Folks,  looking for comments on a possible design change for the AnySoldier.com web site.

If you would, compair these:

http://anysoldier.com/test2.cfm (revised version)

http://anysoldier.com/ (current version)

The only page with the test change is the home page.  Comments?

Hmmmm -- you know, this is a pretty clever innovation, Marty.  Just at first it was a little disconcerting -- I found the matching movement of the button bar just a little distracting the first couple of times I scrolled down the page.  But that quickly passed and I can see a real value to the user not having to go clear to the top (or bottom) of the page to click on another button.

It could be a real challenge, though, for the Where to Send page, I'm thinkin' -- there's a lot of info on there now --

My vote -- I like it!

--Marilyn

     Marty,I've seen it done like this on other web sites and I like it alot.

                                                                                 Lorraine

Marty,

Simplified.  Perfect.

Thanks,  Mimi

Thanks for the feedback!

Some points however:

Please don't send me private messages on this, keep them here.  They are ALL valid and none stupid. 

Please include as much info as you can if you do NOT like the change or it does not work, like what browser you are using, what your Operating System is, and your screen resolution.  A tip: if you can't see the bottom of the scrolling menubar on the test page, something is wrong.  The menubar is only 380 pix tall, and if you are using a window so small it won't scroll, well....

This is simply a concept test.  The AnySoldier.US site (OLD) had a menu like this for a short time.  Notice too that we are trying to use more of your screen width so the page is actually shorter.

A comment was made that this would be hard to do for the Where to Send page.  Right you are.  Ain't gonna be there.  ;)

Keep 'em comming!  I need the input, good and bad!  THANKS!

Marty - Like the bar on the side instead of the top.   Also like the concept of it moving with the screen.  Really cool! 

One problem though - it doesn't move on my screen, a 17'' screen.   We are using IE browser, Vista - Home Ed, Premium and 1068 res. - wide screen.  The bar also covers some of the text - a couple of characters.  Hope I've got enough info here for you. 

Ann

Marty-

I use MSN Explorer with Windows XP.  Resolution is 1024 X 768.  I also like about 1" of my dashboard along right edge [always on top].  Sometimes my dashboard preference is a problem when viewing wide pages, but not this time!  Although you've expanded the width, everything is still viewable with some pixels of background left over!  When I checked-in this morning everything was GREAT; menubar floating.  Tonight at 11 MST the menubar does not float.  It's stationary in deep left field.  Might be an issue on my end.

Thumbs UP!  Michelle - [outing myself]

Yep!   tried it again . . . Yep!  It floats!   That will be TWO thumbs DEFINATELY UP!

Marty:

I like it a lot. Page is cleaner; scrolling draws attention to the menu bar. Works fine with Firefox.

Pam 

I like the fact that the page is wider, but I am sorry, I have to say that I really dislike the floating menu bar. It is not just yours, I really dislike them all. I have one or two other sites I use on a somewhat regular basis, and they have them too, it is very disorienting to me. Will it make me not use the site...not on your life! but just thought I would throw my 2 cents in.

Heidi

Marty - It works!!!!   The side bar scrolls now on my screen.   I had to click on a button first  to activate scrolling process.  Is that the way it's supposed to work?  Love the moving bar.  Really cool!

Ann

On checking on the “new” website layout, the Forums also have this extraordinary extra spacing around it. I see the What to Send, and How to Send area hasn’t been affected by this air space issue.  I hope it won’t be; I could give up the Forums, but want to read the warriors’ postings.  On the Forum page, I don’t understand the value of the oversized Popular Tags to the right – what is that?  Who “tags” entries anyway?  And what’s with all the sizes in type? Is it art?  I click on one and it’s more big air and difficult to read and not seeing any continuity - I don't know how anyone would find their thread.  Sorry to sound caustic, but I’m on-line, on the job, all day on multiple screens, most of the day, everyday. Stuff that’s difficult to maneuver or hard to read ramps down in priorty mighty fast. For me, seeing if "my" guys have posted is critical for them I'd take the headache, once, late in the day when it wouldn't affect my work; getting one reading the Forums, I would not.  For me, that's losing a significant support, but I gotta work, so put in my two cents. 

The new forum came with an unpleasant surpise.  The 'look' is controled by a percentage, the old one was by specific size.

This caused all that excessive white space, which we are working to get rid of.  We will also dump the 'popular tags'.

Hang in there, we aren't finished......