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Testing new Toolbar at the bottom of the site

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hi everyone

We are testing a new "Toolbar" at the bottom of most pages of the site. We hope this will save you some clicks to our most used links. From the Toolbar you can access:
- "Featured Today," showing featured articles, blog posts, and recipes
- "My SparkFavorites," showing your top favorites from the site
- "Quick Links," linking both to our most popular features and your SparkTeams

We realize everyone might not like this feature, so we included a "Hide Toolbar" button as well. Clicking this immediately removes the Toolbar. To add it back you can go to your Account Preferences/Community page.

Finally, we are testing this Toolbar to see what members think. If you have any comments or problems with the toolbar please leave a comment here. Thanks!
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Member Comments About This Blog Post
  • no profile photo CD9201875
    Redundant! Flash based toolbars are highly annoying. I tend to start avoiding sites that have these across the bottom of the webpage.

    However, sparkpeople gets kudos for having the foresight to give users the option to remove it.
    3296 days ago
  • no profile photo CD3880420
    Do you still work for Sparkpeople? If so please fix the toolbar!
    3499 days ago
  • no profile photo CD3880420
    Dave really why has this not been fixed or removed? The hide function is totally useless and is spoiling this site for those of us that do not care to have advertisements popping up in our face from all angles. Does anyone care at all?
    3503 days ago
  • JUDITH1654
    I've had nothing but problems with the toolbar, having to un-check the toolbar box frequently. Additionally, even though I'm already logged in, I have to keep re-logging in at other times - some times as much as five times before I am allowed to go to a page to either post or huddle, etc.
    3505 days ago
  • no profile photo CD3880420
    4 times so far today I have have had to re-hide that stupid toolbar! Makes me not want to bother with SP!
    3505 days ago
  • no profile photo CD3880420
    MONTHS AND MONTHS but that stupid toolbar hide feature still does not work! Why do you want to make so many members angry? Not that anyone is listening anyway.
    3505 days ago
  • ANNE403
    I like the toolbar!
    3555 days ago
  • JWOODS3367
    I too very much appreciate SparkPeople.com. I think the toolbar is redundant and intrusive and would like to have the ability to hide it permanently. I find it annoying; there is already too much going on and I've begun to talk less of this site and spend less time here as well.
    I also notice ads popping up at individual websites. This too is wrong in that it suggests the person is endorsing the ads placed there by you.
    3558 days ago
  • ROBBIE999
    I don't feel a need for this toolbar as I find the site fairly easy to navigate. Also don't like the "ads" at the left (i.e., " I'm Brian and a morman...."
    3558 days ago
  • ROBBIE999
    I don't feel a need for this toolbar as I find the site fairly easy to navigate. Also don't like the "ads" at the left (i.e., " I'm Brian and a morman...."
    3558 days ago
  • ROBBIE999
    I don't feel a need for this toolbar as I find the site fairly easy to navigate. Also don't like the "ads" at the left (i.e., " I'm Brian and a morman...."
    3558 days ago
  • TRAILBLAZING
    The toolbar is a nice addition. Thanks.
    3558 days ago
  • INSPIRE_ME1
    I like the toolbar. 1) But I would like it if you could put the comment box I am working on (not this one at this moment!) onto the toolbar, because frustratingly I have had it disappear when I tried to look at say someone's message to me as a reference while I was writing. And then *POOF* (not in a good way) it was GONE! It just happened and I am so bummed. 2) Can we have icons on the toolbar? It is so much faster and more intuitive than pulling up the menu.

    Thanks emoticon
    3559 days ago
  • no profile photo CD1945721
    I don't like it and would like it removed I have had problems with my computer since it was put on there.
    3559 days ago
  • SALTY47
    Please be so kind as to stop fooling with something that is working just fine. new and improved it is not
    3560 days ago
  • OLDHAG1
    I like the toolbar. As someone else said, "Everything is one click away."
    3562 days ago
  • MOMS100
    GET RID OF THIS DARN THING!!!!
    3563 days ago
  • CHERIBENEDICT
    I love the SparkPeople website; however, I do not like the toolbar and do not like the idea that it can not be permanently removed!
    3563 days ago
  • CALLYEN
    "Hide Toolbar" = Refresh screen.
    It does not hide the toolbar at all.
    I DO NOT like it!
    Please remove it.
    3564 days ago
  • DOLLIE6
    I do not like the bar. I tried to hide it a number of times and it pops right back up. Please remove. Thank you.
    3565 days ago
  • HELEN_BRU
    This is so annoying because I speak English so have no use for it. Would love to have it removed because it interferes with my page and sometimes I think even jams things up if I forget to remove it.

    P L E A S E !!!
    3565 days ago
  • CALLYEN
    I love sparkpages. I like the people who are a part of sparkpages. I do not like the new toolbar. I don't like that I wasn't asked if I wanted it before I got it. It does create odd popups that are annoying and when I was told that "if I don't like the tool bar, all I have to do is hit the "hide" button and it would be gone." It didn't mention that it would reappear every time I refreshed the screen or went to a new screen. Now I have to hit "hide toolbar" every time I have a new window. Its annoying at best. Its negatives out weight its positives.
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    3565 days ago

    Comment edited on: 7/7/2011 7:00:55 PM
  • MT10820
    Do not like any tool bars added without specific permission. One more thing to clear out if I don't like it...
    3565 days ago
  • OUTDOORMOM3
    I like the new tool bar. Everything I need is 1 click away. I vote for keeping it! emoticon
    3567 days ago
  • SHANDOO
    I'm just seeing it for the first time, and I like what you're trying to do. I see others are having problems with it, and if the problems can't be fixed, then I'm with them on getting rid of it. However, if they do get fixed, then please add a chat segment, so we can chat with Spark Buddies! Thanks! Have a great day!
    3567 days ago
  • PATTI_SP
    *dislike*
    site is getting toooooo cluttered! Way too hard to explain it to a newbie emoticon
    3567 days ago
  • HISARTIST
    Hate to say this...but I really really dislike this thing, and I also dislike the popups that I have been getting ever since you all decided to put it on the page. Definitely has to go!!!
    3568 days ago
  • ANNLPRICE
    I just want to confirm what everyone else has said about the "Long Live Our Dreams" thing. It's annoying, intrusive, and unwelcome.

    I have a suggestion that I think will make everyone happy.

    Instead of forcing this very intrusive bar on everyone and forcing the 99.99999999999999 percent of us who hate it to figure out how to get rid of it, why not give the few who seem to like it the option to select and add it?


    3568 days ago
  • -LINDA_S
    If the toolbar is responsible for that American Dream thing popping up every time I try to answer a question and for my being unable to click anything most of the time, please get rid of it. The last few days have been impossible to navigate the site and even tracking my food has been a real chore. It happened again right now. I couldn't even correct a typo without doing all kinds of things. Long Live Our Dreams? My "dream" is to have things work right again! Make it stop! I can't even post this comment without scrolling down.
    3569 days ago
  • LARANOTLAURA29
    It gets in the way! I'm trying to answer trivia questions and it pops up everytime I try to answer, then once its gone it won't let me click an answer!!! get rid of it!!!
    3569 days ago
  • AKELM08
    Do not like at all just because i can not click half way down the screen when it is up... not sure why. Boooooooo! Please get rid of it
    3570 days ago
  • no profile photo CD3880420
    Knock-Knock anyone home????
    STILL not fixed weeks later so it stays hidden! Booooo!
    Makes me not want to log in to SP!

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    3571 days ago
  • ANN_JEE
    I like it saves time
    3571 days ago
  • SBFT84
    I like this tool bar. My friend was just whining about SP being so complicated to locate her favs...This was an answer to her complaint. Thank-you SP!

    P.S. I am a little confused with the wallpaper of this blog being someone's little blond child. Is this an error?

    emoticon
    3571 days ago

    Comment edited on: 7/1/2011 11:11:10 PM
  • SALINA26
    Who is this cute blond boy wallpaper behind this screen? Anyone else seeing this cute boy all over the place? P.S. I LIKE THE TOOLBAR! THANKS!
    3571 days ago

    Comment edited on: 7/1/2011 11:05:38 PM
  • KALLMERJ1S
    This is very irritating that you added a toolbar without expliciting asking me. I'm sure there was something that I clicked on that had some tiny sentence about a toolbar. So, that is why I'm saying explicit. It makes me think twice about being a part of spark people.
    3571 days ago
  • KATHYBOYD2
    NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I don't want this! What are you doing adding it without my permission!

    Lose it! emoticon
    3572 days ago
  • BUTTERFLYEMERGE
    Yes, it's me again. PLEASE! Do something about this nasty bar! It's popping up on every page this morning and I can barely move through Spark. I don't have that much time to meet up with my friends and I can't do it when this "tool" slows me down. Please take it away, leave it taken away when I mark in my prefs that I don't want it. PLEASE!!!!
    3573 days ago
  • DORI36
    I like it. It saves me searching time.
    3573 days ago
  • RYANMANDY88
    No, I don't like it. I know where to go and how to get there. Really did not like that they stuck it to us and didnt even ask. It locked my computer up and all my programs keep saying it's a bug! :( emoticon
    3573 days ago
  • no profile photo CD8463480
    I still don't like it. It doesn't have anything I can't find elsewhere on the site.

    I've unchecked the box in my account settings several times - but the next time I log in, it's back, like a bad relative who won't go home after the reunion.
    I don't want to have to do that each time I log in.


    3574 days ago
  • HI-NRG
    I like the toolbar. Anyone that doesn't should either be able to uninstall it or hide it.
    I do however, think it needs to be customizable.
    3574 days ago
  • MOMOF2TONI
    I don't like the toolbar! It's annoying and I don't appreciate being given something like this without my permission.
    emoticon
    3575 days ago
  • CRFUNK
    As a general rule, toolbars are bad a bad idea. Many come with tracking capabilities, some with viruses, some with adware (like yours), and others just take up real estate (think netbooks). Although yours seems benign, I have to wonder what a toolbar can do that regular menu navigation can't. Is it just because "everyone" else has a toolbar? Does it add a cool/wow component that's lacking? Or are there actual problems you're trying to address that can't be done through the normal menu?

    But the most important question that should be asked is, "Did your customers ask for it and then you developed it"? Or did the cart come before the horse?

    I vote No. Lose the toolbar.
    3577 days ago

    Comment edited on: 6/25/2011 5:41:27 PM
  • HUNEYPIE
    Great idea, I don't really get how to add to My SparkFavourites though. I'm using Chrome could that be an issue?
    3578 days ago
  • GINGERLY4
    I don't have a problem with it, but would love the IM feature to come back!
    3578 days ago
  • NANCYPAT1
    GET RID OF THE ANNOYING TOOL BAR. IT IS THE MOST ANNOYING THING THIS SITE HAS EVER DONE!!!
    3579 days ago
  • TUCSONJILL
    I really like the toolbar, but I wish it were customizable--some of the "Quick Links" aren't anything I ever use, but some places in SP that I frequent aren't there.
    3579 days ago
  • KASEYCOFF
    Handy in a way, especially on the 'My Page' SparkPage. Kind of flipped me out, tho, as I didn't know it was coming - thought I might've gotten a virus or malware in the 'puter.

    Please, if nothing else - can we have better warnings / alerts in the future, BEFORE new 'features' are installed?

    p.s. And I wonder if it's inadvertently slowing things down somehow, but I'm not enough of a 'techie' to figure out something like this.
    3579 days ago
  • DRVAUGHAN
    I'm new to Spark and love the toolbar. Makes it easier to navigate around. Don't like the ad to the left because if you accidentally roll over it you get interrupted.. if you could take off the ad but leave the toolbar it'd be perfect. My boss just signed up. She doesn't have a toolbar but wants one. Not sure how to find it to get hers up n running.
    3580 days ago

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