Thread/post layout: would you like a choice between two styles?

[Jiggy]

Right now we have one format for posts, which is where the avatar box is over on the left side and our posts are on the right. I'll call this the horizontal style. Generally speaking, I think this is what you'll find most vBulletin forums using--even including vBulletin.com itself. :P

But this isn't the only way! There's also what I'll call the vertical style, which looks like this: http://www.vc-forums.com/vc-forums-m...10-t15448.html

The reason we don't use the vertical style right now is that, again, most people are familiar with the current layout... but it does have its advantages. For example, our posts would be 160-170 pixels wider because we wouldn't have a box on the left cutting into our post space, so maybe we could post wider images without stretching people's screens--and a long paragraph that wraps around to five lines now might wrap to three and a half lines.



I personally like our current style, but here's why I'm asking anyway. Basically, by default vBulletin gives me the ability to give everyone here the option to choose either style depending on what they like... but the only catch is that if I turn that option on, the vertical style will become the default.

So if you like what we have now and I allowed the choice, you would have to change an option to bring the horizontal style back--and more importantly, anybody new to the forums would see the vertical style first. That's what I'm worried about, since it's unfamiliar to many people who have never seen it before.

[Hive]

i don't even think this is a choice at all...
the current style is infinitely better than that other example you posted.
Thanks for the choice, anyways. :3

[Jiggy]

I like it much more too, but you never know if people want the choice. :3

I just wish that turning on the option wouldn't force the vertical style to become the default--if it didn't, this wouldn't even be a question and I'd just let people pick what they feel like without hesitating.

[Hive]

right, I see what you mean.
Sounds like vBulletin has been giving you a perplexing time, lately. No thanks to me~ XD

Hope you learned a lot, though!!

[pchannn]

This choice is definitely more good looking than the another ^^

[Rune Factory Fanboy]

Vertical style wastes way to much page real estate to stretch the long bar in between your Avatar and Stats. I imagine it's even worse for widescreen monitor users.

[Hive]

Originally Posted by Rune Factory Fanboy

Vertical style wastes way to much page real estate to stretch the long bar in between your Avatar and Stats. I imagine it's even worse for widescreen monitor users.

did you vote?

[Rune Factory Fanboy]

I did now, lol

I say give users a choice only if you can make Horizontal the default. That way if some unique soul out there actually wants Vertical style they can have it.

Unless of course it takes more than 5 minutes to implement, then I say it's not worth your time Jiggs.

[Hive]

well, no matter what, we're not switching.
So it's a moot point.