Hate it

wow, it's weird! I would like more color, or lines, or something to delineate the post. this is the only one I've looked at though!

Thank you Raven; you're always soooo helpful. I'm hoping those who (had) to change their names might get around to changing them back (as first name) as I'm not one to easily figure out who is talking.

I just made my location and gardening zone my last name so that would display with my posts....so now this is a test post to see if that worked....

It did work. Sorry to be using the KT as a test site, but the zones or approximate area are important when answering gardening questions in giving the right advice

the only good thing is the like button-haven't spent much time in here for a few years-s'pose I'll be spending less now-see you all "somewhere"

This site is too commercial...

Yes, it's commercial but you can't expect someone to run a forum for free. I'd rather see a shopping cart than ads all over the place.

I don't like change either, but I guess we have no choice in the matter. I loved the simplicity of our old Garden web KT forum.

Hi, whynottryit - thank you! There was, in fact, a fair amount notice (and discussion) that Houzz had purchased GW. So it wasn't completely unexpected. But, of course, change can be hard. But thanks so much for the gesture and the welcome and the tip.

Suzieque

Well thank goodness for that! At least you knew it was coming. Still, I know it's a tough transition. Hopefully, you'll come to enjoy it even with some of its strange quirks. :D

I don't have to worry about privacy, because I use an alias name, address, the whole shebang. I used to google myself and never found a thing until I got a land line and forgot to have it unlisted. It will go away in time, it is unlisted now.

It's really growing on me. There are a few really nice features that we did not have before.

I now have noticed that I don't have to scroll down to see a new comment that I click on from my email anymore. Good job Houzz thanks for listening and working to make changes.

Like many have said, you will get used to the changes with time. I've got time and reason to give it chance, most of my friends in life are here. :-)

And if it gets crazier than it is now ... I work in the same building as the Houzz headquarters. Might just stop by on my way to the cafeteria one day and see who I can offer to take to lunch. :-)

I do love the Houzz site as we are always throwing around ideas to improve/change our home and Houzz has some very nice places to visit.

Checking out my name, I hope! Trying to post a pic too.

Can't figure out pic posting .

kathy_in_mi, when you are replying look to the lower left for the camera icon that reads Photo.

A dialog box pops up with a Browse button. Just navigate to the pictures on your computer and open one. Now click Insert and you are done. It's really simpler but looks like a ton of steps when you document every click.

This is my favorite grandchild!

Had to change my name back to the original, glad I read these posts!

Nope, that didn"t work, have to try again! (mary7060_mi)

I predict that the new look will keep new people away in droves. I've already noticed a dramatic drop in activity within many of the Garden forums that I frequent.

Some of them exist in order to supply information and education from a few experienced gardeners or professional horticulturists, growers, designers TO a non-stop influx of newbies.

Rhizo it would be a shame if people gave up. Change is inevitable. There are many cool features on this new format if you give it a chance. I hope no one leaves on first impressions because learning something new is always uncomfortable but it becomes less so with practice. I hope people explore and click everything - you can't break it!

Tally, I so agree! I think it would be a real loss for all those knowledgeable people to leave so quickly. Especially you gardeners.

I am the black thumbed daughter of a green thumbed mother and I hang my head in shame every time I buy new plants because I know I've just sentenced them to death. I have managed to keep ivy alive for the last year but that's been minor miracle.

I love the colors and joy that plants bring but I just don't really have the proper space for them. I use them in window boxes and containers on my small front and back balconies. I am never quite sure how to choose the right plants for the areas I have and wind up just going for annuals so that I don't feel so guilty.

It would be wonderful to have folks to help me figure out how to accomplish the things I want to do. So please hang around a bit. Get to know us and the site. I think we can all help each other so much.

"I've already noticed a dramatic drop in activity within many of the Garden forums that I frequent"

I second that comment!!!!

The wormers at the vermicomposting site are not happy. Nor are the people at Hot Peppers.

I do miss seeing the latest posts that used to be at the right side-bar on GW. I'd pop over frequently to other forums because of the comments. I don't cruise around as much as I did because of that side-bar. Any latest comments I've seen, doesn't show the site that they are from. That would be nice to know.

I'm getting used to the site. I have also changed the background colour and the type so that it's much easier on my eyes. (pale blue and black)

Jasdip,

What you are seeing on the home page of the Houzz site is something we complained about a few months ago when the activity listings were taken off the main page and relegated to our "your Houzz" page. My solution was to make a shortcut to the "your Houzz" page instead of opening the main page. You could also make a shortcut to the "Advice" page if that works better for you. I saved mine onto my "favorites bar" in Windows. A little extra work but makes it more customizable for me. You can also "bookmark" threads or even comments that you want to have readily available. Your activity listings will show the latest activity on anything you bookmark, comment on, "like" or anyone you "follow". Hopefully this helps you figure out a work-around that makes things easier for you.

After editing my profile, I am unable to discern how to return to the forums. Sure, I can hit the arrow back, but surely there must be a link to take us to the forums. I can't find it though. Can anyone point me to it, please?

jasdip, how did you change the colors?

For some people, it's really easy to figure out things computer related. I've been using a computer for a LOT of years and I used to be really into all things computer...now, not so much. I may not like a change, but I can usually figure stuff out even if I have to ask. For others it isn't so easy. My husband has a computer repair business and sees how hard it is for a lot of people to use even the simplest computer function. Seriously, a whole lot of people don't even know what he's talking about when he asks them to "copy and paste" so you can imagine how hard it is to figure out how to navigate a site that is so totally different. Even for me, this lay out is like nothing I've ever seen before. Slightly like FB but not really. It does have a couple similarities. It's much like the discussions at the dogfoodadvisor.com site. I think it's called DISQUS? I may have that name wrong. It isn't very user friendly in my opinion.

I have very few problems with the format and don't have a problem with change.

But the appearance, the Houzz headings, and the total lack of any sense of gardening at first glance.....why would someone requiring the identification of an unknown problem on their oak trees and what to do about it seek help from what appears to be a decorating website?

Newcomers looking for technical answers are the pulse of the garden forums. First impressions are meaningful, as we all know.

I'm curious; for those of you who are frustrated with the lack of garden info on the homepage using the houzz.com address or the gardenweb.com address?

ArkGirl, I made a separate thread on how to change the colours by using extensions for Chrome and Operal. FF has a NoSquint add-on where you can customize the background of websites.

I have the background to a teal blue and the print black and it's awesome. The read threads are red.You can do whatever colour you choose.

As usual, I have questions.

1. What is the purpose of the Like button? Does that mean you like that comment, or you like the commenter?

2. On the above comments there is a little flag; what does that mean? On the one comment I made why is there a Delete box?

I know I could click all over the site to find the answers, and I did figure out how to get my user name back, so humor this old lady, please, and save me from that grief. I am running out of cookie crumbs. ;))

Sue

I use the like button to say I 'liked' the post. Maybe I found it useful, maybe it made me laugh, maybe I was going to say the same thing, etc.

Next to that is the bookmark button. If you bookmark a post, it saves it to your profile. I believe this is what "clippings" used to be. You can also save entire threads if you like.

The flag is used to report a post for whatever reason, such as spam.

Oh, and where the flag is on other people's posts, on your own, there are other icons.

The pencil is how you edit your post and next to that it says, "Delete X", which is how you delete your post.

I liked your post because I agree.

Cliff,

You said a mouthful when you stated "there is a right way and a wrong way to perform an update." Houzz certainly didn't do a good job there.

Supposedly Houzz sent out a notification message about the upcoming change. Really? I never got it. I'm wondering how many others didn't get the notification.

I had a devil of a time getting on again as I kept getting the message about not recognizing me. Even worse was the message from the support staff about not having my user name nor either my old email or new email address on file. I was not happy about that. I never did hear back when I replied to them and only figured things out after clicking here and there and finally finding how to get back on. I wasn't happy that it took me two days before getting back on.

Sue, the little flag is handy because you can report a post. There was SPAM yesterday and I just clicked the little flag and reported the Spam.

You "like" a comment made, without having to make a response. That's good and bad. If someone mentions something, but really wants advice, a bunch of people can "like" her comment/query, as in agreeing with it, without giving any advice or comment.

You're correct, Jasdip, that can happen but usually someone does come along and offers advice. Most dilemma posters wind up with so many different opinions that it is often overwhelming. The key is to choose the best of the best and let the other rest (as I'm sure you already know).

I agree with everything Snidely said.

It's nice to see you made it here, secsteve. Sorry you had all that trouble.

Whynottryit, I 'liked' your post. Do you have the ability to see who liked it, as in FB? When I've liked a message, I sometimes let the poster know that I liked it.

Yes, jasdip. When someone "likes" your post, you can click on the word "like" (not the thumb) and you will see a pop-up box that lists the names of people that "liked" your post. I have liked yours so you can see.

Actually, you can do that on anyone's post to see who has liked it.

secsteve

They did send out a notice about the acquisition itself, which I got, but that's the only one I received. There was nothing at all sent to me about when or what would be changing, what to expect, instructions about what a GardenWeb user should do, etc... That would have been fine if the process was an intuitive and simple one, but instead Houzz made drastic changes, simply dumped long time users into a bunch of chaos, uprooted them (no pun intended) from everything they knew about the site and forums, and expected them to jump up and down and clap because the designers cleaned up the interface a bit. Heck, I was NEW to garden web and this was unpleasant for me. I can't imagine being a GW user for years and then having this happen.

I was trying to do that and accidentally liked my own post LOL

Oh well...

I liked your post Raven! :>D

Yes, I'm guess they found it easier to field questions after the fact. I still don't know how to do anything but type a message, but everyone here is so nice and helpful that I will eventually get how to do other things, I have no doubt. You well too, Steve!

"with no beta period, no limited user testing,"

Uh huh... like that would fly with all the people who are complaining. Then they would have to adjust multiple times!

I think it's better for all involved that they didn't announce that the forum was changing. Imagine if they had put a thread saying that on the old board. There would be a lot of complaining and people threatening to leave if it happened. People would get so worked up over something they didn't know anything about other than it was "different" and there's no way people would enter into the new site with an open mind.

At least this way, people don't have the pre-conceived hostilities influencing their judgement. Several people have remarked that they didn't like it the first day but by the second and third days it became much easier. If this was announced in advance, I'm sure there would be many people who wouldn't even give the new site a chance because they had already decided it was bad without actually seeing it.

Speculating about an undesired change is almost always worse than the actual change.

Just learned something new. I highlighted arkansas girl's website about dogfoodadvisor.com. When I right clicked to copy, I hit open link instead, and it did. Learn something new every day.

Shirley