• MrOli (unregistered)

    Fill /IN/, not out. Do you colour out a picture? Bah, Merkins, eh?

  • Frz (unregistered)

    It's kind of hard to vote on whether or not to do a redesign of the site. Some directions where the site would be going with a redesign would be nice.

  • (cs) in reply to Frz
    Frz:
    It's kind of hard to vote on whether or not to do a redesign of the site. Some directions where the site would be going with a redesign would be nice.

    Yeah, a redesign is tricky. The general direction is cleaner, accessible, usable -- we got great feedback on http://omg2.thedailywtf.com/.

    Feel free to post your thoughts here or in the survey comments.

  • (cs)

    I want to thank everyone who ever posted a story on this site (or forum). I read every article and am now working my way through the forum. Great stuff. Keep the stories coming! Thanks!

  • (cs)

    You read articles using: Mobile Tablet PC All of the above? [x]

  • John Snape (unregistered)

    I thought WTF stood for "Written To Fail"

  • William (unregistered)

    I usually read the article in the Newsblur app or web interface, where the typography is much, much better. I only click through for code blocks or the comments (HTML and reader). Newsblur really sucks at rendering pre-formatted code blocks.

    Regarding typography:

    Variable content area width is no good. 100% - 200px does not make for a decent line-length. 80 characters at a good, readable font size should be about right, and is classic and appropriate for the site.

    Small Tahoma / Arial is terrible. Serif fonts are classier, easier to read, and it should be medium font size, at least. Georgia is decent for a fallback, and you should pick a really nice web font: Garamond or Baskerville are my picks: http://brick.im/fonts/

    Code blocks are a core feature of the site. System default monospaced fonts are terrible. You should use Inconsolata or Source Code Pro: http://brick.im/fonts/ Give the code blocks a background color, and better syntax highlighting: I dig solarized for this. Bonus points if the code samples are runnable or clicking on keywords / library classes links to the relevant API documentation.

    ...now I want to write some user scripts for this site to enhance the code blocks, suppress the sidebar, and fix the content typography. Maybe if I get bored enough at work to type a comment this long again...

  • Gunslinger (unregistered) in reply to William
    William:
    I usually read the article in the Newsblur app or web interface, where the typography is much, much better. I only click through for code blocks or the comments (HTML and reader). Newsblur really sucks at rendering pre-formatted code blocks.

    Regarding typography:

    Variable content area width is no good. 100% - 200px does not make for a decent line-length. 80 characters at a good, readable font size should be about right, and is classic and appropriate for the site.

    Small Tahoma / Arial is terrible. Serif fonts are classier, easier to read, and it should be medium font size, at least. Georgia is decent for a fallback, and you should pick a really nice web font: Garamond or Baskerville are my picks: http://brick.im/fonts/

    Code blocks are a core feature of the site. System default monospaced fonts are terrible. You should use Inconsolata or Source Code Pro: http://brick.im/fonts/ Give the code blocks a background color, and better syntax highlighting: I dig solarized for this. Bonus points if the code samples are runnable or clicking on keywords / library classes links to the relevant API documentation.

    ...now I want to write some user scripts for this site to enhance the code blocks, suppress the sidebar, and fix the content typography. Maybe if I get bored enough at work to type a comment this long again...

    I'm sorry, why should the website be setting the font? That should be up to the reader to set the text to whatever is optimal for them. The website should have a nice default but the user should be able to override that as desired.

  • Cromo (unregistered)

    I have approximately 1.75 years of experience, but there's not a choice for that. It jumps from less than a year to 2-4 years.

    [image]
  • emaN Your (unregistered)

    Been reading for over 3 years, but not long enough to know the previous site design.

    Also, Software QA gets no love from that dropdown. What's up with that?

    Finally, while I have a bookmarklet that unhides HTML comments in an article, it would be nice if you could put a tiny icon or image that we could hover the mouse over to see author comments.

  • (cs)

    Just please don't hop on the Metro-UI design fad. Colorful borderless boxes crammed together are no substitute for order, structure, and whitespace.

    The best website designs are the ones that would be unlikely to win any kind of "design" award, or even draw notice. Every time I see a really beautiful and complex or unnecessarily color-diverse site design, my first thought is that it's compensating for lack in content, be it quality, quantity, or depth. Heck, if I notice the design at all, either it was very ugly, or the content wasn't very good, or it wasn't very accessible.

    The most refined usability experience is utterly forgettable - and yet the most likely to retain readers. No matter how interactive or innovative an interface can be, it is still (ostensibly) in service of text that we all just read left-to-right in descending rows. Focus on that and we'll be good.

  • Norman Diamond (unregistered) in reply to emaN Your
    emaN Your:
    Also, Software QA gets no love from that dropdown. What's up with that?
    This site isn't about companies that do their QA properly.
  • Dan Cowell (unregistered) in reply to Alex Papadimoulis

    Above and beyond all else it should be responsive, something that the OMGWTF2 site lacks.

    "Cleaner" is definitely also a big plus. I can't say I agree with serif fonts for screen use, especially on smaller devices or at smaller font sizes where it can look a bit ragged. I'd pick a nice, legible sans-serif font.

  • (cs)

    I hope the redesign is not just eye candy. The comment and tag system sucks bigtime.

  • William (unregistered) in reply to Gunslinger
    Gunslinger:
    I'm sorry, why should the website be setting the font?
    Gunslinger:
    The website should have a nice default but the user should be able to override that as desired.

    ...

    Gunslinger:
    (The font) should be up to the reader to set the text to whatever is optimal for them.

    And indeed that is what I do now by using a newsreader app and the readability bookmarklet. And what I suggested I could do with a user stylesheet.

    But as you said yourself, the website should have a nice default. It can even provide toggleable options for different looks!

  • I Shot the Serif (unregistered) in reply to William
    William:
    Gunslinger:
    I'm sorry, why should the website be setting the font?
    Gunslinger:
    The website should have a nice default but the user should be able to override that as desired.

    ...

    Gunslinger:
    (The font) should be up to the reader to set the text to whatever is optimal for them.

    And indeed that is what I do now by using a newsreader app and the readability bookmarklet. And what I suggested I could do with a user stylesheet.

    But as you said yourself, the website should have a nice default. It can even provide toggleable options for different looks!

    But Serif's suck big-time! How are they more readable with their little "Times New Roman" feet and such? That style (thankfully) went out in the early nineties! Please don't make the default a SERIF font!

  • Starioni Tyzriaka (unregistered) in reply to HonoredMule
    HonoredMule:
    The most refined usability experience is utterly forgettable - and yet the most likely to retain readers. No matter how interactive or innovative an interface can be, it is still (ostensibly) in service of text that we all just read left-to-right in descending rows. Focus on that and we'll be good.
    In other words, focus on the content.
  • Simon Clarkstone (unregistered) in reply to HonoredMule

    I had forgotten that I read the site at 150% zoom all the time.

    HonoredMule:
    The most refined usability experience is utterly forgettable - and yet the most likely to retain readers. No matter how interactive or innovative an interface can be, it is still (ostensibly) in service of text that we all just read left-to-right in descending rows. Focus on that and we'll be good.

    Yes. For example, this is one of the cleanest blog designs I have seen (and it loads super-fast because it is all static HTML) though it is not suitable for TDWTF: http://prog21.dadgum.com/

  • foo (unregistered) in reply to HonoredMule
    HonoredMule:
    Just please don't hop on the Metro-UI design fad. Colorful borderless boxes crammed together are no substitute for order, structure, and whitespace.

    The best website designs are the ones that would be unlikely to win any kind of "design" award, or even draw notice. Every time I see a really beautiful and complex or unnecessarily color-diverse site design, my first thought is that it's compensating for lack in content, be it quality, quantity, or depth. Heck, if I notice the design at all, either it was very ugly, or the content wasn't very good, or it wasn't very accessible.

    The most refined usability experience is utterly forgettable - and yet the most likely to retain readers. No matter how interactive or innovative an interface can be, it is still (ostensibly) in service of text that we all just read left-to-right in descending rows. Focus on that and we'll be good.

    This was exactly my sentiment in the survey. Metro makes stuff very hard to read if your attention span is more than 10 seconds you you don't have a touchscreen device with a small screen.

    CAPTCHA: genitus. Sounds like something that the Metro designers weren't.

  • (cs) in reply to foo
    foo:
    Metro makes stuff very hard to read if your attention span is mo
    … Ooh a squirrel!
  • OldCoder (unregistered) in reply to I Shot the Serif
    I Shot the Serif:
    William:
    Gunslinger:
    I'm sorry, why should the website be setting the font?
    Gunslinger:
    The website should have a nice default but the user should be able to override that as desired.

    ...

    Gunslinger:
    (The font) should be up to the reader to set the text to whatever is optimal for them.

    And indeed that is what I do now by using a newsreader app and the readability bookmarklet. And what I suggested I could do with a user stylesheet.

    But as you said yourself, the website should have a nice default. It can even provide toggleable options for different looks!

    But Serif's suck big-time! How are they more readable with their little "Times New Roman" feet and such? That style (thankfully) went out in the early nineties! Please don't make the default a SERIF font!

    Website designers sometimes (frequently) forget:

    • They have no idea what browser is being used, nor what version;
    • They have no idea what operating system is being used, so no idea what fonts are available;
    • They have no idea what size or proportions the reader's display is;
    • They have no idea what language the reader speaks so have no idea what codepage or bit of Unicode to send.
    </rant>

    Captcha: plaga. A plaga upon all your websites!

  • Nico (unregistered)

    If you redesign, get it to display properly on mobile screens, tone the ads down.

    For an outlet making fun of coders bad practices, having a design that screams "1999 Geocities-hosted personal page" doesn't really cut it.

  • ceiswyn (unregistered) in reply to emaN Your
    emaN Your:
    Also, Software QA gets no love from that dropdown. What's up with that?

    Same reason technical writing doesn't. All true software developers hate and fear us. Probably they had a traumatic flashback in the middle of typing the job titles and couldn't finish.

  • yes, yes, yes.....curtains (unregistered) in reply to HonoredMule
    HonoredMule:
    Just please don't hop on the Metro-UI design fad. Colorful borderless boxes crammed together are no substitute for order, structure, and whitespace.

    The best website designs are the ones that would be unlikely to win any kind of "design" award, or even draw notice. Every time I see a really beautiful and complex or unnecessarily color-diverse site design, my first thought is that it's compensating for lack in content, be it quality, quantity, or depth. Heck, if I notice the design at all, either it was very ugly, or the content wasn't very good, or it wasn't very accessible.

    The most refined usability experience is utterly forgettable - and yet the most likely to retain readers. No matter how interactive or innovative an interface can be, it is still (ostensibly) in service of text that we all just read left-to-right in descending rows. Focus on that and we'll be good.

    Amen

  • Jim (unregistered) in reply to ceiswyn
    ceiswyn:
    emaN Your:
    Also, Software QA gets no love from that dropdown. What's up with that?

    Same reason technical writing doesn't. All true software developers hate and fear us. Probably they had a traumatic flashback in the middle of typing the job titles and couldn't finish.

    Because you stop real work happening

    **backs away...slowly.....carefully eyeing whether the QA dude or the technical writer will jump at him first **

  • Meep (unregistered) in reply to Jim
    Jim:
    ceiswyn:
    emaN Your:
    Also, Software QA gets no love from that dropdown. What's up with that?

    Same reason technical writing doesn't. All true software developers hate and fear us. Probably they had a traumatic flashback in the middle of typing the job titles and couldn't finish.

    Because you stop real work happening

    **backs away...slowly.....carefully eyeing whether the QA dude or the technical writer will jump at him first **

    It's anyone's guess. The technical writer has to find a developer using Microsoft Office to approve the changes to jumping someone, and the QA person is waiting for a set of jumping procedures written at the 6th grade level.

  • Anone (unregistered)

    The most-necessary design change is to have a slice of the front page dedicated to a return of MFD.

  • baka0815 (unregistered)

    PLEASE still use those hidden comments in the code! ;-)

    Captcha: tristique Please don't get too tristique with the new design.

  • DaT (unregistered)

    I would rather see them put more time and energy into improving the quality of the stories and comments. I like reading the narratives but it's often very obvious that the author has taken a lot of creative liberties with the original submission, sometimes so much that the submitter feels obliged to correct the story in the comments. Maybe the writers could be more collaborative with the submitters to get more of the non-technical details they need to turn the submission into a story. I enjoy reading the comments, but there really needs to be a moderation system to cut down on the crap. I would like to have an intelligent discussion of the stories without dealing with all morons that try to turn everything into a meme and keep posting crap like "Frist" or "the president's daughter...". The low quality stories and comments are what would drive me away from the site, not the old design.

  • DigitalYeti (unregistered) in reply to Alex Papadimoulis

    Yes, I like the OMG2 page, looks clean but not overly crazy with the redesign.

  • bob (unregistered)

    Trust me to read this now, having just got back from Tokyo ...

  • Smithb995 (unregistered)

    I like what you guys are usually up too. This kind of clever work and exposure! Keep up the amazing works guys I've added you guys to my blogroll. kdbceafkkabkkccd

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