The BBC has a brand-new website on the way, and it's thrown the beta version up on to the Internet for us all to gawp at. But what do you reckon? We want to hear your views in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
The new page puts us very much in mind of Microsoft's agonisingly trendy (no, we never thought we'd use those three words together either) Windows Phone interface, with dynamic tiles arranged in a colourful carousel.
The carousel displays stories from BBC News and Sport, TV, radio and online. You can cycle through it with arrow buttons to the left and right, and tinker with the kind of stuff that shows up by clicking tabs along the bottom.
Underneath there's a column that lists the most popular items across the Beeb's various enterprises, another column that tells you what's on the telly, and one that houses a list of links to other threads of Auntie's online spider's web. Click those columns and they slide apart like the doors on Star Trek, giving you a better view.
The most interesting element of the new design is its resemblance to a smart phone homescreen. We're paying particular attention to the weather widget at the top that shows how heavily it's raining in your area, and the ticking clock too.
We suspect the BBC will be especially keen that the page plays well with mobile devices, especially the iPad.
We like the sleek and streamlined look, and the page seems intuitive to navigate, with no obvious glitches. That said, aesthetically it's much like other big TV channel websites, so radio and BBC News fans might feel it gives too much weight to the BBC's TV output, or that it doesn't look serious enough.
Auntie says the page is "nearly ready" to replace the (now decidedly dusty) existing Beeb homepage, though it could well be tinkered with further before it's finished.
What do you think of the design? Let fly in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall. And if you have any ideas of your own or if you've spotted a bug, you can tell the BBC directly.
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Kev_D 21 September, 2011 13:13
I thought it seemd a tad confused, with everything shouting for your attention at once. I agree, too much emphasis on their media output, and not enough given to news etc.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 13:48
I agree with Kev_D - it's quite over the top when all I really want to do it read the news (this makes me feel so old - i'm 23!) . It reminds me of the Chanel 4 website which ties in the Kev saying the focus is on the visual media, not news. Time to find a new lunchtime website methinks...
anonymous 21 September, 2011 14:12
All part of the BBC's effort to dumb down as far as Sky...
anonymous 21 September, 2011 14:43
If all you want to do is read the news you go to the bbc news homepage. That's what they are trying to do with this new version, make it less about news (like the old one) and more about everything the bbc is doing. Makes sense to me, but i rarely use the bbc homepage, i just go straight to bbc news.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 15:25
The new BBC homepage is terrible. At least with the old one you could customise it to make it show what you want, where you want. This one you can't see anything you actually want to see.
And I want to see more than just the news website, I want to see all of the headlines, and I pick and choose from them, as well as looking at the weather, sport, TV and stock markets. Going through each page will be a massive waste of time.
BBC may have just given google a new homepage customer, and I can't imagine I will be the only one.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 15:28
short and sweet. Its a mess and whoever got paid £xxx,xxx of the licence fee money to design it wants dipping a bath full of custard.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 15:54
Great for tablets, but terrible for desktop users.
Why is it that 90 percent of the sites visitors are being ignored for the sake of the probably less then 1 percent who use a tablet?
It is the same with Window 8. The functionality for people with a keyboard and mouse is being reduced so that it works well for the more fashionable, but much smaller, touch-input market.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 20:32
I wish you could slide across on an iPad to scroll through the articles - instead of having to press a button :/
anonymous 21 September, 2011 22:14
A really poor effort. A step backwards. All bling and dumbing down.What's going on BBC?
anonymous 21 September, 2011 23:54
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who despises the new site. It's absolutely appalling. As soon as I opened it, I was repulsed.
Hopefully, with all this negative reaction, they might pull it.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 00:32
I am trying to find where I can customise it, like I did with the old one. Don't think I can. I assume the weather is showing the forecast for Central London. I had it set for my town in East London on the old site which shows a different forecast.
It is such a mess. I don't know where to look first, and that's before I have even scrolled onto the 2nd & 3rd page. The old site was neatly laid out on one page, customised to show only the topics I was interested in.
Time to find a new home page I think.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 12:51
It's terrible! Far too busy, too much flash animations, no choice of content - a real backwards step.
I also hope the Beeb listen and pulls it.
Jason Jenkins 22 September, 2011 12:52
I quite like it
anonymous 26 September, 2011 14:07
I unfortunately think its shocking. Its not immediately distinguishable what is news and what is a TV program. I love the current BBC website and will be looking for a new with a similar design if this is implemented. Theres too much lettering, its too random and there seems to be limited logic in it.
Unlucky this time BBC, all your other sites have been brilliant but this is a step too far.
anonymous 2 October, 2011 19:11
I am so disappointed. The bbc homepage has been what I have always used as my homepage, but this page is so overwhelming. I don't think I can bear to having it flashing up as the first thing I see when I browse the internet. It is painful on the eyes. Way too busy. I don' t want to scroll sideways through the top screen and I want my customisation back. Being able to customise the page was one of the reasons that I used it as a homepage. I don't really care what everyone else is looking at. I want to see what I am interested in.
anonymous 7 October, 2011 17:51
I was surprised, and pleased, to see that I'm not the only one who will not be using Auntie as my homepage once the existing one has gone. There are cuts being made to services while a bunch od trendies are being paid thousands doing a job which really doesn't need doing.
Mike.
anonymous 11 October, 2011 16:46
At the great expense of the license payer the BBC has again shot itself in the foot. Having gone through the nightmare and cost of the current customisable homepage they've now gone for an approach of style over substance. They are about to change what was an importatnt information portal into a trivial advert for the BBC!
anonymous 21 October, 2011 10:50
I'm with the majority here. Its rubbish. Style over substance. Less content visible, the aim of the website should be the most information viewable with the least clicks, this one goes a long way backwards on that score.
anonymous 27 October, 2011 17:22
Awful...too much emphasis on the 'fun' stuff and iPlayer - I want news, sport and weather, not adverts for programmes I've chosen not to watch once already!
anonymous 15 November, 2011 19:42
Please, please don't go ahead with this, BBC. This design is awful, the current one is perfect already so don't touch it!
anonymous 30 November, 2011 10:45
So they have changed it this morniing - AWFUL. Can no longer customize it so have pages full of lists of stuff that I am not interested in. Much more difficult to find the items of interest to me in amongst everything else.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 11:08
Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
Looks like ITV. Sad.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 11:19
The new BBC Homepage: It sucks! I do not want 10 stories about football on the homepage, but you cant customise the sport headlines as you could for the previous homepage, so I am now forced to click and navigate to other pages to trawl to the sports I actually want to read about. Come on BBC not everyone wants to hear about London stories and football, and most of us are still using you know actual computers and not I-Pads to look at you page! Well I wont be looking anymore as, in summary, BBC homepage sucks!
anonymous 30 November, 2011 11:35
Have lost the customisation which tailored the home page for me.
It looks a mess when I log in and I can't find my regulars.
A big thumbs down from me. It is the BBC dumbing down in my view.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 12:28
Dreadful! Another major step backward by the BBC.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 12:50
Absolutely awful. I simply cannot understand any of the rationale behind changing this. please BBC go back to what worked - this is a dog's dinner and should have been pulled long before going live. I will be changing my Homepage to something less shouty and ugly.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 13:02
Agree with most of the current comments.
That is:
- The page is far too busy.
- No real customisation available (other than weather).
- Far to much emphasis on BBC media output.
Changes for changes sake. Just trying to make it look "trendy" and in my opinion ... a BIG fail.
Got to admit, I'm off to look at GOOGLE's home page.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 13:22
Terrible. Too much content and I miss not being able to customise my home page and dump all the stuff I don't want to know.
Massive backward step. I shall have to find an alternative.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 14:18
What moron thinks that this is an improvement.
Too busy
Too chaotic
No customisation
Designed for tablets, not desktop
BYE BYE BBC
anonymous 30 November, 2011 16:32
Horrible! The BBC Has lost it alltogether.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 17:05
SHiny and brITE.
After 10 years with BBC as my homepage, I've already changed away from it
anonymous 30 November, 2011 17:19
Our own Company Website looks dreadful.... probably because we've spent absolutely zero on design
The latest BBC layout is one of the few Sites that looks even worse than our own.
I filled in their Beta Survey and told them it was a complete disaster and that I'd be changing my home page.I thought I must be in the minority but it now looks as though the BBC implemented the changes despite an overwhelming thumbs down to their new appearance. What a waste of my licence money, any chance of a refund?
anonymous 30 November, 2011 17:30
I too filled in the BBC survey and told them it was awful, but as ever they completely ignored the comments from their previously loyal viewer / listeners / readers who are now moving in their droves. I've gone back to igoogle (for now) until I can put together something else which pull all the information I need in one place without having to wade through the dross and flick through several screens - I mean come on who else has a multiple page 'home page'?
anonymous 30 November, 2011 17:38
total poop.......id rather eat my own eyes with a rusty spoon than look at this
anonymous 30 November, 2011 18:20
I'm so relieved I'm not the only one thinking the new website is total crap. Please BBC, go back to the old one.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 20:04
I hate this new homepage and will be looking for an alternative as soon as possible. It is so difficult to navigate and I can't find all my old favourites. New is not always better!
grahamdalby 30 November, 2011 20:12
The new design is terrible - it's so cluttered with video and flipping images that you can't see things clearly. Also, there's more limited customisation. I can't understand why they persisted with this look: I, like many others, voiced our opinions when the Beta site was launched. They obviously didn't listen. I wonder if they monitor reviews on CNET - hope so.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 20:42
I agree with alll the negative commments. An absolute mess, no way of customising it to show you what you are interested in and takes more time to use. Probably designed by an over-paid 19 year old, who has no understanding of the people who actually use the site.
Please give us back the old one BBC, or I will be changing my homepage.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 20:47
apalling
the bbc will go back once their page hits start to tumble
anonymous 30 November, 2011 21:36
I hate the new page it is a complete mess
anonymous 30 November, 2011 21:54
I have not one positive comment to make about it and agree with every negative comment already made. I've had BBC as my home page from the first time I had internet access - over 10 years now but no longer. Google is now my home page. The new BBC site is truly dreadful! I've been looking at the beta page for a couple of months on and off, hoping that I'd get used to it - I have not. Worse still, after a bout of labrythitis, I can't use the page as the fast, sideways scrolling actually makes me feel dizzy and sick - like sea sickness. I've heard from an insider that it's the BBC itself that insists on everything being on the home page against the designer's advice. It's just wrong!
anonymous 30 November, 2011 22:39
I agree this is a change for the worse, I much prefrred the old style where I could actually see a summary of the topics I wanted. I think I need to find a new home page.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 22:55
I had no idea it was due to be changed. Just clicked onto the page as usual and couldn't believe my eyes. Was so appalled, I just googled "new bbc homepage" to see if anyone else felt the same way. It seems they do!
anonymous 30 November, 2011 22:58
Can I have my customised home page back please?
anonymous 30 November, 2011 23:04
Biggest problem: no customisation! I cannot choose what to show on my homepage. e.g. I'm stuck with football under sports - which I really don't care about. I want to be able to see the content I'm interested in at a glance - with perhaps a little scrolling. Can't do that. Definitely a step backwards.
anonymous 30 November, 2011 23:20
Absolutely awful, it doesn't have a single redeeming feature.
Been using the old website as my homepage for a long while and it was perfect for my needs but i can see i will have to find a new site if this doesn't change back.
"Designed by a 19 year old" designed by an idiot more like !!
Russellg59 1 December, 2011 00:37
A total mess and a big step backwards
anonymous 1 December, 2011 07:58
Looks disgusting, I can't find anything I want, and I feel like I'm using a mobile phone.
homepage---> remove
guardian.co.uk welcome to some new business
anonymous 1 December, 2011 09:18
Horrible, back to the Guardian here too.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 09:44
Have to agree with the majority here, this is a major step backwards. Before I had a nice summary of general news, business and sport. I had market data and a decent enough weather summary all on one page. Now there is nothing of interest on the front page. Most of the space is dedicated to TV!
Sadly, I'll have to look elsewhere now.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 09:51
Terrible. The BBC has really has screwed up and destroyed one of the most popular websites on the planet. For me too the gem in the old website was the ability to customize the home page and see at a glance the topics that I wanted to see. All that has gone. The new site is now just a "me too" site. I too will look for another news site.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 10:25
rubbish. rubbish. rubbish. im normally pro change but this is surely a big mistake. i need to research a new website for my news and sport as i wont be using the bbc one again.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 10:33
Please let me have my old one back! Why did the BBC have to mess with something that is OK. I don't have the time to waste trying to find now what was immediately available for ME until this morning.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 12:19
Isn't it horrendous! I can't find anyone with a good thing to say about it. Surely they have to change it back. Surely they will listen. Surely.
I would have no problem if they were to make positive improvements, but this is just one big leap into the world of tabloidism ...
anonymous 1 December, 2011 12:43
I think these comments are a bit harsh. "It's just loads of TV programmes" - yes, that is what the BBC does... "No sport, no news" - go to BBC News or BBC Sport. Agreed, it looks a mess, but for casual users looking for something to watch or read, I think a spread of interesting content might be useful. I wouldn't be surprised if customisation makes a comeback as well.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 14:39
I personally think that the new BBC home page is terrible! I don't think its clear on what's available or what services are provided.
I've had the BBC set as my homepage for the past few years now, I used it as a hub for news, iPlayer, entertainment, environmental news etc.
I no longer feel like I'm on a professional British website, more like channel 4 or some cheesy American broadcasting corporation.
I guess its back to setting Google as my home page :(
anonymous 1 December, 2011 15:02
Thanks everyone - I'm not alone! Although I've always had the BBC as my homepage, I miss my clock, the local weather, the cricket, F1 and business stories I used to have, and can't find anything I'm interested in.
Thanks also for the hint about Google - I didn't know they did a customisable home page. I'm working on it now.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:30
Absolutely agree - this is truly dreadful.
To start with, it doesn't actually work. I use Chrome with font size set to Large - probably my age - and at this setting the text and pictures overlap, whilst some of the text panels disappear beneath other ones.
I'm not remotely interested in what's on television, what's been on television, what's going to be on television - this wouldn't be so bad if I could customise it to remove this content.
The home screams with noise and I cannot find what I want: like others here, my home page is now - for the moment - set to the bbc news page.
Can we please at least have the option of choosing the old home page. I know there will be the argument about parallel maintenance but they don't even have to maintain it: just leave it as it is.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:30
Absolutely agree - this is truly dreadful.
To start with, it doesn't actually work. I use Chrome with font size set to Large - probably my age - and at this setting the text and pictures overlap, whilst some of the text panels disappear beneath other ones.
I'm not remotely interested in what's on television, what's been on television, what's going to be on television - this wouldn't be so bad if I could customise it to remove this content.
The home screams with noise and I cannot find what I want: like others here, my home page is now - for the moment - set to the bbc news page.
Can we please at least have the option of choosing the old home page. I know there will be the argument about parallel maintenance but they don't even have to maintain it: just leave it as it is.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:31
Absolutely agree - this is truly dreadful.
To start with, it doesn't actually work. I use Chrome with font size set to Large - probably my age - and at this setting the text and pictures overlap, whilst some of the text panels disappear beneath other ones.
I'm not remotely interested in what's on television, what's been on television, what's going to be on television - this wouldn't be so bad if I could customise it to remove this content.
The home screams with noise and I cannot find what I want: like others here, my home page is now - for the moment - set to the bbc news page.
Can we please at least have the option of choosing the old home page. I know there will be the argument about parallel maintenance but they don't even have to maintain it: just leave it as it is.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:33
Absolutely agree - this is truly dreadful.
To start with, it doesn't actually work. I use Chrome with font size set to Large - probably my age - and at this setting the text and pictures overlap, whilst some of the text panels disappear beneath other ones.
I'm not remotely interested in what's on television, what's been on television, what's going to be on television - this wouldn't be so bad if I could customise it to remove this content.
The home screams with noise and I cannot find what I want: like others here, my home page is now - for the moment - set to the bbc news page.
Can we please at least have the option of choosing the old home page. I know there will be the argument about parallel maintenance but they don't even have to maintain it: just leave it as it is.
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:38
Hey folks. We analysed some of the responses and conversations on Twitter around the new homepage design - check it out, it may add to this discussion! http://www.cbanalytics.co.uk/blog/2011/nov/30/new-bbc-homepage-evokes-emotive-chatter-twitter/
Stuart, Chatterbox Analytics
anonymous 1 December, 2011 16:38
Jeez....... So many complaints at the Beta stage and yet they STILL went ahead and went live with this woeful design.
Someone really wants shooting for this, it's just a jumbled mess!
anonymous 1 December, 2011 18:07
Can't be bothered to write what I really think. Disheartened and disappointed. No customize facility is the very least of the woes. Time to find another homepage - there's no shortage of them, BBC....ARE YOU LISTENING?
anonymous 1 December, 2011 21:48
Quite simply, this is horrible.
The previous homepage was not perfect ,but at least I could customise it to address the issues that were relevant to me.
If it ain't broke.....
anonymous 2 December, 2011 00:27
There will come a time when the idea that the BBC web site was in the top 10 of all UK sites will seem quite laughable. Probably within a year at the current rate of hit loss.
This is the worst transformation you could possibly imagine. Why? Because it doesn't actually do anything (the clicks are poor and images are randomly arranged with news and sport somehow lumped together). Entertainment is the default tab (why?). Knowledge is a broad catch-all title. And there is deliberately no chance to customise the site, even in the basic selection of News or Sport as default..
The additional prioritising of media journalists and TV celebrities over breaking BBC news is scandalous.
The deliberate lack of customisation features, so that the user is forced to flick through celebrity chat and football to find say, science or nature, in a vain attempt to get us to look at something new is patronising.
Scrap the licence fee. For £192.4mill this site costs the UK taxpayer a year. Get rid of the public sector web designers who produce this by expensive committee and ignore the users who comment on it as luddites.
It's dangerous and damaging as this site is also read by millions around the world as a reflection of our culture and the source of impartial news. Which now can't be accessed without going through East Enders plot lines... what must they think has happened? Have the tabloids taken over the BBC?
anonymous 2 December, 2011 01:43
Filled in the beta report saying "think again" then found it had changed, thought it must be me as a boring old fart not being hip enough to like the brash and garish. Thought I would find what others thought and seems like I am not in the minority.
Info on the internet should be clear and consise, this is too crowded, too messy and as I am now unable to customise (apart from weather and probably local news - but how the hell do you find that?) a large amount of the information is irrelevant and unwanted.
anonymous 2 December, 2011 08:55
Someone needs to tell the bbc that BIG FONTS ARE NOT BETTER
What a mess
anonymous 2 December, 2011 12:13
I agree with many of the other comments posted. For me, the most useful feature has always been the facility to customise what appears, both by category & by the number of stories displayed. That flexibility actually put the BBC Homepage way ahead of the opposition; it is clearly a major step backwards to lose that & will certainly substantially reduce the number of people who have it as their home page. I for one am now searching for an alternative!
anonymous 2 December, 2011 20:51
Really, really dislike the new format, confusing, hard to engage with. I want a simple page where I can quickly scan for things of interest, not being forced to scroll through multiple pages.
I used to visit the BBC home page at least twice a day, first thing in the morning, mid afternoon for a catchup, no longer!
Please change it, and quickly.
anonymous 2 December, 2011 22:43
Has the BBC homepage been hacked by "Take a Break"?
anonymous 2 December, 2011 22:58
Reminds me strangely of those "Do You Want To Know More" cuts from Starship Troopers. Very poor.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 00:18
It has systematically destroyed everything that was good about the old site. The way that the designers have completely ignored feedback all throughout beta testing is the worst part about it. Everyone makes mistakes but these guys have said "screw you lot, we're ploughing on regardless" and for that, they'll probably end up losing their jobs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/12/bbc_homepage_your_feedback_2.html
anonymous 3 December, 2011 06:17
very poor old is gold
anonymous 3 December, 2011 09:11
They may think they have designed it for an iPad but it looks dreadful on one and does not function properly on it. The new website is just dumbed down. I hate everything about it. Messy, can't find the things I want and can't get rid of those I don't want. I really miss QI Fact of the day, Weird and Wonderful and Science and Nature. I referred to the old site several times a day for many years. Such a shame.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 09:30
It really is quite confusing, and confused, and there is lots of stuff on the front page that I have no interest in.
I have stopped using it.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 10:55
The BBC have started to attack those who have commented by posting 'positive' blogs (single person usually) to counter the negative feedback and generally omitting any balanced reporting from forums like this which are typically negative
The reality is that the new page replaces the old page completely, and does something totally different. It provides an iPlayer showcase - that no-one asked for (except a committe within the BBC intent on giving themselves something to do). Typical public servants. Can't be sacked. Can't be moved on,. Too much power. Paid for by the state to define our knowledge stream (in this case iPlayer).
The original need for a proper BBC portal to a broad variety of daily news, science, nature, QI, "on this day" and "quotations" they produce still exists and has got nowhere to go after 10+ years. They are the majority and they are seriously upset.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 12:10
like most people I hate the new bbc homepage. The old one has been my homepage for years; not any more. I have been trying out igoogle. You can add lots of bbc content, news, sport etc. by adding gadgets (just select "add gadgets" ,search for "bbc" then select and add the ones you want). Each gadget can display up to 9 headings and the gadgets can be positioned on the page to suit your preference. Bit like the old bbc website really. I'll admit it's not as good as the old bbc homepage but it's still a lot better than the new one. It's now my homepage.
Once the dust has settled I look forward to the bbc publishing data on the number of hits their new site is getting.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 13:52
Thanks for the advice folks, I will try the igoogle site too. Everything I wanted from the BBC website has gone, or been hidden behind a morass of mediocrity. I hope they realise the error of their ways, but somehow I doubt it. I thought "The News of the World" was dead, but it appears to be alive and kicking on the BBC Homepage
anonymous 3 December, 2011 19:01
I've gone to iGoogle too. As Anon at 12.10 said, it's not as good as the old BBC site - but a damn site better than the new one. Don't suppose Beeb will pay any attention, though - they never do.
anonymous 3 December, 2011 21:29
Absolute rubbish, far too cluttered, did somebody get paid for this?
Bring back the old site or lose readers.
anonymous 5 December, 2011 12:34
Cannot read anything I use to read, cant find anything, cant stand all the white space, cant customise. Dont have a positive thing to say about it at all. Its shocking!
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:03
Please BBC Directors bring back the 'old' site, this new one is too cluttered, most people just want items neatly laid out on the screen not the jumble of this one. Used to be my home screen for many years, not any longer!
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:06
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:06
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:07
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:07
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:08
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:08
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 5 December, 2011 14:10
Obviously designed for tablet computers. Call me old fashioned but I have a desktop and to me it looks absolutely rubbish. It’s bland, confusing and difficult to navigate. After having BBC as my main source of web-news forever, I am now looking elsewhere for my news.
Don’t expect they will take any notice of the overwhelming negative feedback. After all, the last time they changed the website they just ignored everyone.
BIG thumbs down :(
anonymous 6 December, 2011 01:15
nooooooooooo, too busy, annoing, I can't focus, I miss the old one.
anonymous 6 December, 2011 12:16
I too think the new version is terrible and will email the BBC to that effect. The biggest thing for me is not being able to customise it at all (apart from the location). In the interim I have changed to the BBC News homepage for my homepage but as this isn't customisable either, I suspect I shall have to look further afield.
Good to see my licence fee money being spent wisely....not!
anonymous 6 December, 2011 12:28
Maybe this new site should be used as an app for phones and tablets. It does nothing for desktops whatsoever. The old home page was simple, easy to understand,view and customise. I will be migrating to a new homepage as soon as I can find one similar to the old BBC site.
Why fix something if it works.
anonymous 6 December, 2011 14:14
Poor Update. A well laid out and functioning home page has been replaced by something that tries to look "flashy" but in fact fails to deliver on accessibility and content. Customisable content has been lost too. A poor update.
anonymous 6 December, 2011 15:14
Complaint submitted to BBC ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/ - if you think anyone will actually listen and care to join me).
I await a response in 2 weeks ( well thats the timescale they suggest they will try and work to, but I'm not holding my breath).
COMPLAINT WORDED AS FOLLOWS:
Please can you explain why you have messed with a perfectly good homepage?
Whilst it caters for tablet users (although the previous version worked perfectly well on my iPad), it is truly awful. No customisation is available, things are hard to find and it is now an absolute eyesore with everything trying to grab your attention (too many pictures) It is simply far too hard to navigate.
So that you know that I am not the only person who feels this way, please see this thread:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/what-do-you-think-of-the-new-bbc-homepage-50005271/
Nearly a hundred other dissatisfied users there and those are the ones who could be bothered to write a comment.
I'm off to iGoogle until you sort this - it's simply a massive step backwards at heaven knows what expense! I've not found anyone who actually even likes it let alone prefers it over the previous version.
In summary - a complete waste of licence fee payers money again.
It wasn't broken, so why let some overpaid techo try and "fix it"
Yours in dissatisfaction and bewilderment
Rob Taylor
anonymous 6 December, 2011 15:32
I cannot stand the new website - what were you thinking BBC? It's too complicated and too busy -looking now. The website before was ordered, simple and intuitive, this new one is just dreadful. I'm off to find an alternative.
anonymous 7 December, 2011 11:50
It is absolutely dreadful. I will probably be changing my homepage.
I completed the survey on the BBC site about the new page.
"What do you like about it " They asked
"Not a lot" I replied
anonymous 8 December, 2011 00:39
Change for the sake of change. Somebody trendy 30-something manager/design team at the BBC should get their books for this. Everything that was good about the old page has been jettisoned. The graphics and user interface are downright horrible and site navigation is now problematic at best. Also having trouble setting my location - it keeps reverting to London. Unless a change is made soon I will be using something different as my homepage on Firefox. A gigantic leap backwards. Judging by the comments above, the recent BBC website survey was obviously about as honest/transparent as the recent election in Russia!
anonymous 8 December, 2011 11:11
Another tranche of the licence fee straight down the pan to no good effect. Worse, this glitzy, presentaion-before-content (webmaster: Mandelson?) approch cannot be customised. Therefore, if one selects "sport", the people's website assumes one means "football" - bit like the"sports" slot on Today. In short, CRAP.
anonymous 8 December, 2011 17:44
I really really hate it. Why didn't anyone take any notice of the comments when it was in beta?
What is wrong with these people, do they really value us so little? And please tell me that
nobody was actually paid for this total nightmare of a website.
The BBC has been my homepage for at least 10 years, but no more, I can't stand it.
anonymous 8 December, 2011 21:12
Each news headline looks likes it's merged into a single paragraph. I preferred the old version, it was a lot easier to read simply because each story and section were clearly separate.
anonymous 10 December, 2011 22:52
Cluttered, messy, poor design. Doesn't work in Opera browser which would suggest code is not standards complient? Glaring white background is bad for those who suffer from migraine. Not user friendly for the disabled or the elderly. Carousel with horizontal scrolling is not good and is 'jumpy'. Difficult to find any content you are interested in. Very surprised the BBC put this live has it will no doubt damage their reputation high quality.
anonymous 11 December, 2011 12:44
Dreadful homepage. It's a complete mess. Designed purely for hand held devices ~ so desktop users, best find another homepage, the BBC don't want you. On the positive side - it motivated me into finding a new homepage. Eventually settled on one of the customisable homepages where you can import RSS feeds of your choice.
I suspect the BBC have lost double digit %ages of people using it as their browser default homepage. And with the internet ~ once you've lost peoiple, you won't get them back again. Especially when the BBC literally waste everyone's time by inviting opinion ~ and then completely ignoring it.
anonymous 11 December, 2011 14:59
I think it is very bad - in fact the new design has made me use msn news page and sport page more.
The designers have completely missed the point of what the BBC should be delivering. My suspicion is that non-designers have pulled the strings here and haven't thought about how the content can be delivered clearly and quickly.
Two new homepage designs in the space of three years for the BCC. The first one wasn't good and the second one even worse.
I would like to know how much these re-designs are costing as we are paying for it!!!???
anonymous 13 December, 2011 18:51
A really dreadful looking site. However, I suspect that this is what all sites will look like in the near future.
anonymous 14 December, 2011 17:20
Hey Beeb
Did you look at hte hundreds of comments above? Not one single positive remark are you listening to your public?
anonymous 15 December, 2011 09:45
Once head and shoulders above, now down with the tabloid dregs. No longer worth the bother of exploring. Disgustingly condescending.
anonymous 17 December, 2011 10:06
The BBC are not listening to anyone. The new homepage is hideous beyond belief and they no longer seem to be acknowledging licence payers and wanting to provide a public service. All blogs and consultation demonstrated a huge resistance and dislike for this design but they still implemented it. It is superficial rubbish.
If anyone feels like i do and wants to try to lobby the BBC to dump this idea please submit a complaint (as i have done) to https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms
anonymous 19 December, 2011 18:54
terrible, i want the old one back!!!
anonymous 26 December, 2011 10:19
Afraid I'm just repeating what the majority of those above have said. The restyle was a completely retrograde step IMO with a victory of style over substance sand functionality.
Why the online team at the BBC thought that removing the ability to customise the home page was a good step beggars belief. They have now lost the ability to track what I and other licence fee payers are interested in and hence can't deliver a more personalised or targeted content experience.
Homepage now set to BBC News - not perfect but far more useful
anonymous 27 December, 2011 22:06
It's a total disaster. I have used the BBC as my home page since first using the internet many years ago. but am looking for something else now. I absolutely hate football with a venom and there is no way on earth I will have a home page with anything even remotely related to football on it. From what I hear the response to the beta version was almost 100% negative, so why did the BBC do this sham consultation then go ahead with this disaster?
anonymous 27 December, 2011 22:38
I have tried to complain to the BBC about the new website, but trying to make a complaint just sets you spinning in endless circles. You click on the complaints link, another page comes up with a complaints box, then another. After about five pages you find yourself back where you started. I wonder if this infinite loop was deliberately designed to prevent complaints or if it was, like the redst of the website, sheer bad design?
anonymous 20 January, 2012 17:23
Beyond bad. My partner teaches ICT and the BBC was held as an example of quality design, now she classes it as how NOT to do it. The more important thing here though is how useless and detached the BBC is at listening to its licence payers. Its obvious everyone hates the page, but still they persist. No doubt someone got a good handshake somewhere. We need to fire the senior BBC managers and replace with some of the common sense people here.
anonymous 4 February, 2012 14:12
looks and feels like one of the first web-pages invented, its awful, not goin to use it anymore. the last one was calm and had class as the BBC should have, this is too busy, has terribly oversized fonts, and is like ITV
surely this is a temporary one whilst the real one gets implemented
anonymous 4 February, 2012 17:43
I used to rely on the BBC website for all my football needs. Not any more.. I am going to have to find another outlet as the new look website is horrendous. It is slow to navigate. The information is disjointed and can't be found in one place as before. It is slow (have I said that already?) Most of the links dont work and if they do they take an age to connect, making it ultra slow Am I repeating myself? I cant even stream BBC final score. Goodbye forever BBC. Why should I pay a licence fee for such absolute crap?
anonymous 12 February, 2012 23:03
el junkos Where's the great navigation on the left to drill down to the exact sports event coverage etcetera.?<br />
Someone at the BBC want to sabotage what used to be the best site around for info - now its a hotch potch of mess. Who authorized this ******?
anonymous 19 February, 2012 19:14
Dont like it. I want Scottish football results for a sunday, and what a phaff about. I will try other websites for a quicker response. Also where is BBC Scotland gone from the homepage? It was simple before now its just in your face annoying. I read a great comment, Dumbing down
kermit 25 February, 2012 13:08
The only thing I like about the homepage is the clean look. Otherwise it offers me almost nothing that I want. I still use it as my homepage because it's non-partisan and ad free, but I find I refer to it a lot less often than I used to.
BBC has closed all comment about the new homepage on its site, which suggests that they're content with level of dissatisfaction with it.
anonymous 7 March, 2012 20:59
I have to say that I think that the new BBC web site is a total disaster. It is very messy,confusing and the colours are awful. I don't know how much it cost but it was a complete waste of money.Whoever was responsible for such an abomination should start looking for a new career
anonymous 18 April, 2012 00:53
Having ditched the (now not so) new BBC website disaster as my homepage I periodically nip back to see if common sense has prevailed and they have made it useful and functional again... alas no!
It would be interesting to know how the site stats register the effect of these changes?
anonymous 30 May, 2012 11:47
Dreadful is an understatement
anonymous 30 May, 2012 11:52
Problem is that a lot of people used to have the BBC website as their homepage because it offered easy access to news. Now stories are literally scatter gunned all over the page and there's no order. Even worse they are doing the same to the mobile version.
What I find incredible is that you can go onto loads of forums and even the BBC version, and 99.9% are negative comments. Yes more people complain than praise and people don't like change etc, but BBC, this really is appalling. I no longer use it on my desktop and with the changes to the mobile version I suspect I'll be leaving that too.
Mobile version - before all headlines in one place. Now you have to scroll up and down the page to see whats happening. Customizing doesn't work. It's just awful.
anonymous 13 July, 2012 11:16
Found this page whilst searching for alternatives to BBC web site which indicates my conclusion.
click, click, click.
Instead of having what you want where you want it, its now a matter of going through several pages.
Also local news is stuck on London despite many attempts to change it.
Latest weather has icon height position proportional to relative temperature.
Looks like its designed for pre-school kids.
Why not go the whole way and put telly tubbies on there?
Seems they have plenty of money to let 'designers' dream up daft ideas.
Headlines are increasingly tabloid in style i.e. misleading and sensationalised
Similar to breakfast TV on BBC1 - no depth and lots of plugs for TV shows.
anonymous 8 September, 2012 07:31
I too keep hoping the BBC will see sense and get back to a website that people actually like. As ever, stubborn BBC buries its head in the sand and thinks that it can do no wrong, no matter what the topic. Such a waste of licence fee to have paid people to design that rubbish.
anonymous 20 December, 2012 04:56
The news site is awful, even on my Phablet (Galaxy Note 2). Also, the podcast page never shows subscription information anymore (you have to use Google's "mobile view" xhtml view to see the options) AND if you try to use the "go to desktop site/ view" option at the bottom of the page, you are taken to the homepage and not the podcast page. Going back to the podcast page via the pc site takes you back to the broken mobile page.
I've confirmed this is the same problem on Android (HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy Note 2) and ios (iPhone 5).
I used to recommend BBC News as the standard for mobile web design and use/ recommend their podcasts for my Japanese and international students and colleagues in Tokyo, but now I really can't as the site is broken. I now use and recommend the Guardian (can't share to facebook but better layout) and Al Java. Jazeera (better layout) instead of the BBC and American sites for podcasts.
Absolutely shameful.