Hard to figure out

Is it me or is this new format to hard to use? Can't find a section that explains how to use it. What are the blue and yellow dots?

 

We understand that the new website will take some getting used to, but we feel that it is a better, more efficient system than before.

The colored circles are areas where there is a concentration of RV parks. Remember on the old maps there were pins on top of pins on top of pins, and it was difficult to see exactly where the parks were located. This system uses a circle when there are lots of parks in one area, and the number in the center of the circle indicates how many parks it stands for. Each time you click on the circle, the system zooms in closer to that area until eventually pins are displayed for each park location. We think this is a better method for displaying the location of parks. Hope you think so, too.

 

rving4us,

I agree with you that the new site is harder to use and that the lack of "explanations" concerning the new features is, at the very least, annoying. The implication in some of the replies in defense of the new system is that there is something wrong with those of us who do not like it. I have yet to find ANYTHING about the new site that makes it better for me. Then there are the aforementioned unexplained new features. So far, I have found some of these to be useless and/or pointless.

 

I agree with Jerry. Going from the old site to the new site is like getting off a bicycle and onto a motorcycle without the benefit of training and instructions: Both will get you where you want to go, but the motorcycle is a lot more complicated and difficult to ride than the bicycle. I'm sure we will all eventually get accustomed to the motorcycle but, for us older folks, it sure is difficult.

 

You aren't alone. There is a big thread on RV.net going on about the same thing and people aren't happy. Some have even said they have gone back to Trailer Life or Woodalls. This site has been ruined in my opinion. Its a shame. Did some of the reviews get deleted during the switch too? One of our favorite places in Ky is no longer listed

 

Nothing was intentionally deleted during the changeover. If you know of a particular park that was deleted, please let us know. We have had only one report of that and it turned out the park in question had never been listed, but if your favorite is missing, please let us know.

 

The colored circles was one of the new features that I discovered that I really liked. I know in FL the pins were piled on so thick that you really had no idea what was what. You had to zoom in and then scroll around to see the area that you were looking for reviews. I agree that new sometimes engenders a learning curve but I think your changes were much needed. Good job from a majority of One!

 

In light of some of the controversy about the difficulty of navigating the new site, I asked one of my non-RV'ing neighbors to check it out. It took her only a few seconds to figure out that mousing over the map on the home page displayed the state names, and that clicking on a state brought up that states map. I asked her what she thought the colored numbers meant, and with no hesitation she said they probably showed that a bunch of parks were there. Before I could say anything, she clicked on one of them, and said "Oh, I see how it works. I'll bet when I click again it'll zoom even more."

After that, she spent a few more minutes exploring, but I didn't have her go into the review posting process. All in all, she had little trouble finding her way around and thought the site was nice, even if she didn't understand all the terminology used in the listings and reviews. Her only suggestions were to add a link to a dictionary of RV terms and to make the "Add photo" icon smaller. Oh, and she's 82...

 

Dutch:

Thanks for providing the data from your "man on the street" test. It confirmed what I had said in a previous post--most people these days have enough website navigation experience to handle a reasonably well designed website without explicit instructions. Almost every day most of us end up on websites where we've not ventured previously. I don't think I've ever expected there would be instructions about how to navigate a site; a well-designed site shouldn't need them.

Joel

 

My approach to site redesigns is to ask myself, "If the site was like this the first time I came here, would I come back again?" For the new RVPR site, my answer has been, "Absolutely!" Is it perfect? No, but as the bugs get worked out, it's getting closer...

 

I think that maybe others are like me. I preferred the old site because I was used to it. I don't really like the new one (I don't dislike it either) because it means changes and I am a bit lazy and like things like they always were. The older I get the less I like change.

 

Most people hardly notice when websites they frequent are updated because most modern sites are updated incrementally. Unfortunately, RVPR had not been updated on a continual basis so the site was essentially a 10-yr old design. Even though it served its purpose it was limited in its ability to accept upgrades such as becoming mobile device friendly, a concept that didn't even exist 10 yrs ago. Nor was the platform capable of accepting a phone app, another unknown concept. Now that the hardware and software platforms have been upgraded, future updates will be incremental and most users will hardly notice them.

 

As I was reading your post I kept thinking to myself that your neighbor must be younger than about 40, so I was really surprised to read your last sentence. I still prefer written instructions on paper, but that just doesn't happen anymore. And when it comes to websites, there is an expectation that most users will have enough computer savvy navigate it. Does that date us? Yes. So I call my 20 year old neighbor who has no fear about clicking on anything to show me what I can't figure out. (And BTW he has been doing that since he was in the 5th grade--honest!)

 

IMHO the best way to learn about a website (or a program for that matter) is just "to click on it". You're not going to hurt anything by doing so and you'll eventually figure out how things work. Too many people approach computers timidly when they're rather robust devices.

 

My 82 year old neighbor has been an Internet user for the last 10 years or so, but she's not what I would call "technically minded". She has learned to stay away from unsafe sites though, and keeps her anti-virus and anti-malware programs updated. She's a feisty gal, and isn't afraid to try new things.

And for Dalsgal, I don't know how old you are, but one of my basic philosophies is, "Never stop learning." I'm a couple months shy of 72...

 

If it matters, count me as one who very much dislikes the new site. Loved the old one. I think it looked much more polished and professional. I found it much easier to use and more pleasant to view. New site looks very amateurish and cheep.

If it matters, I am viewing/using site on an IPad. Don't know if this makes the site look different, but that my two cents worth.

 

I thought it was just me...I do not like the new format for RV Park Reviews. I have used it for 5 years. Whenever there is a change in computer apps, it is suppose to be for the better or smoother...this current format is like going backwards (i.e. amateurish, cheap, something you'd see in the 1980s)...not user friendly at all. I used to recommend this to other campers...unless they go back to the previous format, I'll have to say "bye-bye" to RV Park Review!

 

If you have specific issues you would like to raise we would be interested in hearing them. However, the site isn't going to return to the previous software which was obsolete and very limited in capability.

And, BTW, this couldn't look like something from the 80's since the World Wide Web didn't exist publically until the early 90's.