More ANN 5.0 Layout Options and Updates

A New Front Page

The default view of the front page is now a grid with large images, which makes it more modern, more visual, and reflects the fact that anime and manga are visual mediums.

But if you prefer an image-less style like the old layout, take a look at the four green icons on the right side above the articles; they change the layout of the front page.

The layout you chose will be saved for your next visit (if you're logged in, it will be saved to your account, otherwise a cookie will be used).

A lot of people have also been asking us for a front page layout similar to the old one. We've heard those requests and we're going to start working on it as soon as we clear up a few urgent bugs in the new site.

Filters

Another feature of the new front page is the ability to filter articles.

For example, if you only want to read articles about manga, all you would need to do is click on the "Manga" filter, and all the articles not about manga would be removed from the page.

Article Width

You might have noticed that our article pages no longer use the entire screen by default. There's a lot of research out there, as well as our own personal experience, that reading an article that is too wide (ie: hundreds of characters per line) is not comfortable for more readers.

Research demonstrates that 100 characters per line is the optimal length for reading speed. Every page that contains a block of text in the site — articles, forum, encyclopedia submission pages, etc. — is now limited to that "easily readable" width.

Of course, the perfect width varies from reader to reader. You may find that 100 characters is much to narrow for you. You might have another width you prefer, or you might simply prefer that every site you visit "use the entire screen." You can edit this on the Account Settings page.

100 Characters Wide

200 Characters Wide

Servers

On another note, we recently upgraded all our servers, and added a new one. A surprising number of readers remember that our old servers were named after the characters of Ah My Goddess. Our new servers are named after the lab members in Steins;Gate.

Okabe is handling the database while Daru is serving staff & subscribers and taking care of local backups. Mayu, Kurisu, Moeka & Ruka are serving the bulk of our visitors.

Updates

Curious about the bug fixes and additions (based on reader feedback) that we're making to ANN 5.0? We have a running list that can be read in the forum.