Did the forum design change - or is it my browser?

[CountryBumkin]

I've been away for a little bit, and upon returning to this forum, I noticed all the links (the left side menu) to the technical info that I use often, is gone.

I eventually found a way to access it (from the very top of page above the truck picture) but that menu doesn't show up quite right on my screen. The text is small and gray, and hard to read.

Is this a new design or is my browser (Chrome) just misbehaving?
I'm not sure if anyone else vising for the first time would have found that hidden menu at the top.

Just my opinion.

[Gary Lewis]

Welcome back, Kotter!  Yes, the website changed.  The menus down the left got cumbersome and caused a lot of problems with various people's devices, particularly the mobile ones.  So we played around with some options and settled on this one.

As it turns out, the menu you are seeing on a laptop or desktop is now the same menu that mobile users see all the time.  My research tells me that many websites are going to the mobile approach, so apparently we won't be alone.

But that isn't to say we can't make what we have better.  I can try some different "themes" with Weebly to see if they are better, and will report back.  Thanks for the input.

[CountryBumkin]

Okay. Thanks for explaining.
I'm old and my eyes aint so good any more. Can you make the font a little bigger on that menu?

[Gary Lewis]

Did I make the menu worse or better?

[CountryBumkin]

Gary,
I can't navigate this forum on my home computer (IE 11). The forum opens but it locks up. I can't do anything and no links work. Basically. I can see the home page and that's it, the screen is frozen. I have to close IE .

I tried this form several times throughout the day. All other websites and forums work - so I think the "menu change" did something that IE11 doesn't like.

I'm on Chrome now, and it works fine.

And the font size/type change looks great on Chrome. Thanks


EDIT: I'm on IE11 at work now, and having no problems with the site, so it must be something on my home computer.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, I think it is your home computer as I tried IE11 and it works fine - as does Chrome.

I have a suggestion though that I think will help, but I need everyone's input.  If you look at the menu by clicking on it you'll see that the top level text is bigger than the lower levels.  In other words, the text circled in red, below, is bigger (15-point font) than the text circled in green (12-point font.)  And the reason for that is because some things are nested so deeply that even at the smaller font when viewed on a mobile device the last links aren't visible.

The main culprit is the 1986 EVTM, shown circled in blue.  But, if I were to hide all of the things circled in blue from the menu then I could increase the size of the font significantly.  And, by clicking on "1986 EVTM" you'd still get to the EVTM's index, which has links to all of those pages.  In fact, that's exactly how I use the EVTM's as that page has the description of what is in each of the lower pages, so I can tell what I want.  Further, it is FAR easier to go to another page by backing up to the index than going back through the menu.

So, what do y'all think?  I can try it just by clicking "Hide from menu" and if we don't like it I can unclick.  Further, any links anyone has saved will still go right to the lower level page.

[CountryBumkin]

Yes - I like that sound of that change. I'm in :)

[Gary Lewis]

See what you think now.  I did as discussed and then increased the font size of both the main menu as well as all sub-menus to 16 point.  That seems to work fine on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone.  Please check it out and let me know.  I'm going to also announce it on the thread re the website.

[CountryBumkin]

It much easier to read now. Us old folk appreciate the change.

[Gary Lewis]

Glad you like it. And, if you see other things that could be improved PLEASE let me know.