New User - site is poorly designed and annoying.

[ILogOnYourLogin]

• i have a lot of "pet peeve" issues to point out, below, but let's start off on a 100% inarguably practical note: my downloads keep failling. I have typical commoditized USA cable modem service, more than adequate for similar activities on other sites. my DLs on this site either crap out multiple times along the way, and I have to "pause"/"resume" to complete them, or they just fail outright with "source file could not be read".

   

   

   

• can't use a DL manager. would this help to reduce failures? IDRK, but I wouldn't feel so powerless if I at least had the option.

   

   

   

• had to register to DL in the first place. (with the minorly redeeming side-effect that I can come here and complain without registering yet again. which of course I would not even bother to do.)

   

   

   

• ...for measly 25-125kbps DL speeds. . . :\

   

   

   

• apparently there's an upload size limit requiring makers of gigantic mods to split their files, making the particular mod I want to DL basically 10x as difficult.

   

   

   

• the whole "premium" thing. of course all the rage (5 years ago) was for sites to try and monetize their content any way possible -- or better yet, other ppls' content -- but anymore, when i see this kind of money-grubbing, especially on sites that cater to such "niche" interests -- it's just distasteful and ghetto. especially when it's of the hard-sell "look at all the stuff you can't do because you're not premium" variety. (ORLY I can still set my time zone in user preferences? r u sure you don't want to lock that down for "premium users only", too?)

   

   

   

• "drop-down" UI for boilerplate controls that should just be simple text boxes -- "search", "login", etc. functions. why?

   

   

• site keeps logging me out.

   

   

   

• DHTML design of various information categories ("Desc", "files", etc.) for a given item. "breaks back button" (http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/reback - and please no pedantic responses about how that article only concerns redirects. breaking back button is bad design, period.)

   

   

   

• browser pop-up when downloading file. the only pop-up I want to see is my OS/browser asking me where I want to save the file. (just because your pop-up is not "pop-up advertising", does not make it a good design.

   

   

• this forum looks nice, and I was fully prepared to point this out as a "see? it ain't all bad" sort of concession; then I clicked "Preview Post" and it put me in the rich text editor (instead of HTML/BB code which I was using originally). *@#$ing nightmarish things, those are. not to mention: you don't just change your UI tech on the user without even asking. btw: sry for the quadruple spacing but your RT editor put that in by itself and I can't seem to (cleanly, consistently) change it; so I'm just going to leave it.

   

   

• nexus mod manager. yeah, cuz I would totally install an executable made by ppl who designed a web site half of whose features seem intended to hamper my access to content, and overall is pushing my "usability fail" buttons like there's no tomorrow.

 

 

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. "Improve your modding experience"? ... As if! It's been a 95% unproductive nightmare, tbph. I give it 9 out of 10 "Bah!"s.

[SineWaveDrox]

Response to your #1, 2, and 12. The Nexus mod manager includes a download manager, which, as far as I know, supports pause and continue. However, I do still prefer to use a different download manager, which works just as well.

 

Response to #3. This prevents automated systems from coming through and downloading everything so that it can be reuploaded elsewhere without permission.

 

Response to #4. DL speed will depend on your location relative to the server, as well as the demand on the server.

 

Response to #6. As a premium member, there really isn't much that I can do that you can't. There's a couple additional servers, uncapped download speed (that I never manage to make use of, thanks to the terrible connection I have), and a less restrictive image section that gets maybe a dozen images per week. Not really worth paying for premium just for those things. I just view it as myself saying to them "Hey, I use your site. Like, a lot. Here's some cash so it stays around."

 

Response to #7. The search used to not be drop-down. That was changed recently, due to a variety of reasons, none of which I can recall at the moment. I think it looks much cleaner, and actually having to click on something, I think people are more likely to realize that there is an advanced search option. As for the Login being a drop-down, can't say I've seen that. I haven't had to log in to the site for a long time.

 

Response to #10. You can change that in your settings.

 

 

[RitualBlack]

1. Even as a free user I was not dropped.
2. The pause and resume feature of NMM supposedly works well (I don't use it myself), and I have heard of both some browser based and external download managers allowing you to pause and resume. I wouldn't know because I have not been dropped.
3. I don't really see how registering is a problem. People who make mods enjoy recieving feedback on their work. They are not robots who pump out content for people to use as if they created it themself.
4. http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/news/193. I would see if your isp is throttling you because the download speed is not limited to that. Free users are still able to download at 1mb/s which is faster than I can get in my area.
5. The upload limit is 5gb. It is more conveniant for mod authors to split their mod up and upload it over an extened period of time if it is huge. Not everyone has access to fast internet, and few want to leave their ability to use the internet crippled for hours on end.
6. Premium is to support a site you enjoy. Like it or not a website isn't a charity. Servers cost money, people require payment.
7. The site frequently overhauls the UI. Some things work and some do not. It is up to the community to let them know.
8. I don't have that problem. If either you or your browser is clearing cookies than that would be why you are being logged out.
9. With browsers like firefox you can 'resend information'. It lets you go back as if previously entered fields have been filled out.
10. The only browser pop up I get is the server selection.
11. Preview post works fine for me. It loads up quickly and shows how you post will look above the text editor. I don't see any problems with it but I am sure it is preference.
12. Nobody said you have to use the mod manager. It is free and allows new people to download mods with ease similar to steams service. I still install my mods the old way and nobody is stopping you from doing the same.

[JimboUK]

1. Works fine here, check your connection.

2. The site provides a download manager.

3. If you had just registered instead of registered and then whined you would have saved some time.

4. See answer 1

5. The limit is 5GB, that is far higher than most places, it's provided free as well.

6. The site has to be paid for, there are no money fairies to make payment by magic.

7. Dropdown boxes aren't that hard to operate.

8. Maybe it's trying to tell you something.

9. Not a problem, works just fine.

10. That's preferable to being taken away from the mod page.

11. Again it works just fine.

12. Don't use it then.

[ub3rman123]

Thing about premium is that it's not there to monetize the userbase; premium membership is to show support for the site. In addition, it keep server loads low by giving stressful features to only premium members, such as extended download history. If it had to recall the history for every user, it would be incredibly slow.

[Nephenee13]

I don't mean to sound ungrateful.

You sure managed it though!