Massive changes to the WP interface
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Regarding Themes: WP made a change to how we can view new themes. Gone are the days when you can try a new theme on for size seeing how it looks with YOUR OWN content. Now we only get “demo”—which uses WP’s canned content ONLY— and activate. I hope they change it back, meanwhile I made a post about it: http://wtfaioa.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/wp-themes-when-did-they-screw-it-up/
While changes have been made to the dashboard, etc. few of them are actual improvements. The changes are clunky and less intuitive and WP wasn’t all that intuitive to begin with.
Stop fixing things that aren’t broken!
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@Idgl0710 – I just tried out the 2015 theme with my content this morning. Go to the dashboard, then themes, then click on the theme you wish to try, then (I think) at the top right was a button when let me view my site as it would look under the new theme. It let me tweak a number of settings WITHOUT having to make it “my theme”… which was very helpful, as I hate having to “undo” everything several minutes later when I decide that a theme is not at all what I was looking for.
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Sorry – not at the top right – at the bottom are three buttons: Demo, Preview, and Activate. Choose Preview:
https://your-blog-name.wordpress.com/wp-admin/themes.phpundefinedtwentyfifteen -
Hello Idgl0710 and Mathmaine,
I almost always use the Classic Dashboard | Themes for that, but I also do not see the Preview Option in the New Dashboard or on the Themes Page (https://wordpress.com/themes/) when logged in I only see Demo and Activate/Purchase in those two areas/places; and so maybe that is what Idgl0710 was referring to, but the Preview Option does show in the Classic Dashboard.
I prefer using the Classic Dashboard so that is what I normally use, but if we are correct about the Preview Option being missing in the New Dashboard and on the Themes Page, then I would suggest that they add the Preview Option to those two areas/places.
-John Jr
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Curious. I think I am using the Classic Dashboard when I follow the process I described above:
– Hover over blog name at top left of screen, select WP Admin
– See Dashboard / Store / Posts / Media / etc. down the left side (which I think is the Classic layout)
– Hover over Appearance, and select Themes from popup menu
– Click on theme of interest in right pane
– Theme description appears, with three buttons at the bottom of the screen -
Hello Mathmaine,
Here is how they look for me when logged in:
Themes Page:
https://mediacru.sh/jvURgEv5_rXG
New Dashboard:
https://mediacru.sh/Pqc30k4DGtvX
Classic Dashboard:
https://mediacru.sh/C_qqF4l-irod
Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS on Mozilla Firefox 34 (Permanent Private Mode (Never Remember History) and Do Not Track Enabled) with browser extensions (Default Ubuntu extensions, Web Of Trust, Zemanta, Video Download Helper, and Adblock Plus (EasyList, EasyPrivacy List, Malware Domains List, and Adblock Warning Removal List).
-John Jr
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Why has this thread focused on interface changes to the dashboard and editor and stats pages become hijacked by those posting about themes related issues? I believe starting threads in the Theme forums is better than posting off-topic here https://en.forums.wordpress.com/forum/themes
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become hijacked by those posting about themes related issues?
excellent point. I was wondering about that myself!
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“kerin2014
Maybe I am the one who is confused but I believe the best place to get themes advice is in the Themes forum and one can tag the thread with modlook in the sidebar of the thread to get assistance direct from Themes Staff. -
Oops! the “kerin2014 above is a result of my keyboard switching to French. I meant to type @kerin2014. Sorry. :(
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I want to comment on the new editor/dashboard interface. I find the changes to dashboard and editor very confusing.
I tried using the new editor initially but became so frustrated because it did not do many of the things the old editor did. If all the features are there, then refer back to my first point — confusing as I couldn’t find them.
I find things the same for the new dashboard — confusing and it doesn’t work as well as the old.
When I log in, I click on classic and continue on.
Can I make a couple suggestions….
1. Put a link to the classic view in the top black bar, so we can immediately go to the old and in my opinion better interface.
2. Instead of spending time redesigning the editor and dashboard, which I don’t think are as good as what you originally had, why don’t you you design more widgets that we can use. I think most of us would love that.
Don’t get me wrong. I love WordPress. It has been a great program for bloggers, but the recent changes are definitely a negative for me.
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@timethief no problem!
another idle thought i was having re the UI is this: the baseline code (that is to say, the collection of implementation that forms the basis of the WordPress.com runtime) is probably already separated into admin vs blog (that is to say, what a reader sees) code. I understand why Automattic wants to maintain control over the blog code (security etc). But why not offer that ability for end user to fork off and layer their own admin runtime over the baseline code. Given enough hooks (ie access to certain kinds of process info), I can thinks of dozens of ways that the Stats page can be improved to be considerably more meaningful / useful from a functionality perspective,together with, but also above and beyond the strictly UI issues that have been elaborated on here at some length. I am sure there a plenty of skilled programmers / bloggers who might want to “own” a piece of that a la Open Source!
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Hello Timethief and Kerin2014,
I think that her post/comment was related to the interface and the new changes because the New Dashboard handles this differently than the Classic Dashboard, and so it is relevant and not hijacking in my opinion because it is not about themes themselves but about the interface and new changes that removed an option; but that is my opinion. ;)
-John Jr
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I think that her post/comment was related to the interface and the new changes because the New Dashboard handles this differently than the Classic Dashboard, and so it is relevant and not hijacking
Okay I will accept that. :)
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OK – I’ll go away and let you all preach to the choir about the UI.
How about more constructive suggestions for changes or improvements to specifics of what WordPress is trying to do instead of just asking them not to change anything or griping? They clearly are trying to adapt to a mixed-use (mobile + desktop) world, which would be a lot simpler for all of us if there was a reasonably consistent UI between the two. However, that is a challenge to implement well… and thus our frustrations.
At least they have preserved the ability to get to the “Classic” dashboard, so I give them credit for preserving the option of staying with the familiar.
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Good. :)
Please do stay, and continue the constructive suggestions/feedback/help. :)
I do have a suggestion involving the New Dashboard Stats under Posts & Pages where I would like to recommend that the Total Number Of Views and maybe even the Total Number Of Viewers is added in this area as well so that we will know how many items are in the list without having to scroll up the page to look at this information again each time that we want to know how many items are in this list without having to manually count them or scroll back up the page. ;)
Thank you,
-John Jr -
@kerin2014
I am thinking that what Staff need to do (poor things are compelled to keep making changes by management) is to set up a BETA testing group for all WordPress.WordPress.COm bloggers to opt into or not.If we do not opt in then we should get only the classic editor, dashboard, stats and other interface pages and not be plagued with the annoyance of trying to switch to the classic ones from the new ones.
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