First off, let me say that I don't completely hate the new design. There are a number of features that I appreciate, especially the clean look. My concerns are about the lessened functionality of the site; if it's harder for people to contribute then fewer people will, and the main reason tv.com is such a great site will be lost. So, without further ado, here are my top 5 concerns about the new site.

1. Re-enable HTML Codes

The XHTML coding is much clumsier to use. Most quotes have at least two character names in them, which means a minimum of 10 extra characters to type per quote. This may not seem like much, but it does add up. It can be quite frustrating, especially when you're trying to transcribe from the TV.

2. Missing "Next Page" Button

In many multi-page lists I have no access to anything but the first page. The "next" button is visible but has no link associated with it. So far I've noticed this on my submissions page and on the comments pages for blogs.

3. Screen Too Bright

As many people have mentioned, the new page colours are much too bright for comfort, especially for those of us who spend lengthy period at the site. Either the screen colours need to be muted or users need to be able to choose their own colours. A site which is physically painful to use simply cannot maintain the popularity tv.com has previously enjoyed.

4. Slow Loading Pages

Since the redesign the site seems to be running much slower. Though a relatively minor annoyance for those with high-speed connections and fast computers, I'd like to remind the new owners that tv.com is a global site with a user base working with a vast range of technological levels. Simplify some of the ads and stop having auto-run video clips and ads on some pages.

5. More Episodes on Show Summary Page

Go back to showing at least two episodes on the main show summary page. Very often people are logging in to see info on the episode which just aired and now have to go through three screens to get at the episode page. Much more useful to have both the previous episode and the upcoming episode showing.

6. Top Contributor Lists

I know, I said five changes, but this is more of a nit pick. The Top Contributors lists used to show ten names, now they only show four. The top four names frequently have astronomical point scores, are often site moderators, and the same names appear in many different lists. It can make a new user feel a little intimidated, that their small contribution is less valued. Go back to a longer list so that users can see that even the smaller contributions are valued.

I do, of course, have a number of other, minor issues that I would like to see addressed, but these cover my top concerns. I do love this site and will do my part to try to keep it a wonderful resource. I only hope CBS chooses to listen to the users and allow tv.com to remain the premiere site for TV information.

Yep, joining in the madness.

Gotta say up front that I don't really mind the format of the new site all that much. What I mind is the way limited functionality. All of my rank comes from contributions - I'm not even an editor of anything so I have only the low point contributions to my credit, so it should be obvious that I use the submission and research sites A LOT! And since the redesign, it's a lot harder.

The colours, of course, are as much a prob for me as they are for so many others, but I find the sheer number of times I have to click through extra pages to get to the show info I'm looking for to be just nuts for a site INTENDED for user submission. Only the next episode showing up on the summary page for each show? Hmm, contributors wouldn't want easy access to the last ep, now would they? Instead of one click to get to the previous episode like before, now I'm at 3, just to get to the episode page, with a fourth needed to see all of the quotes, notes and trivia. Having an actor's credits no longer appearing at all on their summary page is just plain weird - don't most people first go to an actor's page to see what else they've been in? Is it really just me and those I know who do that?

The bugs that I've noticed so far are strange, and REALLY impact functionality. Like not being able to see more than one page of my submission status. I currently have 49 submissions pending and can't even page through to see all of what I'm waiting for. I've also noticed that I've had a whole bunch of pending submissions for quite a few days, with nothing seeming to happen on them, but that could be due to editors, so I'm not really sure.

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm outa here on Tuesday, hopefully the same as almost everyone else, and will spend at least a part of my day working on my "Top 5 Probs w/the Redesign" blog. Hope everyone else does at well. We all know that fan protests sometimes do get results. Heck, even CBS knows this. So I'll just leave you with....

NUTS!!!

CAN'T STOP THE SIGNAL!!!

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!!!

Just can't believe it's only been 10 years since the world first met the Scoobies. I admit, I was one of the ones who mocked it at first.  For 3 years I refused to open my mind up enough to get past the (admittedly implausible) title.  But, thankfully, I have some very stubborn friends, and they basically wore me down.  Now, of course, they rather wish they hadn't, 'cause I turned into a WAY bigger fan than any of them. 

Buffy filled a niche in my life that I hadn't even realized was empty. I was already watching a lot of sci-fi, but Buffy was a little more down to earth in some ways.  As it says in my profile, I'm trying to save the world, one little piece at a time, and the shows I watch tend to reflect that, but they've mostly been about the right changes at the right time to make the difference.  Buffy showed us that the little things, every day that we don't even really see make a huge difference in the long run. We don't have to be slayers, or politicians, or superstars to make sure that the world is a little better than it would've been without us. As Xander said:

"They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary. "

Then it brought us Angel, who showed us that it doesn't even matter so much if you actually do make a difference, as long as you try. Because trying makes a difference all by itself.  As Angel said:

"Nothing in this world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh and cruel. But thats why there's us. Champions. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world was as it should be, to show it what it can be."

And then they gave us Firefly. The ragtag bunch, living on the edge, not out for anyone but themselves.  But when a hand is needed, they're always the first ones to step up.  You don't have to want to be a hero.  You may not want anyone to think you're a hero.  But sometimes, the hero inside you just won't stay hidden.

"Y'all got on this boat for different reasons, but y'all come to the same place. So now I'm asking more of you than I have before. Maybe all. Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground swept clean. A year from now, ten? They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."

And there's nothing better that anyone can truly hope for. All we really need to know to make it through life in a truly extraordinary way, all wrapped up in three incredibly good shows. As long as we can remember that the little things we do every day can truly make a difference, that just trying really does help, and that sometimes, you just have to stand up and fight for what you believe in. If we all tried to do that, the world would be a much better place, so it's our responsibility as the Chosen Ones, those to whom the power of seeing was truly given, to show the entire world just what it can be.

You can't take the sky from me.