New forum layout comments

[Bassam Guy]

Personally, aesthetically, it looks nicer but otherwise it seems a leap backwards. I haven't spent much time with it yet but...

• No "threaded view" makes side conversations and replies disjointed
• No EXIF in posted photos? I don't even see how to view the resolution
• Reply to a post with photos "with quote " bloats the size of the entire message thread
• I spend even more time scrolling than the OG, which was somewhat of a PITA (I prefer a non-scrolling "header" containing oft used links)

And what are "solutions", and why do I have only 15 when I've already solved every social, political, photographic, and scientific problem?

I do like being able to edit after more than 5 minutes

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Personally, aesthetically, it looks nicer but otherwise it seems a leap backwards. I haven't spent much time with it yet but...

• No "threaded view" makes side conversations and replies disjointed
• No EXIF in posted photos? I don't even see how to view the resolution
• Reply to a post with photos "with quote " bloats the size of the entire message thread
• I spend even more scrolling than the OG, which was somewhat of a PITA (I prefer a non-scrolling "header" with oft used links)

Hi Bassam Guy! Please read our Known Issues post that clarifies EXIF data:

Announcement Thread 'Forum system known issues'

Monday at 3:27 PM

We're excited to have finally launched the new forum system and get you back in to continue your favorite photography discussions. Thanks for being patient with us during the migration period and the uncertainty it produced as to what everything will look like at launch.

Even with the extended time our team took to review the forums top to bottom, as with any new system being put in place, quirks and isolated issues are bound to come up.

As of Nov. 6, 2025, here are the current known issues:

Top Issues

• Photo galleries are still being processed (some photos may not show...

• Mathew Anderson
• Replies: 158
• Forum: New Forum System (XenForo)

• 

You don't need to reply with a quote, just go to the end of the thread and use the reply box there. Maybe we can get another post next to each post that clarifies this.

For side conversations, please create a new thread. Threads are meant to be about a single topic, not their own mini-forums. I know it's a bit different than you're used to, but it will read much cleaner in the end once you get used to it.

 

[RRAz]

I'm glad the new layout has finally arrived! Much faster and more legible at my end than the old dinosaur.
No doubt there will be a few teething issues, but in my mind it is already a win!

 

[Mathew Anderson]

I'm glad the new layout has finally arrived! Much faster and more legible at my end than the old dinosaur.
No doubt there will be a few teething issues, but in my mind it is already a win!

Glad to hear! Let us know what you discover, and if you have any suggestions for improving it, we'd be glad to consider them.

 

[nonicks]

The large colored or customized icons next to the thread titles (subject lines) is not necessary IMO. It makes the forum landing pages too busy to look at. Also why eliminate the indicator of photo attachment in the thread? It helps spot the threads with picture attached without gogint through the titles. It's a very useful feature. Of course, the thread view is very important as needing to scroll through each post in flat view is pretty discouraging, and I believe thread view will come back soon?

 

[Mathew Anderson]

The large colored or customized icons next to the thread titles (subject lines) is not necessary IMO. It makes the forum landing pages too busy to look at. Also why eliminate the indicator of photo attachment in the thread? It helps spot the threads with picture attached without gogint through the titles. It's a very useful feature. Of course, the thread view is very important as needing to scroll through each post in flat view is pretty discouraging, and I believe thread view will come back soon?

Others have suggested the need for a photo indicator. I’ve suggested we get that back for you all. I agree it’s worth having.

 

[ahaslett]

Hi Bassam Guy! Please read our Known Issues post that clarifies EXIF data:

Interesting that you can’t see the embedded content until you post, so you have to go back and Edit when you realise it’s too distracting. At least I now know what the Embed instruction does. That’s interesting- I’ll have to learn the instruction set!

You don't need to reply with a quote, just go to the end of the thread and use the reply box there. Maybe we can get another post next to each post that clarifies this.

For side conversations, please create a new thread. Threads are meant to be about a single topic, not their own mini-forums. I know it's a bit different than you're used to, but it will read much cleaner in the end once you get used to it.

It’s going to take a while to get used to it. Unless the EXIF problem is solved quickly, I’m going to lose interest and fade away.

I agree that threads are going to be shallower, harder to navigate, and less interesting. You suggest starting a new topic to respond to a point in an existing thread. Is there a way of quoting that post when you start the new topic? How do you point the poster of that topic to the fact you are picking up their post?

Now you have to at least skim all the posts you are not interested in, I can see why people used the Ignore function.

Andrew[/Embed]

 

[Michael Firstlight]

Congratulations on the new layout! Now, dPreview's usability is just as bad as most other forum websites.

 

[Mathew Anderson]

Interesting that you can’t see the embedded content until you post, so you have to go back and Edit when you realise it’s too distracting. At least I now know what the Embed instruction does. That’s interesting- I’ll have to learn the instruction set!

It’s going to take a while to get used to it. Unless the EXIF problem is solved quickly, I’m going to lose interest and fade away.

I agree that threads are going to be shallower, harder to navigate, and less interesting. You suggest starting a new topic to respond to a point in an existing thread. Is there a way of quoting that post when you start the new topic? How do you point the poster of that topic to the fact you are picking up their post?

Now you have to at least skim all the posts you are not interested in, I can see why people used the Ignore function.

Andrew[/Embed]

Yes on quoting to start a new thread. We haven't enabled the feature as we feared it might cause further confusion with the community. The button is like how it works here on macrumors.com:

Tahoe's Terrible Icons

Paul Kafasis with a wonderful breakdown, icon by icon. Some of my favorites: The left-side tabs on the old Contacts icon were odd, but this new icon is even odder. Is the cover of that book made of glass? Hey, look, it’s Contacts, but far worse! This no longer looks like a book at all...

forums.macrumors.com

"+Quote" is what it's called. You click on it and then you can create a new thread and that quote will come with the new thread. You can click as many other posts like this as well to create a new thread with a collection of responses from places.

Does that sound worth implementing?

 

[ahaslett]

Yes on quoting to start a new thread. We haven't enabled the feature as we feared it might cause further confusion with the community. The button is like how it works here on macrumors.com:

Tahoe's Terrible Icons

Paul Kafasis with a wonderful breakdown, icon by icon. Some of my favorites: The left-side tabs on the old Contacts icon were odd, but this new icon is even odder. Is the cover of that book made of glass? Hey, look, it’s Contacts, but far worse! This no longer looks like a book at all...

forums.macrumors.com

"+Quote" is what it's called. You click on it and then you can create a new thread and that quote will come with the new thread. You can click as many other posts like this as well to create a new thread with a collection of responses from places.

Does that sound worth implementing?

That might be very helpful, especially as it seems the person you are responding to will get a notification.

That won’t solve having to scroll forever in flat view or not being able to quickly home in on posts by highly valued posters or with a lot of likes, but it will increase the subject depth and dialogue.

If I might suggest placing navigation aids at the bottom of the heap, it would save having to scroll to the top to go back to the forum. Also, it’s a bit odd, the new posts flag drops to zero when you read the first one, and you have to scroll over all of them to see which you have read.

Thanks

Andrew

 

[Mike B USA]

I like the larger avatars. I took the opportunity to add a recent photo of myself. Not everyone will do that, nor should it be required, but it adds a touch of personalization to otherwise anonymous strangers. Perhaps it will help in a small way to increase civility.

 

[Larry_T]

Sorry this is way too much mental energy. I can't tell what I read before, where I left off, what is new and what is old. Navigation between forums is a pain. Why can't the newest post be at the top instead of last? Too many quotes and requotes make the responses way too long. I used to visit frequently to several forums, now maybe check in morning and evening to one or two.

 

[Alan Sh]

Why can't the newest post be at the top instead of last? T

I don't know any forum where that is the case.

 

[rsn]

I was worried the new layout would visually be less appealing but the final results are "good enough." My one whiney first world complaint is that when I go into the "more" section of the person's gear listing, I now have to tab on gear, after hitting more. This seems redundant and a waste of a valuable one second of my time.

 

[mharps]

My take on the new layout: 1. light blue text is difficult to read. Needs to be much bolder. 2. Poster info at left of post is too large, I want to read the post not the life story of the poster - perhaps make the info smaller with less info that is either a mouse roll over that provides the detail in a pop up that disappears when you move the mouse off it. 3. No longer has an icon that indicates the post has photos included. Wish it was still displayed. 4. Dislike the need to scroll to the top or bottom of the posts to get to the link to return to the forum. Previously it was much easier to do so. Yes I could use the browser back arrow but that used to result in the post just read no longer showing as read.

 

[Alan Sh]

Dislike the need to scroll to the top or bottom of the posts to get to the link to return to the forum

Just hit the F button onthe keyboard.

 

[mharps]

Just hit the F button onthe keyboard.

Bit difficult on an iPad

 

[nightowlnz]

Bit difficult on an iPad

On iPhone and iPad (Safari) you just tap the top of the screen (i.e. where the time/battery etc is displayed) to scroll any web page back to the top.

 

[mahidoes]

• No "threaded view"

This was the main reason i like dpreview forum. Now it's gone