Stuck onto a wall near where we sit is a print out of an email sent by a reader called Eero. It was sent at 4:50am on Tuesday, May 19, 1998 and it says in part ...
"The new SMH page is garbage, bring back the old one. I will not visit your site till this is done."
Whenever we redesign the site or introduce a change to the layout, we’ve come to expect a shellacking from our readers.
This time is no different. We've been swamped with emails and public feedback about the changes, many of them highly critical.
1. If it ain't broke ...
Websites are in a constant state of change. Even from day one, we’ll be adjusting aspects of the new site. Every day, someone "discovers" a better way of doing or presenting something. Ultimately, you build up to a point where in just makes sense to do a complete makeover. On average, we change the site about once every two years. The last time it had a substantial redesign was in April, 2004 - and we also copped a lot of complaints that time as well.
2. The new site looks too "tabloid".
We’re a bit stumped by this comment. In newspaper terms, "tabloid" suggests that a publication has gone downmarket. ie that racier, more populist subjects take precedence over more solid, worthy topics. That’s not the case here, the content is exactly the same. The major change to the home page is the addition of The Planner on the right hand side, the box that lists the "what to do" features. Other than that, the mix of features on the home page is much the same.
3. The old site was easier to read and navigate/bring back the old design
This may be a case of getting used to the new look and feel and the new navigation. The navigation bar has move from being a fixture on the left hand side to a dropdown across the top. This was intended to allow more space for stories by "tucking away" the navigation bar. We will continue to adjust the new design to iron out any unintended consequences.
4. Why do you need to spread stories out over multiple pages?
Many sites use this pagination method. However, we've heard you loud and clear on this one and we’re looking into a fix that we think will solve the problem. Stay tuned for more details.
5. I can’t find Column 8, Spike, Strange but True, Letters Cartoon, Obituary etc
They’re still all linked off the home page. Some of these features are linked off the "Time Out" bar near the top of the page. Others you’ll find linked off the "Opinion" bar, about halfway down the home page. You can also find these popular page via the search box (on every page) or via the site guide.
This pop up image may be helpful.
7. Why do I have to scroll sideways to see the whole site?
The new web site is optimised for computer screens with standard screen resolution settings of 1024x768 which represent most of our audience. The text only version of the site will fit most computer screens without scrolling and is available at this address:
http://smh.com.au/text/.
Alternatively, on most computers you will be able to change your screen resolution to fit the wider resolution. Please consult
this Microsoft page for instructions for Windows computers."
8. Why doesn’t the site work/look good on my (non-IE) browser?
The new site was tested on IE, Firefox, Safari and Opera for both Window and Mac operating systems. However, the addition of plugins, extensions and ad blockers etc may affect the rendering of the site in your browser. If you need more advice about your specific technical problems, please contact our helpdesk here.
They've advised us that increasing the resolution (In Windows: setting > control panel > display > settings) may fix some of the problems you're encountering.
Regards,
Stephen Hutcheon
site editor
smh.com.au
