The primary reason I prefer Slashdot to, say, Ars Technica is the user interface. The classic interface provides needed functions in a compact, unobtrusive and clear manner. It puts content first, presented logically sorted by date.
After testing Beta, I'm afraid I dislike it. Beta uses excessive space for each article, and the titles are not collapsible. The contrast of the text on the background makes the summaries difficult to read (and I'm only 30 - imagine what it must be for any presbyopic 50 year olds). The square theme - while not offensive itself - indicates a desire to follow the trend, rather than be a trend setter. The reliance on a Java or JavaScript environment is annoying. I spend up to three months aboard ocean going ships, where our fastest Internet connection is akin to the 56K dial-up of yesteryear (but sometimes slower). We don't need any help making web pages load slowly. And finally, if you must use a persistent rollover menu, please put it on the left hand side of the page and not on the top. Wide-screen monitors already rob me of enough vertical space.
In short, I find the square, hard to read, slow loading, space wasting layout of Beta to be intolerable and would not willingly use it.
Correct, boilers have multiple safety devices. Alarms, shutdowns, and safety relief valves will trigger in succession to prevent damage to personal, equipment and the facilities. I work with marine boilers - aboard commercial cargo ships - and while some of the monitoring systems are networked, all the actual control is done by an isolated PLC locally. It is very hard to make them explode. Perhaps the boilers in NYC are different - but I strongly doubt it.
-A
Slashdot Mirror
Dear Slashdot Overlords,
The primary reason I prefer Slashdot to, say, Ars Technica is the user interface. The classic interface provides needed functions in a compact, unobtrusive and clear manner. It puts content first, presented logically sorted by date.
After testing Beta, I'm afraid I dislike it. Beta uses excessive space for each article, and the titles are not collapsible. The contrast of the text on the background makes the summaries difficult to read (and I'm only 30 - imagine what it must be for any presbyopic 50 year olds). The square theme - while not offensive itself - indicates a desire to follow the trend, rather than be a trend setter. The reliance on a Java or JavaScript environment is annoying. I spend up to three months aboard ocean going ships, where our fastest Internet connection is akin to the 56K dial-up of yesteryear (but sometimes slower). We don't need any help making web pages load slowly. And finally, if you must use a persistent rollover menu, please put it on the left hand side of the page and not on the top. Wide-screen monitors already rob me of enough vertical space.
In short, I find the square, hard to read, slow loading, space wasting layout of Beta to be intolerable and would not willingly use it.
Regards
-A
@ Sea: Lat: 35 45.1N Lon: 006 30.2W
Correct, boilers have multiple safety devices. Alarms, shutdowns, and safety relief valves will trigger in succession to prevent damage to personal, equipment and the facilities. I work with marine boilers - aboard commercial cargo ships - and while some of the monitoring systems are networked, all the actual control is done by an isolated PLC locally. It is very hard to make them explode. Perhaps the boilers in NYC are different - but I strongly doubt it. -A