WordPress users not yet visited by the son of beep beep boop have something to look forward to … not.
I became a victim today — of the new WP stats page. And it’s just as awful as the beep beep boop version of our post editor. Except it loads faster.
Oh yes, there’s a forum thread about it, already up to 11 pages and counting. I read a page or three and it sounded like everything I was thinking said a dozen different ways. So I just skipped to the end, dropped in my two cents’ worth, and left:
I’m not going to read all the previous posts, but specifically here are my complaints about the new stats page (so far):
– Put back the search terms, even though they were severely crippled a while back. They’re interesting!
– Return the bar graph to 30 days, so that recent trends can be seen. And put back the mouseover names of posts published on each day so we can quickly see why readership might have spiked on a given day.
– Put back the option for a two-column page and modules that can be rearranged to suit our preferences. I’m on a laptop. Why should I have to scroll down forever when I’ve got two columns of width available?
– Get rid of all the excess explanations and wasted space. Don’t make me scroll down and/or read around filler to find what I want.
– Stop changing everything to suit only mobile devices!! Serious bloggers want and need a full keyboard and screen.
– And lastly but most important: Put in a default for the old stats page so I don’t have to go through the new one first.
The forum thread started on December 8, so obviously WordPress is introducing the new stats page on a rolling basis. If it hasn’t gotten to you yet, stay tuned.
All I want for Christmas is a sophisticated blogging platform that doesn’t keep shifting beneath my feet.
There are two different ways to work in WP now, it seems. There is the way I’m most used to, which is the left sidebar, which, for the most part, is the same. Then there are the dropdown in the top navigation panel. Now, if I click on the “new post” icon (pencil with a + sign), then I get beep beep boop or whatever it is. So I just don’t click on it. I can also view stats via a dropdown, too, which graphically is a bit different, but for the most part, contains the same context.
The stats page your talking about here… what did you click on to see it? And what’s it look like?
When I want to see my stats, I always click on the spark line in the administrator’s bar. When I did that this afternoon, this is what I got:
https://piedtype.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/newwpstats.jpg
Unless and until WP puts in a cookie to remember my preference for the old stats, like they did to bypass Beep Beep Boop, I’ll just use a bookmark shortcut to the old stats.
Clicking on the pencil takes me to the old editing page. I haven’t seen Beep Beep Boop since early September.
You tell ’em PT! 😉
One poorly written comment is all I’m going to waste on them this time. I’m still recovering from all the ranting in August.
I always use the left sidebar. Hasn’t changed much at all. Old habits, I suppose. Still trying to figure out why WP offers a dozen different ways to add a new post, see the stats, etc.
https://llwproductions.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/stat-screenshot.jpg
Took me a minute to figure out what you’re showing here. That’s a different view from the one I’ve always used. Clicking on the spark line brings up a different view and is the one I’m used to. WP changed it today to the new one I pictured above. Look at all that wasted space!! And I have to scroll clear to the bottom of all that (about 4 screens) to get to the link to the old stats page. Ridiculous. So for now I’ll just use a bookmark. I have one each for my home page, CSS page, new post page, and a page of HTML codes I like to use. They’re right there in my toolbar, all the time, and they don’t change. Not going to keep relearning how to drill down through WP’s constantly changing menus to get to what I want.
What is the spark line? Weird how we’re using totally different admin views. The one I pasted is the one I’ve always used and have just recently discovered the others views, which I don’t like so I don’t use them.
The spark line is the tiny bar graph in your admin bar across the top, just to the right of Motley News and Reader.
Well I never worry about the stats, nobody ever reads the rubbish I write and post, 🙁 Well PT does occassionally :'(
Not sure why, but the stats fascinate me.
Stats can be a fun game – I played with them for a while – you really can manipulate them is you have plenty of time and try. But I got tired.
Now I mainly just write what I want. Sometimes a post gets an audience, sometimes not..I try (unsuccessfully) to not be depressed about it. (insert sobs here)
Sometimes I give them some thought, like, try to figure out why suddenly everyone is reading a certain old post, and what can I do to get more hits like that. The search terms are always interesting. Too bad the search engines messed those up for us; I thought they were the most interesting thing to see. And not infrequently I’ll see that somebody visited a post whose title and content I don’t remember at all, so I end up going back and rereading it several years after I first posted it.
Yeah, it was more fun before the search engines morphed. Not sure how accurate even stats are these days.
Well the Follower stats are totally worthless. At least 1/3 to 1/2 of mine, if not more, are spammers. I gave up trying to report the bogus websites.
Not true! We stalk, uh, do stop by. Wishing you merry!
It’s all my fault. Every time WordPress throws stuff in the blogging game, I set my post to private and go tinker with another platform….I reopen my site just recently and then this…. It’s all about the mobile. Off to see how many hits I got overnight from spam referrers
I’ve looked at every other platform I’ve ever heard of, and none come close to WordPress as far as the features and flexibility I want. But I’m very particular and very set in my ways.
Then wait until you find out about a new web site builder coming called the Grid. All done, so I’m told by Artificial Intelligence. Coming spring of 15. I’m back working the Squarespace platform. But it feels awkward.
Hmm, The Grid looks interesting. I’ll be waiting for details. Not likely to move from WP after becoming so well established, but who knows …
Cannot imagine attempting to blog from a mobile device… hard enough reading and commenting from one. Settings for those crazy enough to work from mobiles would be a nice option, but they should not be forced on dedicated bloggers, or anyone not using a mobile. I feel your frustrations & hope WP listens to all of you.
I can’t imagine it either. But apparently there are a lot of people out there who don’t really write thoughtfully, or at any length, or worry about layout and presentation. I can imagine plenty of them reading on mobile, but not seriously blogging. This is not Twitter, after all. My phone is the only mobile device I have and I’ve only looked at WP on it once, just to see how my blog looks.
I think WP is becoming all about the number of hits/traffic they get (money gained) so long posts not as useful as the shorter ones as far as they are concerned – shorter posts, the more people can read in the time they have available.
During high travel/holiday season many use smart phones while waiting waiting waiting. I have been known to read on phone when stuck, but it’s not a real joy to do so – and too hard to leave comments for me.
I try to avoid reading WP on the phone because I always want to comment and, as you said, it’s a real pain on a phone.
I think the hit/ traffic $$ thing two, but then why did Automattic (WP parent) buy Longform and continue to promote it. It’s all a mystery but for the search for big bucks.
Google also has connections/tendril realtionships to WP
I know they are tweaking WP …it’s quirky and odd things happening. Wish they would give us a head’s up and a time frame so it would be less problematic for users…but they don’t want to do anything to slow/disrupt people posting.
It is rolling out slowly …I’m hiding hoping they won’t see me (happy with things as they were)…no, not going to lure me with that “Try out the new!” button
No luring. They just stick it in there suddenly and there you are. This time there’s a little survey/questionnaire with it. You can go back to the old stats page, but you’ll have to click past the new one every time until they put in a workaround or unless you use a bookmark.
UGH hiding even further in the darkness
Need a smile? Slow motion snowballs
http://www.rightthisminute.com/search/site/slow%20motion%20hit%20in%20face%20with%20snowball
This is so cute! I could never do that — stand there passively while someone throws a snowball at my head. At least they look like soft, loose snowballs.
Fun, right? We all need a few more laughs right now. Merry on!
I really resent having to spend time, almost every week, relearning how my blog works. Now I have changes to my settings for email notifications of new posts…can you hear me tearing my hair out?
I can’t hear you! I’m tearing my hair out!
Save some for their next “improvement”.
I wish they’d do two things: (1) make every “new” option an option (i.e. allow the user to select the “classic” version), and (2) make the classic selection permanent (until you choose to un-click it, at least). I’m getting real tired of having to click “go to classic editor” every time I make the mistake of clicking on the shortcut at the top of my screen (instead of going through the desktop, which currently remembers my choice).
Yep, they need to put in the cookie that remembers our preference, like they did with Beep Beep Boop. I, too, am used to clicking the shortcut. I’ve set up a bookmark shortcut, but keep forgetting to use it.
I’m not here often enough to notice the changes right when they happen. It’s more like, “Gee, is this different? I don’t remember.” It is jarring when they keep changing stuff. I never liked the beep beep boop entry page and use the classic view. Ugh. Technology, stand still for just a minute so we can catch up and adjust? Grrr…
I never used BBB and I don’t plan to use the new stats screen either. I think/hope I saw something in the forum comments saying the classic views of both will be maintained. WP needs to do that, because the new views are for mobile platforms and the classic views are better suited to computer use. At least I’m retired and don’t have a job riding on my ability to keep up with all the latest.
I don’t mind reading blogs on mobile, but the thought of typing an entry on my tablet or using my thumbs on my phone–ugh, just no. Every once in a while, I’ll use the little keyboard I have for my tablet, and that’s not so bad. But if the idea is to enable people to add entries on the go, well, I’ll borrow from Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon and say I’m too old for this [crap].
I thought all their responsive themes were intended to accommodate reading on tablets and phones. I still can’t believe anyone would attempt writing on those platforms. Brief comments, maybe, although I wouldn’t even do that. And I wish they’d put back the options for choosing our own colors on the various administrative pages. I hate that insipid baby blue they’re using on everything now. Mostly I just wish they’d quit changing. It’s frustrating and time-wasting to have to relocate features that have been moved.