The new layout is NOT USER-FRIENDLY at all

[1] Waste of available space: The width of useful text is far too narrow. It should more resemble text on an A4 page, not a side-bar
Result :- unnecessarily excessive scrolling is required

[2] Ill-chosen font: The font is thin and faint (certainly for me, anyway)
Result:- the postings are more difficult to read [especially when using a blue light filter]

[3] No numbering of posts: Individual posts are no longer numbered.
Result:- following the twists and turns of a thread, cross-referring between posts, is more difficult.

[4] On-screen text-writing options are gone: The previously available and fairly simple-to-use on-screen option buttons to change font size, to italicise text, to make text bold and to put parts of the text in other colours have all gone. Even simple underlining seems to require some other process.

I don’t know about anybody else but the new “COMPOSE TIPS” advice just looks like gobbledygook to me.

[5] On-screen image-insertion option has gone: Again, the “COMPOSE TIPS” doesn’t help – me, anyway

[6] Finding old threads is too time-consuming

[7] Old postings are much less clear: The layout and presentation of old postings are all over the place

There’s more but enough already!

NOW SOME QUESTIONS:

[1] Why were these changes made at all?

[2] What were these changes intended to achieve?

[3]What brief was given beforehand to whoever designed the new layout?

[4]Were any users of this forum involved in specifying or designing the changes?

[5]Were any users of this forum consulted about the changes before they were implemented?

“FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION” is an old adage but it’s still relevant. Improve functionality first and only then change the form to achieve that improved functionality. ‘Function’ first and ‘form’ later.

There is no point in changing the shape or look of something if the new set-up does not do the job at least as well as, and preferably better than, what went before.