On the latest changes

My first impression of the new Deviantart: Polysyllabic babble on attempting to stay relevant while simply putting out an overdue smartphone app. I'm not sure how much time was put into making this presentation, but less time could've been spent on simply editing the text down into a work of substance that actually says something and gives specifics. Editing is a good thing, especially when done by an outside source.

This little presentation reads like someone put Dilbert business speak and Anonymous catchphrases in a blender -- then spilled the resulting words onto a webpage with no thought for coherence. It says nothing, and should a student have turned this into one of the classes I've taught, she or he would've earned an "F." All the artsy flash and glitter may distract from it, but it is still essentially meaningless.

So "We" are in this? Then listen to what a majority said and get rid of the unprofessional "facebook" style watch feed that works against artists who'd use this as a portfolio site for clients to view. It appears the website management spent too much time on the watchfeed, so they just can't bear to trash it. What users want can be summed up in a few words: display, share, sell, grow, community, portfolio, reference. "Social networking site" isn't on that list for most, from comments I saw in the last change announcement.

"Our new logo is symbolic of everything we believe" Really? In the words of Shakespeare:

"It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

As I said before, the new bright green "submit" button at the top of the page seems to be an attempt at subconsciously letting us know our role in these changes.

I don't mind changes:
= I'd love to see the ability to block certain users whose work tends to be as prolific as it is bad/offensive (why is it those who produce bad or offensive art are the most prolific? The answer is obvious, and they want attention I don't want to give).
= I'd love to know how many block me if that ability is programmed here.
= I'd like the ability to get rid of inappropriate comments to work restored (I had to do that with a drooling troll who decided to attack all Christmas-influenced work before its account got shut down).
= I'd like to be able to EASILY report offensive material and have that taken seriously (I'm specifically thinking of a prolific "artist" who posts nothing but portraits of a Nazi officer in unsettling homo-erotic situations).
= I'd like to be able to use DeviantArt as a professional showcase for my works and not just as the social media site it seems bent on becoming.
= I'd like to be able to purchase work through here.
= I'd like for artists to be able to promote their work more efficiently, whether it's for an art show, a comic coming out or Etsy crap they're selling (Etsy mostly annoys me, but I can see where it's worthwhile to others as sellers and buyers -- in the same way this new logo is useless to everyone).
= I'd like the developers to actually read and consider what people are putting here and put on the last change announcement -- especially the constructive criticisms and not just the "wow, you're so cool" posts that stroke their egos.

I'm sure if I sat down and thought about it, I could list more changes that'd be beneficial instead of cosmetic.

But beyond changes, I'd like the site to remain a place where amateurs and professionals can be side-by-side, improving each other through the exchange of ideas.

And THIS is how you write something of substance that gives specific details.