Online pattern sites

Does anyone here like what simplicity.com has done to their web site? I really dislike all the pop-ups, fuzzy focus, stupid categories, and layout. I just sent them an e-mail asking that they re-think this, I can't use it for searches anymore. I used to be able to look at patterns and the envelope backs to estimate yardage before ordering online. The new format stinks! :-(

Reply to
BEI Design
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Beverly, I am happy to know I am not the only one that dislikes the changes made to the Simplicity site. How long will it take McCall's to copy it? Maybe they won't.

Emily

Reply to
Emily Bengston

It certainly does! Counter-intuitive and slower than continental drift. I've seen more lively dinosaurs!

(Posting through Goggle Gropes as I'm not at home tonight!)

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Perhaps I'm lucky it bombs on Linux.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

What on earth am I missing? Is this the site everybody's talking about?

formatting link
What's wrong with it? There are menus on the left. I clicked on "Dresses" on the menu and I get a page full of pattern envelope fronts just sitting there no fancy stuff. Click on the pattern I want and there is a larger image of the pattern front, along with tabs to see the back, etc. Even a "magnify" feature to get a good look at details on the pattern front.

What's terrible about this? Am I looking at the wrong site?

Iris

Reply to
I.E.Z.

It might help if you sent an e-mail to the "contact us" link to ask that they roll-back to the prior FAR better format.

Reply to
BEI Design

You actually like a website which pops up stuff you don't want to see every time you roll your mouse over it? I don't. The former site was much more user-friendly, loaded quickly and provided much better information. I suppose next they'll require one to use a Twitter account.... :-(

Reply to
BEI Design

Yeah, really really UGLY and slooooowwwww....

Reply to
BEI Design

Indeed, lucky you. ;-}

Reply to
BEI Design

I don't get any popups. Maybe because I use Firefox for my browser. Like I don't see ads on blogs and web sites because I have ABP on Firefox. A lot of problems I read about seem to be connected to the browser being used.

Reply to
Pogonip

I also use Firefox, and run "NoScript 1.9.8.8" but I enable scripts on *some* sites in order to see all that would otherwise be killed. In the case of the new-and-improved-simplicity.com, allowing scripts enables pop-up windows each time you scroll over an image or tab. Very annoying.

Reply to
BEI Design

Oh, I see. Yes, I do like it, I guess. At least it doesn't bother me. It loads fast for me and the pop up magnifier is useful to my oldish eyes. I don't know if I ever saw the former site, since I didn't have any Simplicity site bookmarked. I do have the McCall's site bookmarked. I like this Simplicity one better. However, as it's not a major matter to me, I will keep mum, so as not to derail any campaign to change it!

Yet another instance of "YMMV" I guess!

Iris

Reply to
I.E.Z.

I use firefox. It's not so much pop-up ads as the pattern info popping up only when you roll over it and then NOT giving you the info you need and being R E A L Y S L O W to load and dredfully clunky compared with the last version's realy easy to use way of presenting stuff.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

OK, when I enable thefind.com, I get the popup window.

Another site I like, VMS, has recently "improved" their site, resulting in it being twice as hard to find items, then find information, taking twice as long at least. I think it's in the bottled water they drink, all those web designer people. If success is measured by the length of time a person stays on the site, it could be a winner -- and it's taking so much longer to see what you're looking for, naturally the visit length is going up. But if they want to measure in results, like orders placed and paid, they may have to rethink.

Reply to
Pogonip

Exactly! The prior version had conveniently placed buttons to click if you WANTED to see the pattern envelope back and/or line drawings. Also, it seems to me that all the scans are slightly out of focus. I tried to print information on a pattern I was interested in and the print-out is unreadable. I guess I'll spend more time at TSWLTH, pursuing the pattern books.

Reply to
BEI Design

I know for sure I won't be spending any time on simplicity.com until/unless they "de-improve" it. :-(

Reply to
BEI Design

It used to be really easy to capture the pix. I could then plonk them into the customer contract so that we knew exactly which view of which pattern we were going to use for the project. While I rarely buy direct from Simplicity, the site I *do* buy from links direct to Simplicity for pattern details, and this facility no longer works reliably. The pix on the site I buy from are just thumbnails from the pattern envelope or the catalogue, and are often NOT the main one from the envelope. It makes it hard to spot, sometimes...

I much prefer the McCall's/Butterick/Vogue site, Kwick Sew, and Burda.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

It works just fine on our Linux set up. Both in Firefox and Sea Monkey.

It still stinks. And after last week, do I recognize stink or what!?!? I liked the old version of the site much, much better. And I will email them, Beverly. You're right if we don't squeak, we don't get the oil.

Sharon

Reply to
Sharon Hays

ROTF,LOL!

I hope everyone will send a comment. This new site is just horrible, I won't be using it.

Reply to
BEI Design

I'm with ya Robb. The crap...uh...I mean displays, yeah, displays in the middle of the aisles make me nuts. I hate them.

Sharon

Reply to
Sharon Hays

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