What Happened to the Functionality?

[erik822]

This "new design" is a good example of why the importance of good website design.

For example, the homepage:

It loads slowly and then, once loaded, promptly loses me.

There 4 rows of links across the top and there is no heirarchy to tell me which ones are most important. The links across the top make sense, but are missing key navigation elements. Then there a row below that with ads by google. The a "crumb trail" which doesn't make sense because it doesn't match the top navigation. Then there's another series of links, with duplicates of Home, Forums and Gallery. This is followed by an ad that isn't even a standard size.

So, where do I go? I can't find anything? Oh, if I want to find something I go to search, which is 3/4 of the way across the 4th row of links. Or maybe I could to quick links, but that's just as hidden.

This website is a Forum. The SOLE purpose of a forum is to convey information. Whether that information is a tech tip, an opinion or a question and its answer, is irrelevant. It is information. Please make it easy to find. I feel like I'm in a library and you decided to stop using the dewey decimal system. And didn't bother alphabetizing.

That's the main page.

As for the advertisers.

There's a row of google "pay per click" ads on the second row. The ironic part of that is that on google's own website they put them somewhere else so they don't interfere with people's ability to navigate. And speaking of google, since the redesign, the links to forum threads that used to show up in google (and happen to be how I found this site in the first place) no longer work. So if I search for information on Ducati Monster, I no longer get it. If I were paying to advertise to an audience of "Ducati Monster Riders" that might irritate me.

I used to love this site. I came here religiously, every day. I'm sure I'll still visit, but I doubt it'll be the site I come to when I'm actually looking for information.

I think VS is taking the comments and complaints people have the wrong way. It's not about anyone needing the site to be just like it was. People want the site to WORK like it did. The reason people are complaining and defecting to other boards isn't because VS bought the site, it's because they want a site that "works". The beauty of the old Monsterlist is that it worked very, very well. It was intuitive. It was easy to navigate. And it had a TON of information on it. The information is supposed still out there, but I can't find it anymore. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Please, please, please get the ease of use and functionality of the old monsterlist back.