h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One of the things I love about the Classic Goo is that it is so distinctive from other websites and I like reading white print on a dark background. The new skin, though, looks so much like other websites that it seems much more run-of-the-mill to me and I don't like it as much. But that's just my opinion and it's not worth much...

I like the rest of the changes, although I have encountered some problems, among which I disappeared off h2g2 for about 20 minutes.

I get this feeling with the new skin that it's a precursor to some disk-like thing flying around behind a darkened window on the thirteenth floor of the TGV offices...

Serious bit now. It looks too corporate. Classic Goo was a surprising interpretation of the Guide but it works and is an inspired and distinctive design. I'm not unhappy with the addition though, on the grounds that it won't be the only one. Presumably, there will be, in time, a great many skins to choose from. Whether this is a good thing or not is open to opinion - I personally feel more effort should be put into the information than into the look and h2g2 would be better off if it did just stick to one look, and the Goo was appropriate. Skins just happen to be fashionable at the moment.

Haven't really been on long enough to explore the other changes, though already finding the revised forums irritating. I would like to say that I have every respect for the people behind h2g2 and that some people are over-reacting to the changes, however bad they are.

If the information is more important than the look, then what's wrong with this look? If it had always been this way, would you have been whining for a year that it looks too corporate?

I came here to talk about the new skin, but feel I should also mention that this dialog has opened with two complete copies of the goo (ads and all) above it... There is the "normal" goo, a line of text ("This is the forum for...") and a complete new set of goo.

My original point is this: The new skin is light, the old skin is dark. User pages designed on the old skin will contain text which is predominantly yellow or white... When a user with the new skin looks at them, they will be unreadable. There are two obvious solutions, neither of which is really acceptable:

1) Show each user page in that user's default skin. Messy.

2) Filter out all Font Colour attributes from user pages. Unpopular.

How do you plan to get around this?

PS No one says you have to switch from the Goo. That's why they made this an option.

3) Put in GuideML stuff that allows you to set font color schemes

>3) Put in GuideML stuff that allows you to set font color schemes

whis is (apparently) on the To Do list at the Towers

;^)#

exactly... for all you supposed h2g2 users, isn't function ultimately more important than form. this isn't about being 'corporate' or hitchhikey, it's about relaying content in an open environment. besides, what does the 'goo' have to do with anything really. the idea is this.. better, more comprehensive flow of activity. after you finish deciding which is your favorite color consider the usibility.

Okay, maybe I am just resistant to change. There is a point there. But I also still like the idea that we are not like other websites and our design demonstrates this. I AM very grateful that we do still have a choice. And maybe I wouldn't be complaining if I had never seen the old design. I just don't like change. But THANK YOU H2G2 for everything. This is of course my favorite website and the new skins will not change that for me.

Keep in mind, we *still* aren't like other web sites. Not even really close most of the time.

In my opinion the fact that the site has a white background doesn't take away from that. People will of course have varying opinions on which was the better layout. Of that there's no doubt. But none of the essence of h2g2 is contained in the blue and goo color scheme.

From what I (we) understand the some GuideML font gadgets are on the to do list, that's right Bruce. Guess I could have made that more clear in my earlier post about that.

CrazyOne - ultimately with just about anything on the Net the information is more important than the look and moreso with h2g2. Good aesthetic design can, however, mean the difference between something being successful and something being a complete flop, and I'm concerned that h2g2 are watering down what was a unique image generated largely by their Web appearance not only by having alternative skins but also by putting across a more mundane look to first time users. I'm not unhappy that we're given the choice (though I do feel it's insignificant and that a variety of 'skins' on the whole are no substitute for one intelligent and careful design), I am unhappy that what is seen by most to be an asset to h2g2 is less likely to be seen now by new users. It just seems an unnecessary change.

Oh, and yes, if we had had the Alabaster look from the start I probably would be at the head of the queue for something more imaginative.

Right now my page looks best in goo. Probably I will work on adjusting my graphics so they work well in both skins, but in the mean time, I've just put the link at the top of my page that allows alabaster users to see what my page looks like in goo. That way, if they want to keep the loading speed, they can still get the content even if it looks weird, but if they want to see it the way I designed it, they can do so with one click.

Thanks for the idea, Redbeard! I've now done something similar...

Nice ad for the Classic skin & link to userdetails Redbeard

;^)#

Thanks, Bruce

It really helped seeing the link codes you posted elsewhere for both 'view this page in...' (which I used on the top one) and 'change preferences' (which I used on the banner).

Redbeard

Something ironic just hit me as I visited one of the articles by one of my alter ego's about Northern Ireland. The new skin's colour scheme has certain political overtones in Northern Ireland, just thought I'd point that out.

You know the blue is just so much easier on the eyes, a white background really herts after a while. I always use the blue background in Word (there going to be split up, yay!).

Is is only me or in these forums the goo has actually dissappeared? Tadge harder to find out the name of the forum now and no useful link to my page.


((be on the lookout for aurorae tonight!)

i'm really, really glad to know that i'm not alone!
I came here with the intention of humbly stating my opinion, only to find that the very first entry, (princess bride's) stated it PERFECTLY.

to reiterate:
EVERYTHING ELSE ASIDE, the new skin is pretty, but not anywhere near as original as the goo. it feels like a really classy doctor's office- too clean to really get comfortable. Completely unlike the comfortable, relaxed place this was with the goo.

it's nice, but if i'd wanted to hang out somewhere like that, i'd've spent all my time at TGV.

My real concern is NEW members. If they come on, and their first visit is under the new skin, they have no way of KNOWING that there's another skin, and they may very well chalk us up to being just like everyone else! (and GOD* knows THAT'S not true!!

I know that if MY first visit here had been in the alabaster skin, i'd have very happily clicked my way right out. i never liked forums before coming to this site, but the goo style and graphics got my attention, and the people keep me here.

(i CLEARLY remember as the page loaded that fateful day, my first comment was, "F@@kin' COOL! AWESOME graphics!!" (sorry about my language, but that IS a direct quote!))


so i stand to join the ranks of my fellow hikers... cordially disliking the new skin.


The Archangel Zax*
Patron Saint of Drunken Indulgence (NGA),
Brownies (CotTB), Undead Weevils (CotTW), and Whatever (CoW)
*being driven to drink....