While heading off to DZone to check out the latest programming headlines, we were shocked to see the new interface. What happened to DZone!?
The new interface is cluttered and unintuitive. It stinks like Digg, and is a hundred times more bloated than the previous edition. The DZone that used to be there was a organizend and professional place for programmers to submit links. It required a reason before you “dugg down” entries, and it loaded a hundred times faster.
But the new DZone is just scary. It’s as if Kevin Rose bought DZone and handed it over to the teenagers to play. It has the same blue shades, the same cliche rounded tabs, the same “Web 2.0” look, and the same exact concept…
How long will it take for DZone to add a general news section next?
I totally agree – I was very annoyed by the new layout with the text stuck to the right and uninteresting things to the left 🙁
It doesnt matter actually if you use feeds. I realised about the interface only once I click on a link through the dzone feed. Until the feed doensn’t get screwed up I am not bothered about the interface.
I just tried out the feed – you’re right!
Since yesterday I’ve just mentally blanked-out everything except the “meat,” and I’m more-or-less happy with DZone again… But why did they have to do it? I mean, the old interface was more than good enough, and definitely better than this!
Also it is really slow on my celeron-950 in FF 2.0 🙁
I guess I have to raise my hand and take the lion’s share of the blame for “killing DZone” as you suggest. We recognize, however, that adapting to change is always one of the most challenging human experiences, and for those who hate the new look we have a simple solution.
Just use the old one! Visit http://www.dzone.com?theme=original and you should have the old interface back just as you prefer. If you’d like to use the new features, then visit http://www.dzone.com?theme=reader
It’s simple. We aim to please. We just want you happy.
Cheers,
Rick
Hello Rick,
It means a lot when you come here and make a post giving the alternatives and explaining what happened.
I personally wouldn’t have written the article above if I didn’t believe that it would be read and – hopefully – done something about.
As far as Web 2.0 designs go, the new dzone looks great. It wouldn’t be out of place on Reddit, Digg, Newsvine, or the million other user-centric sites out there. But the thing is, the people coming to dzone are “professionals” looking for professional news and links. I guess it’s not fair, but we’re there for the content, the meat – the only purpose a theme should serve is just to get us around, not to wow us with the aesthetics.
Thanks for the original theme link, I’m using it now and it’s great. dzone remains my favorite link aggregation site as a developer, and I hope changes in the future will be a bit more “developer friendly” just like dzone itself is.
Thanks 🙂
It’s not often often webmasters of “Big sites” post back… I’m impressed 🙂
I haven’t tried dzone before, I’m looking at it now but it’s not appealing to me… probably because I’m not a developer myself! Oh well…..
I just use feeds