The New Pet Rescue Site?

[cryptic]

Might seem trivial but i used to be able to see how many hits the dog had to give me an idea of whether the profile was attracting an audience. Now i have to search it with the id no to check this now.

[cryptic]

I find the new search feature much slower to use too. Before it was just 3 clicks and search, and that was it. Rather than reducing the amount of clicks involved, they've increased, which isn't good web developing. Not to mention that the light grey font they now use for the search features makes it nearly impossible to see the text, which further complicates the search. I shouldn't have to move my head around in order to read the different options.

When updating a site, it should be simplified as much as possible, meaning making it more intuitive, faster and easier to use, and reducing the amount of clicks needed to get where you want.

I can't understand why the state option is now part of the advanced search. The old search feature had everything that was needed, and there was no reason to change it. Even if they changed the site, they should have kept the search feature the way it was.

Agree totally on all these points.The addition of more photos is all i am happy about at this stage. I wish it was more positive but not very user friendly.

Edited October 12, 2012 by cryptic

[tdierikx]

Just a heads up as well, which might be important for people who are lucky enough to have professional photographers do their animal photos. I was reading through the code of ethics on the new site and there is this line, "All information, including photos, contact information and animal descriptions posted to the website, becomes the property of PetRescue and may be used in promotions and for marketing purposes." It's quite possible it was on the last site as well, I just don't remember reading it.

Essentially you are assigning your copyright over to Pet Rescue, which might, or might not matter, but is worth knowing.

I'm pretty sure that copyright to the photos wasn't assumed by PR in the previous incarnation... I remember being approached at one stage with a request to use a photo our group posted for PR marketing purposes.

T.

[cami]

I think it is time to collate and take this to the administrators as I have had a number of clients mention how bad they have found their experience using PR now.The limitations of the search being the major complaint and not the old nugget about breed search but things as simple as size of animal. I can put up with the lack of thought in the design at the back end as this is a common developer mistake but when the supposedly new and wonderous front end is actually putting people off using it then it becomes a big issue for me.

Having said I can put up with the back end stuff actually the drop down part for breed(web designer drop down boxes and scrolling = longer time than free form text )maybe I could cope with the extra time if it worked every time but no most of the time I end up with no X and the need to re-edit. As someone in IT this redesign is a case study in not asking the real users what is required.

Edited October 14, 2012 by cami

[JRT RESCUE]

Has anybody found a easier way of finding out the list of dogs which are in bump order, like it use to be.

I am having to clip nearly 10 times to find this out this is stupid.

I have given up just doing normal search of dogs as I find it too hard.

[ninahartland]

Has anybody found a easier way of finding out the list of dogs which are in bump order, like it use to be.

I am having to clip nearly 10 times to find this out this is stupid.

I have given up just doing normal search of dogs as I find it too hard.

I'd like to know the answer to this too Jill...takes too long to figure out which ones can be bumped.

Bring back the old one please,lol

[Just Andrea]

Yes I am finding this painstaking too - working out who can be bumped and who can't. I have to edit every profile to see when I can bump it. Before it just had the date of last bump and you could work it out quickly that way. Real PITA.

Also have an issue with all rehomed animals being able to be sorted either alphabetically or by list date - not rehomed date . Alphabetically is a bonus if you want to reinstate an "A" name dog, not so much so if you want to reinstate a "Z" name dog.

Similarly - list date is useless for a dog just on trial that has come back if he has been in care for many months - you will have to search for its list date over many pages to find it and reinstate it, not page 1 or 2 if recently on trial/rehomed like previously. There appears to be no way to fast move pages rather than clicking on page 1, then 2 etc etc.

[Guest muttrus]

I thought Id check it out --From a ""wanting to adopt"" point of view I found the white background hit and miss----If the photo of the dogs was colourful and the dog took up the whole thumbnail photo it worked well BUT the white seemed to be more a burning glow and did hurt my eyes.

I found I had to go into advanced setting to click the state I was interested in which may get overlooked at first by most people and they only realise after first looking at so many clicking on reading etc only to find out they aren"t close enough ---Not an issue as such for interstate and those willing to travel but I THINK it would be a problem for most people.

The biggest thing that stood out was the page seemed to have too much going on.The dogs seemed to be smaller and not as dare I say in your face.I felt as though my eyes were being drawn to look around the page ---Abit like buying a magazine only to find it was full of advertising and none of the stories on the cover.

I happen to be fairly good with computer skills but I did find myself needing to click too many times .I have no idea the difference you all seem to be having with the admin side But from a member of the public I have to say the original site was more user friendly ,kinder on the eyes --remember some people maybe going through alot of pages spending alot of time reading replying etc

I also think the copyright thing worring while Im sure many would be stoked someone wants to use your photo or wording but if it came down to that making cash, exposure or ???? would you also gain the benefits? I know many use a watermark on their photos for those reasons.And I know Id be angry if someone stole my catch phrase before I copy righted it or I saw my story published with another name taking credit---While this maynot seem too much of an issue now it will if it happened .

Maybe a letter before hand with a heads up to all our members PR is making some changes to improve our website and to help you etc outlining some of the changes and some of the new features or the differences may have helped with your prep work I know computer work can be a daunting process --hit the delet button by mistake has sent many a good person off their chair .

[Plan B]

Also have an issue with all rehomed animals being able to be sorted either alphabetically or by list date - not rehomed date . Alphabetically is a bonus if you want to reinstate an "A" name dog, not so much so if you want to reinstate a "Z" name dog.

You can sort by rehome date. Just click 'Date Rehomed.'

And when searching alphabetically, if you have a "Z" name, you just click "Name" and it'll come up from Z-A.

[Just Andrea]

That is not correct - the "Date Rehomed" in the "Manage Rehome Listings" page is actually not the rehomed date but the date the animal was listed.

For example - I just moved a dog to the rehomed section today - literally a few hours ago - she was initially listed Feb-April this year sometime (then relisted and then rehomed again) - she should be one of the first dogs showing up on the rehomed page but she isn't - she is many many pages along under her list date.

The title is misleading and incorrect.

The trawling from A to Z or Z to A approach is painful. At least there is a search by name feature now which solves the A-Z problem I found earlier. That's a major improvement.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Just Andrea

[Plan B]

That is not correct - the "Date Rehomed" in the "Manage Rehome Listings" page is actually not the rehomed date but the date the animal was listed.

For example - I just moved a dog to the rehomed section today - literally a few hours ago - she was initially listed Feb-April this year sometime (then relisted and then rehomed again) - she should be one of the first dogs showing up on the rehomed page but she isn't - she is many many pages along under her list date.

The title is misleading and incorrect.

The trawling from A to Z or Z to A approach is painful. At least there is a search by name feature now which solves the A-Z problem I found earlier. That's a major improvement.

Ohhh, I didn't notice that. To be honest, I gave up with really bothering with PR since this whole debacle.

Everything with the site at the moment is painful and a huge chore.

I've no idea who this site was designed for. It's horrible to use as a potential adopter, it's horrible to use as a Rescue, it has all the design aspects of Home Brand Tomato Sauce bottle... I'd hate to think someone was paid for this. I hope not.

[JRT RESCUE]

the way I find the list of bumping dogs is and if anybody has a easier way please let me know.

Before even signing in I go to Rescue Directory, then NSW, then page 4 but I am listed on page 5, so then to page 5, then hit my rescue which brings the dogs up in order of bumping which I am not sure why it can't be once I sign in.

So then I write down the ones I want to bump and then Sign in, again have to go to page 4 because that is as far as they are listed, then onto my last page, scan down and then are able to bump.

But I must say after doing all of that what annoys me to is to get there and it says "you have to wait another hour before this one can be bumped"

What a waste of time.

And yes the background is so hard to read, whoever thought of the white background, well words fail me.

[honeybun]

I tried to make an enquiry today and gave up after 3 attempts.It is infuriating,frustrating and confusing.

I agree the pale grey lettering is not good either.

Hate to think how many members of the public will not persevere.

It is not user friendly from both ends of the spectrum.

Feel sorry for those rescues thatdont have their own web site or at least a facebook page to advertise their rescue pets.

[kelscats]

I to don't like the fact you have to go through every listing and hit edit to see who can

be bumped its a pain.

I also had a look at the advanced search yesterday and set it to " dogs within a 50km radius of postcode 2756 "

and my Foster Dog didnt even come up in the search and i live in an area with that postcode!!

[JRT RESCUE]

I actually spoke with a girl tonight that lives in Victoria and asked her how she found using the new site and her comments were she wish it would go back as she found it virtually impossible to search for dogs out of her state.

Also made the comment that the average computer user would find it hard to use and not sure how older people would cope with it.

[keetamouse]

I am still a tad annoyed that there are 48 rescue groups listed in the ACT and then they are listed alphbetically and the ones before CPR (we have the most listings for the ACT) don't actually have any dogs and have probably not had a dog for years, I also wish that PR would come on and answer some of our issues as we seem to be going around in circles, I know they asked for us all to email them, but, as I said no one else sees the reply and they would probably be answering the same question 100 times so seems logical for someone to come on here where we all are and we are the users of PR.

Maree

CPR

Edited October 15, 2012 by keetamouse

[Andrea]

I just listed a 7 yr old dog, yep simple enough I used the drop down to the 7 and clicked! voila! magic!

and when it accepted the listing it said 6 yrs 11 months and 4 weeks!! :laugh:

Now when you look at the listing it only says 6 yrs and 11 months! Bloody joke!

If the breeding is unimportant with a rescue so is the age IMHO, so why be so pedantic with trivial information

Very disappointed and I agree give us back the old site. At least it worked and was readable.

Considering we are the users we should have been consulted

[dwynwen]

..... I know they asked for us all to email them, but, as I said no one else sees the reply and they would probably be answering the same question 100 times so seems logical for someone to come on here where we all are and we are the users of PR.

Maree

CPR

They do have their own problem reporting system - not as easy to use as DOL but it may help if everyone reporting issues here went over and added their issues to the Petrescue site too.

That way it will show up in their stats.

(it's under 'post a public question' in the help area of the members section)

[keetamouse]

..... I know they asked for us all to email them, but, as I said no one else sees the reply and they would probably be answering the same question 100 times so seems logical for someone to come on here where we all are and we are the users of PR.

Maree

CPR

They do have their own problem reporting system - not as easy to use as DOL but it may help if everyone reporting issues here went over and added their issues to the Petrescue site too.

That way it will show up in their stats.

(it's under 'post a public question' in the help area of the members section)

That's fine doing that but all of us who use PR will not see the answers, we all need to know what is going on and if our concerns are being looked into or is the site now complete and we just have to use what we have.

We can't have the old site back guys it was like all sites that have been around for years it becomes so big and so cumbersome and out of date and as technology improves we have to go forward, the CPR site was like a nightmare and took 3 hours to upload one photo so it had to be upgraded, I understand why we have a new site, but yes I feel we could/should have had an imput into what we would have liked to increase our adoptions but I must admit my enquiries are really non existant and none of my dogs are really moving, just one adoption here and there, which is not good for the dogs sitting in pounds waiting to get out, I can only fit in so many but am getting frustrated that we arn't getting any feed back.

I will try and ring Shel/Vix today and see if I can see what is happeneing.

Maree

CPR

[cavNrott]

Why, oh why did they fix something that wasn't broken? The site worked beautifully before and it's almost impossible to navigate now. They should ditch the new website and go back to the way it was before.