ellenr22, it might not work for me, either. I have tried to be fair-minded and give myself time to adjust to the changes, but it isn't working very well so far. It's not intuitive, as our old forum used to be. My decades-old eyes don't like the pale typeface, and I find it awkward to have the search box at the top of the page. I must have spent ten minutes looking for that thing. I used to be enthusiastic about logging on each day, but no more. This layout is just not as elegant as the old one. So many have gone.

Barbara

Thanks, Gretchen. I will look at that site. Just so I'm not totally negative toward the changes: I do like getting an email when there is a new post to a thread I have responded to. People "fix" unbroken things because they can -- like the "new and improved" products that are neither new nor improved.

Barbara

The reality is, GW was broken. It likely would have been cancelled, lost, if Houzz hadn't picked it up and merged it into their site - and their format. NBC, owners of iVillage weren't finding it profitable and were shutting down most everything associated with their investment. You could just as easily have come here one day to have found a broken link, no forums to connect to. Houzz did make several changes in the first few days to accommodate people, reinstating trade lists and bookmarked threads, adding back in gardening zones, listened to some of the complaints.

I do realize it's difficult reading for some types eyesight. I know some directions were given for personal workarounds for those (adding more contrast) but I didn't pay attention being able to read it myself.

Winter sowing had slowed way down other than a few of us oldtimers before the change to Houzz, I think Facebook played a part in that, as did Trudi's departure. I never did hear where she went or why, but her absence seemed to be missed by many.

I realize things are slower here these days, I don't know if it will pick back up again or not. But I've belonged to a couple of other forums over the years and this is the only one I've stayed with for a number of reasons - so will be here for a while.

Trudi is on facebook winter sowing group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/wintersown

I use chrome extension "Change Colors" to set a background color while browsing gardenweb, which really helps. :)

I've been coming to Gardenweb for what seems like forever. I think I started just a few years after Trudi introduced wintersowing. I dislike the look of the new site, but I always came mostly for the people. This is where I get my social chat while I drink my morning coffee. It has slowed down, but I won't stop visiting until there is nothing left to visit. It would be a huge loss for me, personally. But, I'm a busy professional. This is a wonderful way to share one of my greatest joys with people I wouldn't have another way to meet. Trudi had to make a move to continue to grow her wintersowing program. You just can't compete with FaceBook from a numbers perspective.

Life moves on.

Martha

"all things plants" is also a good site--- for me anyway.

well, I guess I'm not the only one. lol.

Gretchen, how does one arrange to get an email when someone responds to a post?

I'm on facebook, so I do drop in on the facebook WS. It is *very* busy, and I find it hard to keep up with. On GardenWeb, I felt like I "knew" people, in as much as you can know people on the internet. I remember I was so surprised and touched when I disappeared for a couple of years, and when I came back - people remembered me! Kinda usual online. so I think the old forum was much more personal than fb can ever be.

but of course the comments about moving on, are right. We can stay here or go elsewhere - no one will really care. Except some of us who like people here. I didn't know Trudi had "left", but of course that is her choice, like all of us. So we shall see....

best to all. (thanks for everyone's input -- I wasn't sure if I should post such a grumpy post - but ya know, sometimes you just gotta whine. :)

I went to check out the facebook page, but was a bit surprised to find that it was not public. I'm not on facebook, but often businesses, groups, and organizations have pages that are available to the (non-facebook) public. I was a bit disappointed, not that I would likely go there much, but it would have been fun to take a peek. Guess I'm stuck with the forum! ;)

I'm surprised at that. I thot a person had to be on fb to view any group, but from you're saying that's not the case. Lots of pictures there.

in case anyone else needs it, I found out how to have email sent to me when someone comments: "Advanced Settings"

I don't FB. So you are all stuck with me here. Love this forum. Have learned so much here.

Hi I haven't been around much this year, on this forum or the rest of GW. Partly because I am scaling back on starting new plants, and stopped creating new gardens, and will tidy up what is here on the property, hoping to downsize from this house in a year or two.

But I'm struggling with the new website interface too. It's not as easy to read the text, the site is so bare and pale, I am sick of the toolbars and menus popping across the top blocking my screen (that is a problem with a lot of websites), and other issues.

As long as GW is around, I will still be around, just less probably - it's still a great site, lots of information, and nice people here. And I don't have any interest in facebook, prefer forums and blogs.

Hi terrene, nice to see you! I'm glad you're still around and will stop in now and then. I agree - great people here. so I suppose we will continue to try to adapt to the new site, as much as we can. Since the new website, I have forgotten all about the other sites I used to visit on GW - salvia, annuals, perenniels... oh well. things change....

What I want to know is; "How do you send someone a message". I don't see a message option to people that I follow or people whom I don't follow? I have no clue as to what happened to my seed trade list. If there is a link somebody post it for me.

ladyrose, did you have a trade list in place when the change to Houzz happened....

I thought all had been restored, the link is in the article here....

https://support.houzz.com/hc/en-us/articles/204109398-Where-is-my-Trade-List-

To edit your trade list, go to your profile page, then click on Edit Profile, then Advanced Settings. On that edit screen, you will see a box marked My GardenWeb Trading List. You can make changes there, be sure to save any changes....

I didn't have a trade list up but did have some clippings stored, someone gave me the instructions on how to bring those back manually. It would probably work for the trade list too, if you don't find yours let me know and I'll look for those instructions again (involved googling my GW name and finding the 'cache')

I'm not so very fond of this format, either. It just isn't as easy to navigate. Of couse, I still miss the old, old foum when Spike was in charge of things, so you certainly can't go by my opinion. Lol.

I am glad to see that there are still a few 'regulars' sticking around. :)

May the Goddess of WSing forever smile in your favor.

there is an area on the top right where you click on recent activity to see new posts.

yes I agree , not too happy with it , they should delete post that are old from 2013-2014-2015..we need to see all them ???

I hardy come on here anymore .

Carol- Why should they delete old threads? There is a ton of useful information and discussions on these forums that cannot readily be found anywhere else. To delete all that would be a travesty. And to even suggest doing so is ridiculous.

Rodney