New Design - Your comments please

Hi Nicko,
I already sent some comments, which might be questions of preference or just being an older person who doesn't like changes in something that works! 
Having used the site now for a while after the changes, there are a couple of more comments I'd like to make

1.  I REALLY don't like the assigned icons or avatars or whatever you call them on each poster. Besides being slick and impersonal, I prefer not to see any avatar if the person didn't choose one of his own. I realized today that i often think another person posted something just because they have the same symbol.  Today, for instance,  I noticed I was replying to someone I thought was KYHeirloomer because it had the same avatar (red kitchenaid) and it wasn't him.  It's very annoying, because many people have the same avatar, and when there is one, we tend to identify the image rather than the name.  If no image, we read the name.  An image like that is supposed to instantly identify a person, and yet in this case, it does just the opposite. 

2. When you see a thread on the list in any forum, it doesn't tell you (on the list) if there is more than one page or not.  You have to open it (to the first page) and then if you notice the tiny number at the top you can click on the last page, but usually, since it doesn't jump out at you, i scroll to the end of a thread that I've already read and find that i have to go to the next page.  It is VERY annoying.  I don't want to have to scroll through or even open it twice (once to pg 1, once to the last page) - i would prefer just opening page 2 or 3 or whatever.  I think this is probably just a bug someone didn;t notice.  The old website showed how many pages there were and you could click directly to the page you wanted. 

3. Using the function control+cancel in word and in the old website, you could cancel one word at a time.  It doesn;t work on this.  This is a function that people who do a lot of writing are used to, it's efficient and doesn't require you to move your hands off the keyboard and get the mouse, and doesn't take forever as the letter-by-letter canceling does.  No big deal in this case, but maybe it's another bug they can work out. 

Thanks, and thanks for the wonderful website. 
Siduri

Haven't been here for a few weeks, love the new look.

I agree with Siduri on points 1 (I miss my fat avatar) and 2 (it makes for extra mouse work to get to the most recent post in a thread).  Point 3 I don't do it that way anyway, so, not an issue.

Getting used to the green, finally.

A really good thing is the extension of the mail boxes, for pms and outgoing pms etc..  Beforehand one had to pick and chose what to keep if your box got full, now I am niot sure there is even a limit - it's much better.  And there's no pop up box depending on what platform or setup your computer has to ask "Would you like to open this in a new Screen?" (which never worked for me), or you had to press "Cancel" to open it in the current screen.  Vast improvement on that now.  Can just go straight to it.  Good stuff 

I hardly ever need to log in too - which is a bit confusing.  Unless I empty my cache as a part of regular computer maintenance, it must look as if I am always there.  Not having to click the "Remember Me" box is good though, so I don't get logged out after a period of inactiviy.  To think of it, I can't remember the last time I logged in.

 Plus if you find you need to edit a message in a thread, there's no need to go to advanced mode to look back on what you are commenting/replying on. you can still view the messages on the thread.  Lovr it.  Definite bonus that aspect - thank you. Saves typing and putting down thoughts and then thinking, oh, what did so-and-so say, then going back - having forgotten to copy what you had typed to look up their post.  Going "AArrrghh" and  having to start again.   Much much better now.

So THAT'S why I didn;t have to cancel any messages!  Well, then that is a major improvement. 

Still being very annoyed by the fact that the number of pages of the threads are not indicated.  The others are less of a problem.