose of the front (home) page?' and 'Who is the target audience?'
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SmallSaver
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by SmallSaver »

Never thought about it as ugly or not, but it works great. In the unlikely event of a redesign, don't make it worse!
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by KyleAAA »

I was active on the BBS in the early 90s and I can assure you, it looked nothing like this.

What people don't seem to realize is that the forum runs on a software package called phpBB. It's not a custom site. Yeah, it's configurable to an extent but for the most part you get what you get. There isn't a team of engineers maintaining the site and adding features.
Last edited by KyleAAA on Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
drk
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by drk »

I like the summary front page. Looking at the phpBB Board Index triggers my annoying compulsion to make everything "read," so I would probably stop visiting with that change.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by BogleTaxPro »

ddurrett896 wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:27 am It's simple, basic, boring and no frills....just like the Bogleheads investment strategy!
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Perhaps those unhappy with the front page should ask for their subscription to be refunded!

Oh, wait......

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epicahab
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by epicahab »

I just wish this forum software sent us the actual post in each email update we receive, rather than forcing us to click over to the forum.
wander
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by wander »

I can understand. Many people buy a book because its cover page looks pretty.
iamblessed
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by iamblessed »

I had to stop reading reddit because I missed this format so much.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by JupiterJones »

Broken Man 1999 wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:34 pm Perhaps those unhappy with the front page should ask for their subscription to be refunded!

Oh, wait......
^^^ This

Complaining about a completely free site reminds me of that bit in "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" where Peppermint Patty gripes about the Thanksgiving meal Charlie Brown was serving, despite the fact that that she invited herself in the first place.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

For those that love the front page and don't want it changed, can you answer this question.

If the functionality was offered exactly as is but from a different URL would you still love it and bookmark it as your Bogleheads homepage?

If so, why does it need to sit at the website's homepage, which for most websites is primarily the landing page of newcomers, who might need an introduction to what the Bogleheads is about and what the site has to offer, i.e. a very helpful wiki, an extremely active discussion forum and a blog.
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n00b
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by n00b »

The front page is useful.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Bob.Beeman »

If I were to suggest one improvement to the site, I would suggest an option for a monospaced font so that tables could be easily entered without the ugly (and slightly confusing) "Code" tag.

Other than that, put me down as one who supports simple, easily readable pages that work nicely on phones, tablets, laptops and desktops, without distracting "eye-candy", kinda like the site is now.

As to being an "Old Guy", one of the most popular series of stories for grade-school readers is "Harry Potter" books which were each around 800 pages with NO illustrations.

For some things content is more important than form.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by palaheel »

Peculiar_Investor wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 5:33 pm For those that love the front page and don't want it changed, can you answer this question.

If the functionality was offered exactly as is but from a different URL would you still love it and bookmark it as your Bogleheads homepage?

If so, why does it need to sit at the website's homepage, which for most websites is primarily the landing page of newcomers, who might need an introduction to what the Bogleheads is about and what the site has to offer, i.e. a very helpful wiki, an extremely active discussion forum and a blog.
Do you have any evidence that anyone has quit accessing the site because of the current layout?
Nothing to say, really.
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Peculiar_Investor
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

palaheel wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:01 pm Do you have any evidence that anyone has quit accessing the site because of the current layout?
Answering a question with a question?
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by Silverado »

SmallSaver wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:52 am Never thought about it as ugly or not, but it works great. In the unlikely event of a redesign, don't make it worse!
Yeah, this is me. Such a confusing thread to read through.
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Re: The front page is ugly

Post by palaheel »

Peculiar_Investor wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:11 pm
palaheel wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:01 pm Do you have any evidence that anyone has quit accessing the site because of the current layout?
Answering a question with a question?
I don't think that asking for evidence when none was provided is unreasonable.

I'll also point out that drudgereport.com is one of the most popular pages on the internet, and is very plain.
Nothing to say, really.
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