Hmm... I think this whole widescreen business was really just the NG staff's way of getting me to actually click the forums button. Since I started posting in response to the first update thread, I can't stop reading the forums. Oh man, that means I'm more pathetic than I thought. Now instead of wasting time watching Flash cartoons and playing games, I'm also actually reading message boards. FML.

Very classy, NG staff, for meeting users halfway and providing customization and different options for viewing. I was seriously considering leaving NG for good, as the autoplay was just a really big factor in messing up being able to browse the site conveniently. But, I now feel like I will support and defend NG more than ever because of the quick turnaround on doing things for your loyal users based upon all of the comments over in the original wide layout thread. Very cool, and a great move to retain legitimacy with your key publics to prevent any sort of larger issues arising. I'm off to customize my portal preferences. Probably won't see me in the forums for another six years until you do something else to piss me off.

Thanks!

At 5/27/09 02:16 PM, idiot-monarch wrote: But really, I shouldn't be surprised, since Newgrounds doesn't care about artists nearly as much as it used to. What matters now is that you have more space for ads and video game parodies.

You hit the nail on the head. It's all about the greed.

At 5/27/09 02:11 PM, BananaBreadMuffin wrote: lmao this thread is bringing all the lurkers and old vets out of their hermit shells :)

Did my never posting in the forums even though I've been a member for years give it away? Ha, I just couldn't go away without saying how much the new layout through me for a loop of suck yesterday when I logged in to waste some time and relax. It's just not relaxing anymore though because I can't open 10 games that look interesting and go tab-by-tab to play them because they all start together now... I can only do one at a time. And then I have to go all the way back to the listings to find the next one. Really takes all the fun out of how I use NG.

At 5/27/09 11:34 AM, SuperAppendixMan wrote: I found a use for the widescreen layout!
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/49 7142

Hahaha, fived it!

For anyone with a graphic design background like myself, the new layout just makes you cringe. And I saw someone mention how NG didn't really consult the user base before the change at all, alienating its publics much like Nintendo did with its most loyal customers with the Wii and the type of software being developed there. In public relations, we call this a lack of environmental scanning, where there is an expectancy gap formed that produces issues for organizations that threaten their legitimacy. That formation of a legitimacy gap, with a lack of any sort of actional legitimation thus far from Newgrounds (defending policies or actions successfully), coupled with the security issues some have mentioned this new layout opens people up to, is just all a big smack in the face to NG's most loyal users from my viewpoint. I wonder if NG actually has anyone consulting them on their strategic communication strategies at all or if they are just winging this whole thing (like they seem to have winged the layout).

Well, I'm sure it'll all be driven by the money sources and not by the people who have just came here for years to enjoy what all of the artists are doing for them as media consumers. It's a slippery slope, though, alienate enough people and the hits go down and the advertisers go away.

Does anyone know of any sort of good rival site to NG or have any of the artists out there considered an upstart with a simple, clean layout to launch and blow NG out of the water? It would be interesting to see some competition methinks, and there are plenty of talented artists on here who could pull it off. Consider it another collab.

At 5/27/09 01:28 AM, JohnnyUtah wrote: GOOD JOB NEWGROUNDS I USUALLY OPEN A BUNCH OF GAMES AT ONCE AND WRITE 5 NEGATIVE REVIEWS AT THE SAME TIME BUT NOW I CANT. ITS LIKE NEWGROUNDS IS YOUTUBE BUT ITS NOT AND GREY AND ORANGE. I DONT LIKE WATCHING MOVIES, I JUST LIKE CLICKING PLAY THEN CLOSING MY BROWSER FUCK YOU NEWGROUNDS IM GONNA GO TO YOUTUBE NOW CAUSE ITS THE SAME THING

Sounds like someone is bitter that they made something crappy and got a poor review once or twice. Or maybe he just likes using all caps because it makes Utah seem less Mormon and more extreme? I actually, if you must know, open the multiple tabs at once so I can have them there in my browser throughout the day to go to and carefully watch/play and critically think about them before I consider how I will vote or review them. Even with YouTube, at least I can pause something if I don't want it to start playing... this new layout on NG leaves quite a bit to be desired in that realm for us casual users who can't devote time to all the stuff we want to see all at once. Not sure why you feel the need for all of the caps and complaining about me sharing my opinion in the forum, which I'm pretty sure is what we were asked to do in this thread, eh?

At 5/27/09 01:25 AM, Stamper wrote: You open up 5-10 flash games at a time? Negro what you NEED to open up is the damn classifieds and load up a JOB OR A LIFE

From a guy with more than 2,000 forum posts and probably not as many degrees as me. Hm. Touché, you got me.

At 5/27/09 01:03 AM, zimzap wrote: If you were to present a factual rational with your research methodology....

I think zimzap means "rationale" when zimzap writes "rational."

I personally hate the new layout. I usually open 5-10 games and Flash movies at one time in tabs, and with this new damn autoloading crap, I have them all trying to play at once. I usually can do this to open everything from the portal I want to see during that day at once and keep them saved open as I get time to go to each tab. Now, of course, that is sort of pointless, and I'm sure I'll be using NG a heckuva lot less as a result. If everything is going to be autoloaded and embedded, what makes NG different from YouTube now or any other site? There's no reason to really visit Newgrounds now, especially since it's just like every other site minus the ability to embed the stuff, so your "upgrade" really just made NG inferior.

I guess no one is interested. NM then.

E-mail me

I'm a writer, and I just had an epiphany about a Flash movie I'd like to see done. I think it's a pretty original idea. At least, I haven't seen anything like it on NG, and I've been a member for years. Anyway, I know next to nothing about Flash, I'm an InDesign/PhotoShop/Illustrator graphics guy, but I never had the opportunity or need to learn Flash. I spend a lot of time on NG, so when I have a cool idea, I naturally think how cool it would be as a Flash movie.

Anyway, if any of you animators out there are interested in working on something with me that I write, I'd love to hear from you. I posted my e-mail address at the top, or I guess you can post on here or send me a PM. I don't really want to discuss the idea too much in-depth here, just for the sake of keeping it between creators so no one steals the idea. Basically though, it would be something both action-packed and dramatic, and perhaps a little on the long side (that'd be more up to the animator[s]). It involves contemporary issues in the world as well.

By the way, if you are an up-and-coming artist and think that I wouldn't be interested in working with you -- think again. I'd be OK with linking up with a first-timer or something just to get this idea fixed in a tangible medium, and we can always go from there.

Thanks!

-- JDisasoldier