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Topics page changed...pls back to normal...

  1. h2obyjoanna
    Member

    PLEASE put the topics page back to normal, I really don't understand why you've changed this and as I read on one of the forums...most of the bloggers want it back to the way it was. Why change something what was GOOD in the first place?? Now you have to scroll down to see older posts and it takes ages to see all post older than an hour or so.
    The former page you could easily see 15 or 20 blogs on one page and you could easily pick out the ones you think are interesting...and you could see a lot of blogs/posts going to all pages...
    I also think we all will miss a lot of traffic because of this unneccesary change.
    Can you please give me an answer why you've changed this and if it is possible to turn things back to normal and believe me when I say I ask this in name of countless bloggers...
    Joanna

    The blog I need help with is h2obyjoanna.wordpress.com.

  2. alessandrociap
    Member

    i am with johanna on this.

    at least, please, tell us what is going on - scheduled change? emergency? is wp working on it?

  3. smackedpentax
    Member

    pls put it back, I hate it as it is now...

  4. thebardonthehill
    Member

    I agree. I can't even find the new postings any more except three or so that come up within "my" readings. They're not spread across the screen with pictures so that I can skim and read quickly. I have to scroll down.

  5. timethief
    Member

    Please read what Staff have said here http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/what-happened-to-the-topics-pages?replies=2 and be aware of the wother threads on this issue http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/please-bring-back-topics-page?replies=8

  6. coffeezombiephotog
    Member

    Agreed with Joanna.

    The reader layout is clunky, and it takes me too much time to find posts I might want to look at. I much prefer the "tumblr" design where I can look at a dozen or two in one fell sweep.

    On a side note: why does WP make it so difficult to contact them? The feedback form is gone; I just get redirected to support pages. Grump.

  7. timethief
    Member

    Please read what Staff have said here http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/what-happened-to-the-topics-pages?replies=2 and be aware of the other threads on this issue http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/please-bring-back-topics-page?replies=8

  8. coffeezombiephotog
    Member

    I have. But:

    1. That unenlightening staff post doesn't make me feel better

    2. Staff should have planned these "big changes" better and made sure everything worked before going live.

    3: If they couldn't implement these changes without disabling areas of the WP, they should have announced it in advance so people were aware and prepared for it. No doubt that would've cut down on the complaints, and...

    4. If users were made aware of the plans, they'd be more enthusiastic about the changes. Movie studios use this to great effect - they hype the public with trailers, news and leaks, and by the time the movie comes out, people are more likely to embrace it in the droves. Basic marketing technique. WP, by keeping its users in the dark especially over "big changes," risk alienating their core customers.

    My two cents.

  9. jennia11
    Member

    i so hate this new format. i was getting many more viewers with the old format. please change it back..

  10. samhunting
    Member

    Timethief, people wouldn't keep raising the issue if the material at those to links addressed their concerns.

  11. markjwallis
    Member

    I used the Help button on my dashboard and got a prompt reply:

    "I'm happy to pass this along to our team for future updates to the tags and topics page, though we will likely not be returning to the old system. However, please do let me know if you come across any troubles on the Topics page, as we'd be happy to look into this for you."

    So there you have it. Since we all generate an income for WordPress with our traffic, and the marketing information farmed from our Likes and links, tags and keywords, you might consider setting your blog to Private. This might make The Happy People realise that we seriously do not like or want this inept update. If they aren't earning anything from us, they might change the Topics page back.

    Go on strike, guys.

  12. timethief
    Member

    @marjwallis
    Thanks for sharing that. The global tags pages now referred to as Topics have been broken for a long time. I've spent 6 years witnessing legions of bloggers who spam it and who try to game it everyday day in and day out. I know that Staff decided to focus on integrating the topic browsing experience with the Reader and to discontinue the old listings and I'm okay with that.

    The flow of traffic from the global tags pages to my blogs has never ever been significant and at best is negligible. I twigged to the fact that it's Google that sends traffic to blogs long ago and have not been using the global tag pages to locate related blogs. Google search and other tools do that better and faster. If improvements are made to the WordPress.com Reader then I will use it and if not I'll simply follow other blogs by using another feed reader.

  13. markjwallis
    Member

    @Timechief.

    Yes, you seem to be an advanced user who can live happily without the Topics page, and that's fine, but unfortunately you're not taking into account:

    A) New users
    B) People with a sense of adventure.

    Could a member of staff actually come on the forums and listen to us, engage and respond? With respect, posting the same link to another thread isn't really helping much.

    Thanks.

  14. samhunting
    Member

    @Timechief

    I'm not hearing you acknowledge (1) many users found the topics page useful before the changes were made and that (2) many MANY users find the Reader completely broken and dysfunctional.

    Could a staff person be brought in here to stonewall instead?

  15. ellens365
    Member

    I'd like to echo the original poster Joanna. I love the random finds at what was just posted. It wasn't broke in my opinion.

  16. thebardonthehill
    Member

    I've come back to this thread to re-echo my dismay at what has occurred. The new way is NOT a better way to skim and find new blogs and interesting posts. I am probably one of those who, in the past, has read as many or more different blogs and posts than any other blogger. I almost daily skimmed 5 pages of new posts (sometimes twice a day), clicking on virtually every picture (unless the title revealed I would have absolutely no interest), reading many posts, clicking like on quite a few and leaving comments on some as well. There were many beginning bloggers or bloggers with few subscribers that I read in passing. I've had several come to my blog afterward and thank me for visiting, with a couple saying that they had been wondering if it was going to be worthwhile and that my visit would keep them going.
    Now, I read none. I want to, start toward it, and remember that it is to time-consuming, doesn't have as many, and just won't work. I'm beginning to wonder - does WordPress HATE poets? :(

    I don't think so, but this move will put an end to quite a few blogs.

    Dennis Lange
    the bard on the hill

  17. compassandcamera
    Member

    How about a CHOICE? How about if we each get to choose how we want to review all the topics, be it on a topics page or in a reader? Would it be that hard to offer this?

    Happy to see people speaking up -- this is at least the second forum regarding the reader and its lack of functionality for many people.

  18. samhunting
    Member

    It seems that there are now actually engineers responding, hat tip timechief:

    http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/why-has-wp-destroyed-my-hit-count-with-the-topics-reader?replies=16#post-882963
    http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/why-has-wp-destroyed-my-hit-count-with-the-topics-reader?replies=16#post-883875

  19. thebardonthehill
    Member

    Timethief - I'm certain that what you said is true of most blogs, that hits come from Google searches, etc. But, for the beginning blogger here, I think a high percentage of early hits come from people like me who skim bunches of pages (on the old format - the dearly departed, ALAS!) and find new blogs they like or new posts of older struggling blogs that they like.

    Dennis

    the bard on the hill

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