As discussed in the other thread, it
was "broken" so to speak. Unsupported software and running old server applications, difficulties in properly managing the backend to name just a few issues. I would have loved to save myself nearly 10k and countless hours of work and just keep the old site, but you have to keep current, or you could suffer the consequences and I care about the data too much to risk it. Also, the longer you put it off the worse it can be to update. Many being forced to update when their old system falls over. We were also suffering via search and rankings, the site score at one measure was C- and now hits a B+ which improves our rankings, bringing more members to the website -our user registrations have doubled since the update. The update has allowed us to use AMP for mobile and much much more new technology. It's a bit too much to go into and it's all about future proofing the community for the long term.
As for the layout, it's near identical to the previous site, I posted so side by side comparisons as mentioned here:
Search feature issues: 1. Why is the plain Search function a Google search? I think earlier Google search had a separate button. 2. The simple Search function does not have a choice between Relevance and Date. 3. A day or two ago, did the user preferences page have an option to use Relevance or...
www.photrio.com
I can look to getting a minimalist syle installed for those who want mostly text and no frills.
Check your user settings, there are a few things you can adjust such as disabling the sidebar, disabling the red flags in the header, soon there will be options to disable colouring of the classifieds tags, and disabling of user avatars.
The site is malleable and can be made however we like, and it's a work in progress, so all feedback is welcome and I'll do what I can to make it enjoyable for as many as possible.
The more specific the feedback the better.
Thanks,
Sean