Did You Notice Something a Little Different?

it still hurts my eyes, they need to fix that .

Erma wrote: "Because WE are the end users! We deserve more respect!"

Of course... that alone will prod GR right along. I wish :(

In the meantime, don't forget to back up your library in case you decide to move your membership to a different site.
I have no confidence in GR whatsoever. I do not trust them and there is no way to know what tomorrow with them brings. Better be prepared to flee at a moment's notice.

I think they fixed it.

M'rella wrote: "In the meantime, don't forget to back up your library in case you decide to move your membership to a different site.."

Good point. In the process. It will distress me, but I've found alternatives out there, which may be better in the long run.

I won't stop reviewing just because I don't like the layout anymore, but I may do it less here. A link is as good as a nod! lol

Ilsa wrote: "I think they fixed it."

Pardon... Fixed what? I haven't really seen an actual solution.

The text is thicker and far more legible than their update now. Logged on and instantly noticed it.

Ilsa wrote: "The text is thicker and far more legible than their update now. Logged on and instantly noticed it."

True, the font is a bit better, but the massive amount of white is not improved. And the light grey still fades into the white too much.

The text is better, but overall it's a very minuscule improvement. And honestly I have no desire to thank anyone for it. Not after all the effort it took, not to mention that there was little wrong with the previous version.

The links still blend in with the text too much to be easily distinguishable. Other bugs or "improvements" so many people complained about are left untouched. Bad business, this :(

M'rella wrote: "The text is better, but overall it's a very minuscule improvement. And honestly I have no desire to thank anyone for it. Not after all the effort it took, not to mention that there was little wrong..."

Agreed!

The serif font is now easier to read. It seems to have gotten slightly thicker or bolder. Does this mean there are now 3 different fonts, or is this the same Merriweather?

I don't think it's Merriweather anymore. If so, good call - that font is a disaster for screens.

I wish there was more color as well. The site has always looked a bit dry, and I understand the complaints about the white hurting people... but I'm not a sufferer, fortunately enough for me.

Lobstergirl wrote: "The serif font is now easier to read. It seems to have gotten slightly thicker or bolder.

That's also my observation (firefox), I can't exactly tell, what (else) has changed, but I can now again look at the pages, read reviews etc. without hurting eyes after only a few seconds.

So I DO want to thank the GR team for this: thank you for hearing us and working on it.

Yes, the fonts look better (on IE), so I'm happy about that, but the coloration is still poor. The white is painful and such text as is not grey/black (such as links) needs better contrast still.

Well, since we are past the holidays, now maybe the development team can start working on the issues that remain! #wishfulthinking

The font is still Merriweather. Must be some new version. It definitely is easier to read, but things are still too small and bright for me.

Dhuaine wrote: "The font is still Merriweather. Must be some new version. It definitely is easier to read, but things are still too small and bright for me."

Looks like the color is bolder, darker, but other than that, same problems with size and too much white space here :/

As far as I recall too much white/bright was a huge no-no in web-design or at least 18 years ago it was. Maybe people grew new kind of eyes since than ...or mutated ...or something, I have no idea.

I still can't look at the screen for more than about 5 minutes without getting a headache so I now spend a hell of a lot less time on here than I used to.

Good thing about that is more time for reading but I miss interacting with my friends as much as I used to :o(

M'rella wrote: "As far as I recall too much white/bright was a huge no-no in web-design or at least 18 years ago it was. Maybe people grew new kind of eyes since than ...or mutated ...or something, I have no idea."

IMO it's because designers look at a page as one would look at a poster, and pay attention to things like composition and whatnot. They don't try to actually see the page as a user would, and think how it could be used.
Also, no graphical mockup ever that I've seen had the actual size of computer screen - including sea of white around the design.

It's the bright glare that is unreadable...I personally don't care what color the site or fonts are...but members of my group say the brightness of the white background actually hurts their eyes and gives them fatigue.

Is there an option for toning down the white?

Candy wrote: "It's the bright glare that is unreadable...I personally don't care what color the site or fonts are...but members of my group say the brightness of the white background actually hurts their eyes an..."

Altering the Brightness in your computer settings may help

Even though the serif font has gotten more readable, my eyes are still tiring. After 1/2 hour or so I need to rest them, they start to water. I've turned down the brightness again.

The last two days on this site my eyes feel like they're being tear-gassed.

Staff and design team:

Are you still around? Is there any word on adjusting or changing the blinding white background. There has not been any word since before the holidays, and it is starting to seem like you've forgotten about the issues that remain.

Thank you in advance for fixing this problem.

T.

Emily has been responding in this thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thank you lethe! Had been subscribed to this thread previously, but must have missed a comment. I had thought that thread had gone dark! Good to see I was wrong.

Still nothing changes though.

Well yeah, this is kind of a "how much we value your opinion" thread... which means not at all.

☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "Still nothing changes though."

Very true...

I would be happy if they would just get rid of this bright white background! I have my computer dimmed as low as it can go already!

Erma wrote: "☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "Still nothing changes though."

Very true..."

Yeah I mean isn't this a book website for us, the readers? Yet it seems that our complaints is being taken as, well pardon my language but it seems that the GR team is just like fucking us over and expect us to just get over it. And that is bullcrap.

Why do we need so many threads? Why can't we keep everything in here? Oh, right. We must have it as difficult as possible. Otherwise, where's the fun?

So I'm intrigued.

The mail that sparked this thread positioned the changes in font and background colour that have causes so much dismay as "small-but-important changes was to consolidate and refresh our visual styles"

These changes were to "lay the groundwork for some design improvements that we’re planning in the future."

Presumably these are much bigger changes that changing to fonts we can't read and a background colour that is too bright.

I'd like to think that GR will look for testers for these changes, try them out on PC and Android as well as Apple and perhaps use some consultation process to check what the users and content contributors want.

I suspect that they will just launch something new and wait for the flack to expend itself in a thread they don't read.

Mike wrote: "I suspect that they will just launch something new and wait for the flack to expend itself in a thread they don't read. "

You nailed it.
Very smart tactic. Create a thread, better two of three, let the peasants blow the steam off, give them an illusion of some action, trow in a bone, and then proceed as planned.

At the same time We, the Book People, have no influence here whatsoever, not unless one day we simply do not show up. And that is never going to happen.

Another thing. There are people who disapprove of these "small" changes and they go elsewhere, but don't want to lose their accounts here either. So what happens, they... or we, since I am one of them, go and create a sock-puppet account, maybe even two, to back everything up a few times just in case. And then GR's statistics show up, good enough for national headliners:
GR's traffic soars record high.
Astonishing amount of new accounts opens on GR during crisis.
...which then GRAmazon show to everyone: "see? SEE? We are doing it RIGHT!"
And every one goes "Oooohhhh!" *googly eyes*
GRAZilla won yet again.

Happened before, you know :(

Anyone notice they did something to re-fuck the italics???

Not particularly, why?

lololol

WOW, 3000 POSTS,,,,AND STILL "NOTHING"

M'rella wrote: " So what happens, they... or we, since I am one of them, go and create a sock-puppet account, maybe even two, to back everything up a few times just in case.."

I don't get it? Why create an additional account (or even multiple accounts)?

I've started exporting my lists to other sites, and spend alot less time going through stuff here. I would imagine that creating *more* accounts means *more* time here, causing *more* exposure to the problems.

Perhaps I am missing something?

@Erma

anyway to send you a PM?

☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "Anyone notice they did something to re-fuck the italics???"

They are smaller now...

Erma wrote: "☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "Anyone notice they did something to re-fuck the italics???"

They are smaller now..."

Not smaller, weirder. Like more spaced. It looks ridiculous -.-

And still no change to the background.

Just shocking no?

All is great now thank you.

My italics are fine. I am curious what it looks like. Anyone has a screenshot?

M'rella wrote: "My italics are fine. I am curious what it looks like. Anyone has a screenshot?"

I swear it looks different from before. Less italic-y if that makes sense.

☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "M'rella wrote: "My italics are fine. I am curious what it looks like. Anyone has a screenshot?"

I swear it looks different from before. Less italic-y if that makes sense."

I agree.

☯ DαякєηRнαℓ ❛ ᴰᵃʳᵏ ᴴᵘᶰᵗᵉʳ ❜ wrote: "M'rella wrote: "My italics are fine. I am curious what it looks like. Anyone has a screenshot?"

I swear it looks different from before. Less italic-y if that makes sense."

It's because they are using the true italic typeface for Merriweather now and you are no longer seeing the faux-italic generated by your browser. The faux-italic that was generated by your web browser (because MW Italic wasn't available) was just the regular font slanted.

Tal wrote: "It's because they are using the true italic typeface for Merriweather now and you are no longer seeing the faux-italic generated by your browser. The faux-italic that was generated by your web browser (because MW Italic wasn't available) was just the regular font slanted. "

That explains it! Thank you!

If you want to find out how your browser renders a given font in a "neutral" environment, you can do so at

http://www.cssfontstack.com/

Either pick from the list, or just extend the URL by a font-family name (embedded blanks are fine), i.e. http://www.cssfontstack.com/Merriweather or http://www.cssfontstack.com/Lato ...

You can interactively fiddle with attributes like size, style, weight...

This will give you some objective indication on the readabiliy of a given font on your screen - outside a more customized environment, like the GR stylesheets.

If the font displays in an unreadable way, then you can blame the font or your browser or your machine (or GR's choice of it).

If the font displays nicely, but does not on the GR web site, then you can blame GR's method of invoking it.

I was broadly behind this redesign but the changes to embiggen the font on the shelves page today just looks horrid. Most book titles and author names don't fit on one line anymore, it's made everything look cramped. Either make the font smaller or redesign the shelves pages so the data columns are wider please.

Bleurg.