aargh I was just seeing now. Thanks for re-clarifying Baba. But I think CPod should either fix this, or get rid of the conspicuous, red, Write a New Post button on the Conversations page. It shouldn't be up to us users to know not to use that button, which I would be more inclined to do, being a single step as opposed to two.

Ah yeah,that was the problem I suspected and alluded to above.There are 2 spots to do it from.You don't wanna do it from the conversations page.You need to click on the posts tab above that and then click on this other "write a new post" button.Have another look zhen...it is there I assure you as I write. :)

ps ie don't click on the red "write a new post" button...you're after a white one.

That's what I did Baba. I went to Write a New Post from the Conversations page. There is no Save as Draft button, only the Publish to Conversations and Cancel. I guess this was something that got lost in the shuffle? 很不方便！

Zhen,

Where are you going to start your new posts? I ask because I can't recall where,but there was one spot where the new post template was more minimalistic [but I think there's been a bit of a reshuffle of the site since],and the other spot had more options.Anyhow,as I see it currently if you go on the Community and then post tab,and then click on "write a new post" ,the "save as draft" option is at the bottom left.

Hi bodawei

The problem has been fixed. Thanks a lot!

Maybe this is a number of separate problems you refer to. The last problem ('too many redirects') I had once recently with Chrome on XP - I cleared the cookies as suggested and have had no problem since.

Hi xiao_liang

I have the same problem with Firefox. I'm happy to hear that I'm not alone.

Must have already been discussed but isn't there an option to select the font you like? I've never noticed.

PLEASE don't change the font back to the previous size!!!! It makes the site practically unreadable on 1024*768 monitors!

What resolution are you using Zhen?

Neither of us had a problem with the original CSS. At the moment, this is absolutely fine for me, both on a 1024*768 15" monitor and a 1200*xxx widescreen laptop monitor (of unknown size).

Don't forget a significant number of people will be using 8-10" netbooks to access site!

Would appreciate a response to the font issue above as well please.

Thank you Ousijia for listening and for your gracious response. I don't, as I've said elsewhere before, have problems reading articles on the BBC News site, if that's any help for you to know (that may of course also have something to do with the fact that professionally-written articles are easier to read than stuff like this written by people like us).

Thank you zhenlijiang for taking the time to let us know all of this. We really appreciate the detailed feedback.

Browsers tend to render fonts differently, it's just how they are. Safari uses Apple's own font smoothing algorithms. However, you may not have font smoothing switched on, in which case, I suggest you Google how to change your ClearType settings. I'm fairly certain that on XP it's somewhere in the display control panel. I can't remember though, and it's been disabled on my work computer. Anyway, even with ClearType switched on, it won't render in the same way as Safari, but it may just help.

I've just tried Safari instead of Firefox. Everything is MUCH clearer, and even though the font size is the same, it is no longer an issue. I can even read the tones markers clearly without zooming. But I want to continue using Firefox. How can I tweak Firefox so that it looks like Safari. (Remember I am illiterate when it comes to these matters.)

Ah OK. I'll see what I feel like doing most then, getting used to this tininess, adjusting my resolution for CPod when I don't need to for anything else, or simply forgetting about it. Thanks!

It's the number of pixels you have squished onto your screen. As I have fewer pixels, that means to fill the same area (e.g. 15"), the pixels are bigger, so a letter that is 20 pixels high will look bigger on my screen than yours. If you have a high resolution on a small screen, everything will look smaller than a high resolution on a big screen. If you have a low resolution on a small screen, it could be appear similar physical size to a high resolution on a large screen.

Ah OK Sebire I finally see what resolution I'm using. It says 1280 x 800. I'm also on a notebook (what size this is I'm not really sure. It's not large. haha sorry, I'm a terrible tech dummy).

Which means ... ?

Of course you don't need to know any of these things to use CPod. I was just suggesting that you changed your screen resolution to put yourself in my shoes. With Windows XP, right-click on your desktop and select properties to bring up the Display control panel. There is a slider that will change the resolution of your screen. You can change it back easily.

CSS is just a style sheet that defines what a website looks like.

Again, ClearType is controlled in one of your control panels, I think also the Display control panel.

Also, something has changed - some elements of text are now disappearing off the right hand edge of the conversation text area.

I confess I don't understand why the site doesn't just use Arial or another standard font. This one is a bit strange, just look at the punctuation - ! ?

I'm afraid I don't know how to change my screen resolution.

I don't know what CSS is.

And I don't know what ClearType/font smoothing is, or how to change it.

Should we really know all this just to use CPod effectively?

Go_manly, change your screen resolution to 1024*786, then zoom in. It's like reading a children's book. Text that is too large is also difficult to read, and makes a thread hard to navigate, and hard to respond to. It drove me to distraction. I couldn't see a whole post, and a whole reply box on the same page. That is too big. I don't know what it is, whether other websites can detect what browser you are using and then change the CSS appropriately, but Google definitely looks smaller compared to CPod on my low-resolution home computer compared to my higher-resolution work computer where they are of comparable size.

You probably have a problem with the font itself. Do you have ClearType/font smoothing switched on? That can make fonts look "fuzzy".

I've been comparing Google and ChinesePod side by side. They might be the same size, but Google's is a much crisper font. I can read it easily, but struggle with CPod. The CPod font seems to be inconsistent in its darkness, or something. And tone marks are impossible to read at this size, which is one reason CPod's font SHOULD be larger than Google's.

Also, I still don't understand the issue with having a larger font.

Finally, the font size on THIS page has changed since my last comment - it is no longer perfect,

I again do not understand how people complain about the font size on the conversations page, without taking issue with the majority of the web. With the previous font size, it was absolutely awful on my monitor. The current size is comparable with the BBC website, Google and TimesOnline and eBay. It is bigger than Facebook. Do you have a problem with any of those sites?

Maybe C-Pod would consider implementing some more user customizable accessibility features, like the ones BBC is trying out, in its upcoming round of website improvements.

BBC display options.

Web Accessibility Initiative WIA homepage.

Some Browser specific tips on how to adjust font size might be a helpful addition to C-Pod's help page as well.

Cool! If it's any consolation, I'm wearing my glasses too.

Best,

Rod.

I understood what you were saying, and I should not have replied directly to you. I took no issue to your comment whatsoever.

Oh no, I realize that completely, and would always prefer to air on the side of accessibility. I just meant that the font on this page is going to look to be larger or smaller depending on the resolution of the monitor one is using. Sorry, I probably should have just said that in the first place.

Some people prefer larger font-sizes, others prefer smaller. Having larger font-sizes doesn't harm anyone, and is no worse than a mild annoyance for some people. But smaller font-sizes ARE a strain on people's eyes, particularly people who have hit middle-age.

Hi go_manly,

I find the font used in these comments a bit too large for English text. I assumed that Chinesepod went with a larger font so that the Hanzi characters would be easier to read. The smaller text on the Comments page is more to my liking--But--I'm using an older 15 inch 1024 X 768 monitor.

When I look at the same text on my other monitor, a slightly higher resolution 20 inch 1680 X 1050 Dell, I find the smaller text a bit small and the larger comment text closer to what I like (It's still a bit large).

On the other hand, to someone using a newer 15 inch notebook with a hi-res 1920 X 1080 (native 1080p) monitor, both font sizes will appear smaller. Quite small in fact.

I'm not sure if that's what's happening here or not. As to your other question, about the two font sizes, all I can say is that I don't find it aesthetically pleasing. It just looks "wrong" to me.

So, if its perfect, then is the font size on THIS page too large? I think this page is perfect, and much friendlier on aging eyes. The Conversations page is a real eye-strainer.

Actually the initial comment at the top of this page is also too small. Why would two different font sizes be used on the same page?

Gosh go manly, don't say that, it's perfect!! You must never look at any other site then - most other fonts on other sites are still much smaller. The main convos are still too large though.

Yeah, the font on the main community > conversations page looks a bit smaller to me too. (Maybe it's just power of suggestion. I'm not 100% sure.) This page looks normal.

Edit: Descriptions of each lesson are also a smaller font.

When I hit ctrl+ once, I get the horizontal scroll bar. So it must have already been at the optimum zoom.

I don't notice a difference here - only on the main Conversations page.

Looks the same to me. Have you accidentally resized your browser text? Ctrl+mousewheel or Ctrl and + or - can do that.

Actually, we are taken directly to the specific comment immediately we enter the page.

Then, after a few seconds, the page scrolls up, and then back down to where it started.

The reason this happens is because when you click on a link on the community page, the link takes you to that specific comment, not to the general thread. That's why you get the scrolling - basically you're being directed to whatever specific comment you clicked through on.

bump for my previous post

You can get Flash on these portable apps. You have to find the relevant dll file and drop it into the correct plugin folder. I think I had to download some flash xpi, add a .zip extension, unzip it and then drag it into the relevant folder. I would google it again, I can't remember the exact procedure. I did it once, so now copy the same files to all the various browsers!

Hmmn, here I am posting in portable chrome. It crashes hardcore on the chinesepod home page though. I think that might be a flash thing. Thanks again Sebire :)

That's useful, I'll try. Thanks sebire.

xiao_liang - Download some portable browsers. Google Portable Firefox or USB Firefox/Opera. You may have to look at your internet options to work out how to fill in the proxy settings, but I find it works fine for me. There is also portable Chrome. You don't need admin rights for those. Just install them on a USB/My Documents.

Ah, it hasn't helped. I kinda give up, will just live with it, I guess.

Sorry to make an unrelated post in this thread, but I just wanted to make a point.

Why is it that, when I enter longish threads like this one from the Community page, the moment I start to read the comment, the page suddenly scrolls up and then down again? I find this incredibly annoying.

I guess its time to get your pre-order in for a 3G iPad eh.

Many companies are stuck with IE6 but there are clear signs it is going away now. My company has recently upgraded as the security updates come thick and fast and 6 is no longer viable. Its likely your company will catch up soon.

I suspect if you are restricted to IE6 then you will also have a locked down system but Chrome is pretty good installing in the user context if you have any rights to install at all! I suspect you don't but......

Overall John is right in saying few websites will allow for IE6 anymore, the upside of which is that this applies to the systems you company uses as well and that in the end will force them to upgrade.

Thanks John for the update. Much appreciated, hopefully it will help!

xiao_liang,

You'll find that fewer and fewer web designers these days are willing to take IE6's many flaws into account in their work.

That said, we'll certainly do what we can. The CSS will update with the new added fonts in the next few days.

We have added both Arial and Lucida Sans Unicode to all the font families in the CSS stylesheet. This change will go live later this week. I hope it helps!

Bump.

It didn't work :-(

Anyone from Cpod have an opinion or statement on this non-backward compatible font please?

I am using windows xp, IE6, which is mandated by my work (quite common in large companies). Several pinyin characters are unreadable.

Just as well I do then! :)

Unless you've got administrator rights on your work computer you'll be blocked.

Many thanks. I will try it at work tomorrow.

Agreed, Lucida Sans Unicode or Ariel would have worked.Perhaps they can be added to the style sheet.

I've sent you a PM.

Hmn. I've just tried. I found them from your link, and then stalled because I've no idea how to install them.

It would make more sense for the site to simply be readable by everyone, rather than forcing anyone pre-windows 7 to download a whole new font set, right?

To get the tone marks, you can either download and install the Dejavu Sans font or acquire the Segoe UI and Candara fonts from a friend with Vista or Windows 7.

Well, they could change it by using a font that supports pinyin for existing operating systems? It's quite a big part of learning chinese!

This is due to the fact that some older Microsoft fonts don't contain all vocals with 3rd tone mark.

火 [huǒ] is 3rd tone.

The problem occurs only with ǎ ě ǐ ǒ ǔ ǚ.

ChinesePod cannot change this. In WinXP it occurs with some fonts, and hopefully this problem does not occur with Win7 (I don't have Win7). On a Mac this problem will not occur.

Thanks for your (empathetic) response Catherine.

It happens to me quite a lot. The system randomly logs you out but doesn't show you that you are logged out. So although it seems as if you've replied, when you go back to the thread, it just shows a blank. Could be a cookie related issue. If you reload the site, you have to log back in, and then you can reply normally.

The thread shows as being updated, but by *blank* (no name). I've posted a thread about the issue and bumped it a couple of times, but I don't know if that's been noticed at all.

Hm well let's see if it's a problem in this conversation or not first.

--OK apparently not!

It was a problem in this one today:

http://chinesepod.com/community/conversations/post/6924#comment-155113

zhenlijiang I can understand how frustrating that would be! I haven't experienced the same problem myself, but I have the tech team looking into it. Will let you know when we've resolved the issue. Thanks for your patience.

(this of course is no longer an issue, since threading was introduced)