> 1. How do you feel about the current website design?
> Is it easy-to-use? Awkward? Too graphical? Not graphical enough?

It's good. A bit "confusing" the first times, maybe. Too much options.

Sometimes it takes a bit too much time to download, maybe in "high-traffic" moments.



> 2. Is the left sidebar useful and easy to use?
> Could the site navigation be improved or made easier to use? If so, how?

It's easy and useful. It could be improved with something like pop-up submenus,
I think. But I don't think it's strictly necessary.

For example, I like very much the way it's organized Philips web site, with popup
menus for sub-browsing directly from the homepage. I know it's not easy to implement,
but it's cool.



> 3. Would it be a good idea to eliminate the left sidebar and replace it with
> a navigation bar at the top of each page?

No. I think it's better to add a navigation bar at the top of each page, if you think
it's useful, keeping also the left sidebar. "Repetita iuvant". It's better to have
more than one way to browse.

One think that I would like is the possibility to post and receive the messages
using an e-mail client instead to be online. The online forum is good, but for those
like me that have a dial-up connection it's difficult to post and keep track of
messages...
if I could post off-line like in a conventional mailing list it would be easier,
I think. Now I can receive the e-mail "daily list" of messages, but I can't reply
without being online

If there is yet this possibility, please tell me :-)


Regards,

Fausto