Alternative layout trial

[anthony]

If not on a mobile phone, you will notice an alternative layout. Why? I want to see how people feel about getting rid of all that blank white space under the left aligned version of the users avatar and details on posts... especially where most posts are long. The width has been reduced by 80px too.

The view you will see right now on tablets and desktops is the mobile version, pretty close to it.

Let it sit and see how you feel after a week or so, whether it is easier or not?

 

[AngelKeeperJ]

I like it! It seems less busy...

 

[lostforgottensoul]

It takes a bit to get used to but I am seeing, as I click on the areas how each fit in each area. I like it as well. Have no idea why but it just feels good I guess.

 

[Nessa7]

I like it a lot. Since the avatars don't contain any useful information now, they were kind of a waste of space and drew attention away from the content of posts.

 

[FauxLiz]

okay I am one of the hybrid users as I log in probably 50/50 mobile and desktop. I have tried to do my best to adapt to all the changes that have happened since April but I need to comment now. I can not stand the new default type font call me old but I don't find it to be a reader friendly font. Next the addition/shuffling of forum topics to fit the potential changes in the ICD 11 are for me confusing, distracting and making this site difficult to visit and participate on. I have used this site at times as a lifeline when I was located somewhere or in some situation where I couldn't otherwise reach out but over the last few days as more and more has changed I have found myself internalizing or acting out, I won't blame either of those on the site but I will say that there have been many times throughout the day I have thought I should sign in to MYPTSD but have decided against because I don't have time to figure out where the information I am searching for is now found or where I should post. It has just become to confusing.

 

[joeylittle]

I will say that there have been many times throughout the day I have thought I should sign in to MYPTSD but have decided against because I don't have time to figure out where the information I am searching for is now found or where I should post. It has just become to confusing.

Choosing to stay off the forum, if it's stressing you out, is a very good move.

About navigation: if you aren't sure where to post a thread, you can always put it into General. We will file it. Or, just take your best guess; we will move it if needed.

There's no way to use the forum incorrectly - we understand that sometimes people are not in a headspace to be thinking about where to put a post.

Change is hard, no doubt. But eventually it does become intuitive again.

 

[anthony]

I don't have time to figure out where the information I am searching for is now found

Search hasn't gone anywhere. That is how you find relevant information. Search returns results based on best match.

or where I should post. It has just become to confusing.

There are only three new forums to the PTSD / CPTSD category, there are 3 forums that have been totally removed. All in all, zero additional forums from the total tally.

Like @joeylittle said, when in doubt, use "general" which is specifically a catch-all, where staff will move content appropriately. Otherwise, think of the new ones like this:

• Avoidance - is my new thread about avoiding something? I don't want to do it? I don't want to participate?
• Core beliefs / cognitive distortions - I am filled with shame, guilt, self-blame... I do this behaviour, yet know its not normal... and, is this about a negative thinking / thought pattern or behaviour I have?
• Dysregulation - I am pretty much out of control right now emotionally and can't ground or other.

The criterion of PTSD and CPTSD is simpler than you think. I avoid x, I believe or do y (which I know is not normal), I can't control my emotion/s right now and z happens.

or where I should post

Adding to this thought... part of the reason we added the associated criterion, was to start making people think more about their symptoms. Putting an avoidance of crowds under anxiety, because it caused you anxiety, is talking about the outcome, not the cause. So now when you formulate such writing, you're now going to acknowledge the cause, not the symptom first, or a broader context (general). When people can't, staff will help them by moving the thread, thus making a person focus more on the real purpose of their post, whether they see it or not. Its about pushing people to look at things for what they are, not what they may think they are or want them to be. Specificity in categories, aligned to criterion, do this by default.

 

[Fadeaway]

I have noticed search requires you to be ALOT more specific than it used too when searching for a specific thread. It's been that way since the changes in April. Otherwise I like all the new options for posting areas. I think it makes it a lot easier when trying to figure out where to post.

 

[anthony]

I have noticed search requires you to be ALOT more specific than it used too

I am making a slight tweak to that now... then see how it goes. Search uses relevance. The more relevant you get, the more relevant the results. The problem with any search, even Google, is that you have to find a balance between new content and old content. You can weigh new content over old, or relevance. Googling content, you want the most accurate, yet you likely want current content. But what if something older is actually better? See the issue? Its a problem that even Google can't solve, because the level of information being indexed is just enormous. We don't have the issues Google do, but the search issues are similar. Google shifted to localisation long ago, so you get local content prioritised before date or relevance are weighted. But all three are weighted in each search uniquely.

Our system uses a weighted system like this, slightly weighing more to relevance than date, as we only have 1.5 million indexes to search within. To some degree, you have to sift through results.

Oh... now saying that, advanced search allows you, the user, to change from relevance to most recent, so you control the weight of results returned.

 

[anthony]

I can not stand the new default type font

This was oversight during all the changes made earlier in the year. I've now amended that to use a default sans-serif with 17px size.

 

[Teasel]

I access the mostly on mobile. As of this morning the font is feint I cannot read it.
Thanks

 

[Teasel]

Should say Is so feint